Exploring Music: The Science and Technology of Tones and Tunes

Lavishly illustrated, Exploring Music: The Science and Technology of Tones and Tunes explains in a nonmathematical way the underlying science of music, musical instruments, tones, and tunes. The author explores the magical quality and science of music, facilitating pleasure and the understanding in both young and older readers. Based primarily on the highly successful series of Christmas lectures given by the author in 1989-1990 at the Royal Institution, this book contains an expanded version of what he demonstrated to live audiences in excess of 2,000 as well as over 10 million television viewers.

The book is intended to be read for enjoyment, rather than as a text, and I can recommend it warmly to anyone with an interest in the physical background to music. It would also be suitable as background reading for high school courses in physics and music (supplemented by some more quantitative treatment) or for conservatorium courses in musical acoustics.
-N. Fletcher, The Australian and New Zealand Physicist

Charles Taylor is a natural communicator of scientific ideas ... I recommend the book strongly.
-R.C. Thompson

Taylor has written a charming book on the connections between physics and music, presented with a distinctive British flavour and perspective.
-Anders Askenfelt, Physics World