GUITAR ZERO The New Musician and the Science of Learning

The author turns the artist-as-martyr stereotype on its ear. A psychologist, he taught himself to play guitar at age 40. As Marcus learned to play, he unraveled the mysteries of musicianship; here he articulates them in purely scientific terms, calls into question, if not debunks, some of the assumptions and notions people have about musicianship. Music purists will hate this book, but it does give music an interesting perspective that is outside the framework of aesthetics. As narrator, Marcus sounds self-congratulatory yet earnest. One can’t help but get the notion that his earnestness is a form of martyrdom in itself—as self-aggrandizing as the strutting of any guitar god. J.S.H. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2012]