Rating: 
Summary: Piano Dreams
Review: What a wonderful, uplifting, book! Having begun playing the piano again after nearly 40 years away from it, I found myself enjoying Noah Adams descriptions of his joys and frustrations, exhaulting in his successes, and actually learning a few things to boot. A number of people ranted about the fact that Adams spent 11K on a piano. Having diddled around on a number of pianos before purchasing a used Yamaha upright, I can attest to the fact that there are pianos that can not only make even badly played music sound good but seem to call out to you when you touch them. Adams was in the fortunate position of being able to afford a piano that "spoke" to him, despite his somewhat unorthodox method of learning to play it. For an entertaining, enjoyable read, I definitely recommend Piano Lessons.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't learn piano this way.
Review: What was the point of this book? Fair writing. Rambling story. Noah made every mistake he could while attempting to learn how to play the piano. When I finished the story, I felt he still didn't learn how to play or appreciate the discipline. Noah - Stick to your day job.
Rating:
Summary: Where's the beef?
Review: While Mr. Adams book pretends to be about piano lessons, love of music, and musical adventure, in reality it has little to do with these subjects. "Piano Lessons" is really about a busy middle aged professional, making a half hearted attempt to learn a few pieces of keyboard music. The time he spent rambling on about work, vacations, sailing, and piano purchasing angst, would have been better spent practicing on the Steinway. As a person who began piano at age 40, I feel Mr. Adams can't see the forest for the keys. If he really wants to learn Traumerei, Mr. Adams should practice, practice, and then practice some more. Any person following his path of computer lessons, infrequent practice, long absence from playing, and overambitious music selection, will never realize what a pleasure it is to sit and play a piece of music correctly and with confidence. Mr. Adams - find a piano teacher and go every week. You will be amazed at what you can do!!! In my opinion Mr. Adams did not have enough experience or material on piano lessons to fill a book, so he filled it with all manner of banal fluff. "Piano Lessons" was interesting when it adhered to the topic, and all the rest is unnecessary.
Rating:
Summary: Beginning adult piano players
Review: will enjoy this book. Reading of his personal experiences in learing the instrument are enjoyable, but not enough are related to fill a book. The sections relating facts about famous pianists, or the excerpts of interviews with them, may interest begining piano players, but I found them boring fillers and actually skipped over parts. However, the last chapters did motivate me to pick up my guitar and practice!
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