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This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession
In this groundbreaking union of art and science, rocker-turned-neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin explores the connection between music—its performance, its composition, how we listen to it, why we enjoy it—and the human brain. Drawing on the latest research and on musical examples ranging from Mozart to Duke Ellington to Van Halen, Levitin reveals: • How composers produce some of the most pleasurable effects of listening to music by exploiting the way our brains make sense of the world • Why we are so emotionally attached to the music we listened to as teenagers, whether it was Fleetwood Mac, U2, or Dr. Dre • That practice, rather than talent, is the driving force behind musical expertise • How those insidious little jingles (called earworms) get stuck in our heads And, taking on prominent thinkers who argue that music is nothing more than an evolutionary accident, Levitin argues that music is fundamental to our species, perhaps even more so than language. This Is Your Brain on Music is an unprecedented, eye-opening investigation into an obsession at the heart of human nature..
Price: $5.91
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The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature
The author of the New York Times bestseller and Los Angeles Times Book Award Finalist This Is Your Brain on Music tunes us in to six evolutionary musical forms that brought about the evolution of human culture. An unprecedented blend of science and art, Daniel Levitin's debut, This Is Your Brain on Music, delighted readers with an exuberant guide to the neural impulses behind those songs that make our heart swell. Now he showcases his daring theory of "six songs," illuminating how the brain evolved to play and listen to music in six fundamental forms—for knowledge, friendship, religion, joy, comfort, and love. Preserving the emotional history of our lives and of our species, from its very beginning music was also allied to dance, as the structure of the brain confirms; developing this neurological observation, Levitin shows how music and dance enabled the social bonding and friendship necessary for human culture and society to evolve. Blending cutting-edge scientific findings with his own sometimes hilarious experiences as a musician and music-industry professional, Levitin's sweeping study also incorporates wisdom gleaned from interviews with icons ranging from Sting and Paul Simon to Joni Mitchell, and David Byrne, along with classical musicians and conductors, historians, anthropologists, and evolutionary biologists. The result is a brilliant revelation of the prehistoric yet elegant systems at play when we sing and dance at a wedding or cheer at a concert—or tune out quietly with an iPod..
Price: $11.99
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Introduction to the Design and Analysis of Algorithms (2nd Edition)
Based on a Based on a new classification of algorithm design techniques and a clear delineation of analysis methods, "Introduction to the Design and Analysis of Algorithms" presents the subject in a coherent and innovative manner. Written in a student-friendly style, the book emphasizes the understanding of ideas over excessively formal treatment while thoroughly covering the material required in an introductory algorithms course. Popular puzzles are used to motivate students' interest and strengthen their skills in algorithmic problem solving. Other learning-enhancement features include chapter summaries, hints to the exercises, and a detailed solution manual..
Price: $63.90
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Journey to America
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Strange Relations
A summer in paradise That's all Marne wants. That's all she can think of when she asks her parents permission to spend the summer in Hawaii with Aunt Carole and her family. But Marne quickly realizes her visit isn't going to be just about learning to surf and morning runs along the beach, despite the cute surfer boy she keeps bumping into. For one thing, Aunt Carole isn't even Aunt Carole anymore—she's Aunt Chaya, married to a Chasidic rabbi and deeply rooted in her religious community. Nothing could be more foreign to Marne, and fitting into this new culture—and house full of kids—is a challenge. But as she settles into her newfound family's daily routine, she begins to think about spirituality, identity, and finding a place in the world in a way she never has before. This rich novel is a window into a different life and gets to the very heart of faith, identity, and family ties..
Price: $7.00
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Boom Town
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In Sickness & In Health: How to Discuss and Create a Plan for Long-Term Care and the Consequences to Your Family and Finances if You Don't
This book focuses on long-term care planning and describes the physical and emotional consequences to one's family if a plan is not put in place. The book helps readers identify the right long-term care plan for their needs and explains options for funding the plan, including Medicaid and long-term care insurance. Included are how-to's on buying the right long-term care insurance policy and choosing the right long-term care professional..
Price: $18.95
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