Events › Chapter by Chapter: Non-Fiction Book Club

Join us for a monthly gathering for seniors who want to explore the lives and stories of remarkable individuals. Each month, we dive into a new biography, uncovering the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of people who have shaped history. This club provides a welcoming space to share insights, engage in thoughtful discussions, and connect with others over the power of storytelling. Whether you're a lifelong reader or just beginning to explore biographies, this book club offers a chance to learn, reflect, and celebrate the stories that inspire us all. 

This month's selection: This Is What It Sounds Like, by Susan Rogers
A legendary record producer-turned-brain scientist explains why you fall in love with music. 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 to became Prince's chief engineer for Purple Rain, and then create 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.

Books available at the Kettering-Moraine branch. To get a sneak peek at more titles related to non-fiction and past book club selections, you can click here.