THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A FINANCIAL TIMES AND TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025

From the bestselling author of This Is Your Brain on Music and The Organized Mind, a surprising and inspiring exploration of the healing power of music.

'Fascinating' OBSERVER
'Essential' WALL STREET JOURNAL
‘Intriguing’ GUARDIAN

We are only just beginning to appreciate the healing power of music on our minds and bodies.

Here, a neuroscientist and celebrated musician introduces a bold new paradigm for medical treatment. From explaining how ‘rhythmic auditory stimulation’ can fight multiple sclerosis, to examining why Tracy Chapman’s songs might just help cure PTSD, Professor Daniel Levitin explores how each of us can use music to calm our thoughts, repair our memories and heal our deepest psychological wounds. The result is both a surprising tour through the science of music, and a joyful celebration of humanity’s oldest obsession.

'Levitin presents a strong, evidence-based case for how music heals, alleviating pain, reducing anxiety and even aiding recovery from strokes or Parkinson’s. It’s a compelling blend of anecdote and rigorous science, revealing in detail how music harnesses the brain.' Books of the Year, FINANCIAL TIMES

"In this fascinating book, the neuroscientist makes a strong case for the therapeutic force of music . . . Merges research, theory and intriguing anecdotes about [Levitin's] interactions with musicians as well as patients to provide evidence of his contention that music not only functions as a temporary uplift or soothing balm in times of trouble, but possesses a much deeper restorative quality." - OBSERVER

"It's impossible to read this book without thinking of the music that has meant a lot to you in your own life." - DAILY MAIL

"A fun and thoughtful read . . . A crash course in the aspects of neuroscience that relate to aspects of our daily lives: joy, pain, learning, memory. Levitin draws on a career’s worth of experiments and scientific discovery to demonstrate the many ways music can and is being used to treat a number of ailments, whether Tourette syndrome or Alzheimer’s." - FINANCIAL TIMES

"We have long suspected that music has restorative qualities, but Daniel Levitin is now providing rigorous evidence that it can help treat many conditions, including depression, speech loss and Alzheimer's." - NEW SCIENTIST

"A natural communicator - warm, friendly, and geekily enthused about his subject." - GUARDIAN

"[As] intriguing as a long jazz riff." - NEW YORK TIMES

"A fascinating read filled with wondrous examples of how music makes us feel and think (and why that is). My favorite quote: 'Memory is the heart of who we are, and the very private sense of what it takes to be us." - FORBES

"Eye-opening." - ROLLING STONE

"Essential to our understanding." - WALL STREET JOURNAL