Title - Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain

Author - Oliver Sacks

In this book Oliver Sacks weaves a collection of tales of people’s experience of music, tales that range from the sub-normal to the paranormal.

We read of ordinary people, who are haunted by music. They would give anything for the music to stop “playing” in their heads. But it will not go.

We read the story of a man struck by lightning, who develops an obsession with playing and composing, an obsession that destroys his marriage.

Always amongst the most heartwarming, we have people with physical or mental restrictions, who find that their skills in music are abundant. We can focus upon this small number and, with the arrogance of our age, declare that they are blessed. The fact that such people may be socially isolated or physically incapable of looking after themselves is outweighed by the fact that they give us music.