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Werken van Ogi Ogas

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This book's playful title should have been a clue: although there are some useful things to learn from the book mostly I found it superficial and disappointing. I thought the authors methodology, analyzing Google search results about sex, interesting but ultimately the most revealing thing they learned was something all women and some men know, that romance novels are female porn.
 
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nmele | 9 andere besprekingen | Feb 14, 2024 |
One of the more unusual non-fiction reads I’ve found in a while. Its subject is mind (or “mind” if you prefer): what it is, how it works and why it is the way it is—its history in other words, what shaped it. And by history I really do mean the long view of things because this book takes us all the way back to the very earliest and simplest microscopic living things, sensing and responding to their surroundings; then, step by careful step, it runs the clock forward from there.
    I found the first 118 pages (Parts 1 and 2, from microbes to invertebrate animals) fascinating and packed with insights. The way even a simplified cartoon version of a bacterium, say, deals with its world left a big impression—how even simple structures produce such purposeful-looking behaviour, and how even the most minor alterations radically transform those behaviours. Or this: “…we can begin to appreciate an interesting fact about the journey of Mind: how easy it seems to have been to develop complex mental faculties…”. Not how hard or unlikely, but how easy—that made the biggest impression on me of all.
    During Parts 3 and 4 though (the vertebrates, including ourselves) the whole book changes. We get a nine-page biography of Stephen Grossberg, mathematician and pioneer of the “module” theory of mind, and then the rest is based on his ideas. The result reads almost like two separate books: the authors’ own work taking us halfway, then someone else’s to complete the story.
    One other point: the authors are either just lazy with their use of language (“…as humankind was groping its way toward civilization…”; I’m sure it wasn’t like that at all, that humanity had no more idea of where it was going in the past than we do today), or they really do see it that way. Hard to tell—despite a disclaimer—but the book is peppered with teleological (or just quirky?) phrases like that.
    Overall then an unusual read—but Parts 1 and 2, on their own, would have got the full five stars.
… (meer)
 
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justlurking | 1 andere bespreking | Nov 23, 2023 |
What about music do you, personally, enjoy? That's what Susan Rogers, former music producer turned neuroscientist, and Ogi Ogas, computational neuroscientist, investigate in this engaging book. Whether it be authenticity, realism, novelty, melody, lyrics, rhythm, or timbre, we each have a sweet spot when it comes to the music we love. Rogers and Ogas break each down for us, with a variety of examples on a book website that link to songs on streaming services, so that we can discover our personal listening profile.

I really enjoyed reading and listening through this and trying to work out my own listener profile as I went. The authors' love for music comes out in their descriptions. The records (individually recordings of songs) chosen as examples are distinctive and do a great job of illustrating each feature. And, when needed, more complex science about the brain and music is broken down in an understandable way for laypeople. This is narrative nonfiction with a wide appeal - after all, who doesn't like to listen to music?
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½
 
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bell7 | 4 andere besprekingen | Apr 30, 2023 |
This is a really well put together book with invisible endnotes and a lot of musical examples. Both Susan’s and Ogi’s musical preferences are mentioned, although Susan does get more of the airtime because she’s the primary author and the former music producer. I liked that the authors took pains to stress that just because they chose certain songs as good *examples* of what they were talking about, that didn’t mean the songs themselves were good or that you should feel obliged to like them (especially the Shaggs’ song “I’m So Happy When You’re Near”, which is shall we say an acquired taste).

Like any good music book, this one comes with a playlist and the playlist is integral to the book. The discussions work best when you do actually stop and listen to the songs being discussed when you see them come up on the page. The book’s website provides handy links to Tidal, Spotify, IHeartRadio, and iTunes, although of course you can also use YouTube or even your own catalogue if you happen to have the songs in your collection. One of the most delightful moments for me was relistening to David Byrne’s “My Love Is You”, which makes excellent use of a tuba but I had never realized it was there, because I was so busy focusing on Byrne’s voice (and the lyrics, which include the classic “Sometimes dear, you tell me I’m an asshole / Sometimes you’re an asshole too”).

My favourite chapter was the one about rhythm, which talked about grooves. After reading it, I ended up listening to one of my all-time favourite songs (“Slippery People”, by Talking Heads, specifically the Stop Making Sense version), and paid close attention to where I moved and what beats I hit. I tended to move on the snare. Based on the discussion of the songs in the rhythm chapter, that suggested to me that I am inclined to groove on the downbeat.

Overall I really liked this and would consider getting a copy if I came across it. But what I’d really love is the chance to spend an hour with Susan and get her input on my favourite songs and what my listener profile is. Even without that, though, I know I’m going to have fun going through my music collection again and seeing what makes it what it is. This is worth reading if you’re interested in music.
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rabbitprincess | 4 andere besprekingen | Mar 8, 2023 |

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Werken
6
Ook door
1
Leden
563
Populariteit
#44,421
Waardering
½ 3.6
Besprekingen
17
ISBNs
33
Talen
3

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