• Nicholas Cook is an excellent expositor who writes with humour and flair. Anthony Storr described Cook's book, A Guide to Musical Analysis, as 'fascinating' and 'provocative'.
• Referring throughout to familiar musical examples, this Very Short Introduction will involve the reader, and raise thought-provoking questions about what music is, and how it is constructed and consumed.
• Covers not only Western music and not only classical music - Nicholas Cook discusses everything from rock to Chinese zither music
• 'another eminently readable publication by the people's musicologist' Anthony Gritten, University of East Anglia

 
This stimulating Very Short Introduction to music invites us to really think about music and the values and qualities we ascribe to it. 

The world teems with different kinds of music-traditional, folk, classical, jazz, rock, pop-and each type of music tends to come with its own way of thinking. Drawing on a wealth of accessible examples ranging from Beethoven to Chinese zither music, Nicholas Cook attempts to provide a framework for thinking about all music. By examining the personal, social, and cultural values that music embodies, the book reveals the shortcomings of traditional conceptions of music, and sketches a more inclusive approach emphasizing the role of performers and listeners.