The Third Ear: On Listening to the World

by Joachim-Ernst Berendt, Tim Nevill (Translator)

Excellent Book

Genres: Music, Philosophy, Nonfiction

234 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Seray]

The ear is not given enough credit! Eyes beware, the ear has always been in charge. Seriously though, the effects that sound (aka music) has upon our bodies and our minds is astounding. The last chapter or two gets a bit out there, as well as a bit boring, but overall, the information in this book is essential. You may never listen to music in the same way.

[Rachel]

This book is a weird, delusional, incoherent rambling by someone who took too much acid and became obsessed with the human ear. With a foreword by Yehudi Menuhin, I thought it might have some merit. But it is full of quotations, babblings, and pseudoscientific assertions about the ear's supremacy. Impossible to get through for a trained musician.

[Nick]

The Third Ear tells the history—from Odysseus to Ray Charles, explains the biology and physics, and extolls the virtues, of hearing. It is a compelling essay and love story on the ear’s foremost importance of the senses. I was searching for a book to help me rationalize prioritizing listening, and this did the trick. If not for a couple chapters where the author veers from the primary subject, this could have been five stars.

[Elisabeth Millenaar]

Interesting ideas.

[Forrest]

It's been quite awhile since I read this book, but I found it very interesting and thought provoking. At the very least, after reading this book, you might consider how you are relating to the world, through the eyes...or ears.

[Cathy]

really more about listening than music though interesting chapters - took more concentration than I could devote at this time