From the chief architect of the Pandora Radio song recommendation engine comes a definitive and groundbreaking examination of why we respond to music the way we do.Everyone loves music. But what is it that makes music so universally beloved and have such a powerful effect on us?In this sweeping and authoritative book, Dr. Nolan Gasser―a pianist, composer, musicologist, and the chief architect of the Music Genome Project, which is what powers Pandora Radio―breaks down what musical taste is, where it comes from, and what our favorite songs say about us.Dr. Gasser delves into the science, psychology, and sociology that explains why humans love music so much; how our brains process music; and why you may love Queen but your friend loves Kiss. He sheds light on why babies can clap along to rhythmic patterns and reveals why different cultures across the globe identify the same kinds of music as happy, sad, or scary. Using easy-to-follow notated musical scores, Dr. Gasser teaches music fans h
