This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says about You

 
　　蘇珊．羅傑斯曾是傳奇歌手Prince的唱片製作人，現為認知神經科學家，並在柏克利音樂學院擔任教職，她與《黑馬思維》作者奧吉‧歐格斯聯手，帶來了一趟探索音樂背後的科學與靈魂、超乎想像的深度之旅。
 
　　每個人都擁有獨特的「聽者特質」，建立在我們大腦對歌曲七個重要維度的自然反應上。你比較在意歌詞還是旋律？你偏好節奏感強烈的音樂，還是能細膩觸動情感連結的曲子？無論是偏小眾還是流行，本書要幫助你認識自己的音樂喜好，並學到如何和他人描述你的音樂品味。就像我們大多數人一樣，作者並非音樂家，但本書告訴我們，每個人都能成為音樂愛好者──很間單，你只要當個積極而熱情的聽眾就行了。
 
　　除了探索音樂和大腦，羅傑斯也帶我們潛入歌曲的幕後錄製過程，運用她作為業內人士的專業，分析Prince、辛那屈、拉娜．德芮等人的音樂，也分享改變了她一生的作品，並鼓勵讀者去回想那些形塑或展現了個人身份認同的樂曲。
 
　　這部內容豐富的作品，不但極有可能會翻新你的播放清單，也將加深你與喜愛的音樂人的連結，並讓你開始用不同的方式思考和聆聽音樂。(文/博客來編譯)

This Is What It Sounds Like is a journey into the science and soul of music that reveals the secrets of why your favorite songs move you. But it’s also a story of a musical trailblazer who began as a humble audio tech in Los Angeles, rose to become Prince’s chief engineer for Purple Rain, and then created other No. 1 hits, including Barenaked Ladies’ ＂One Week,＂ as one of the most successful female record producers of all time.

Now an award-winning professor of cognitive neuroscience, Susan Rogers leads readers to musical self-awareness. She explains that we each possess a unique ＂listener profile＂ based on our brain’s natural response to seven key dimensions of any song. Are you someone who prefers lyrics or melody? Do you like music ＂above the neck＂ (intellectually stimulating), or ＂below the neck＂ (instinctual and rhythmic)? Whether your taste is esoteric or mainstream, Rogers guides readers to recognize their musical personality, and offers language to describe one’s own unique taste. Like most of us, Rogers is not a musician, but she shows that all of us can be musical--simply by being an active, passionate listener.

While exploring the science of music and the brain, Rogers also takes us behind the scenes of record-making, using her insider’s ear to illuminate the music of Prince, Frank Sinatra, Kanye West, Lana Del Rey, and many others. She shares records that changed her life, contrasts them with those that appeal to her coauthor and students, and encourages you to think about the records that define your own identity.

Told in a lively and inclusive style, This Is What It Sounds Like will refresh your playlists, deepen your connection to your favorite artists, and change the way you listen to music.