Rhythm Planet : The Great World Music Makers

Rating:
Summary: Pleasing Introduction to World Music
Review: Schnabel's book has beautiful graphics and is well presented in an easy-to-read format. It is a good introduction to the major figures of world music and fills us in a little on their lives and cultural contexts. My other favorite world music book is "The Brazilian Sound" (Temple University Press, 1998), which I also purchased through amazon.com.

Rating:
Summary: Great introduction to "World Music"
Review: The real pleasure in this book is not so much the artist synopses, which are brief, but in the diversity of artists described.

For instance, I've been a Jobim listener for years, and found his section a little lacking, but... I had never heard of Oumou Sangare, and what a joy it was when I went out and bought one of her albums.

Thanks for opening my ears!

Rating:
Summary: An Engaging Visit With Major World Music Stars
Review: Years ago, when I lived in L.A., I listened to Schnabel's radio show "Morning Becomes Eclectic" and loved the vast range of music from all over the world that he played. It's great to see him pull his interviews together and fashion a handsome and compelling book such as this one, an engaging read. It is not the "Bible of world music" as one of the reviews elsewhere suggests, as the chapters on each artist are very brief and there are only a few dozen artists in the book. But what is there is superbly done and quite informative. Adding to another review below, I would say that this book is an excellent addition to one's "world music" library, a nice complement to books such as "World Music: The Rough Guide," "Planet Drum," and The Brazilian Sound."