"Isacoff . . . untangles the complexities . . . with the aplomb of a virtuoso pianist playing scales."
–The New York Times Book Review "A thrilling story that is as accessible as it is absorbing. . . . This is a whirlwind tour through the history of Western culture, told with flair and grace." –
National Review "Immensely entertaining, original and informative. [
Temperament's]
most persuasive weapon is the unquenchable passion of its author." –
The Economist
"Admirable. . . . [Isacoff] writes engagingly. . . . [about] a time when there existed a glorious synthesis of music and mathematics, and in the imaginations of scientists and philosophers and musicians it wove the entire universe into a grand design." –
The New Republic "Charming. . . . As much a whirlwind tour of Western culture's big ideas as it is a musicological investigation." –
Los Angeles Times
"The pleasure here is that it gives readers a glimpse of the oceanic depths of musical metaphors and mysteries still unsolved by cognitive science and evolutionary psychology." –
Wilson Quarterly "A sweeping history of medieval and Renaissance European intellectual achievement, in which the question of tuning assumes a speaking part. . . .
Temperament should appeal not only to music lovers but also to fans of cultural and scientific history." –
Time Out New York
"An astounding and accessible journey through the culture-defining narrative hidden in arcane music theory. Isacoff does a wondrous job." –
The Onion
"This lucid, humanist study is as much fun to read as a murder mystery." –
San Jose Mercury News "[Brings] together aspects of science, philosophy, history, poetry, religion, and music in a compact yet compelling narrative." –
Library Journal
