When I read this book, I laughed aloud-- several times. It tells music history in a way you wouldn't find most other places: as bawdy, absurd, and ironic. From Schumann's love life to Vivaldi's nickname, the humanity of music's "giants" is revealed with gusto. But though the book is decidedly light-hearted, a true music lover might find that they come away from it with an enhanced sense of identification, both with the composers they've always enjoyed and with themselves. When we can laugh at the foibles of history's great men and women, we can probably appreciate them more deeply. And the same goes for ourselves. ( )

It's been a while since I read this, but I seem to remember that it's a fresh, funny look at music history. Almost a graphic novel at times. Good stuff. ( )