Metallica and Philosophy: A Crash Course in Brain Surgery (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series) | 
| Creator: William Irwin
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Category: Book
List Price: $21.95
Buy New: $13.73
You Save: $8.22 (37%)
New (31) Used (14) from $11.18
Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 317675
Media: Paperback
Pages: 272
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.7
ISBN: 1405163488
Dewey Decimal Number: 782.421660922
EAN: 9781405163484
ASIN: 1405163488
Publication Date: April 6, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Hit the lights and jump in the fire, you’re about to enter the School of Rock! Today’s lecture will be a crash course in brain surgery. This hard and fast lesson is taught by instructors who graduated from the old school—they actually paid $5.98 for The $5.98 EP. But back before these philosophy professors cut their hair, they were lieutenants in the Metal Militia.
- A provocative study of the ‘thinking man’s’ metal band
- Maps out the connections between Aristotle, Nietzsche, Marx, Kierkegaard, and Metallica, to demonstrate the band’s philosophical significance
- Uses themes in Metallica’s work to illuminate topics such as freedom, truth, identity, existentialism, questions of life and death, metaphysics, epistemology, the mind-body problem, morality, justice, and what we owe one another
- Draws on Metallica’s lyrical content, Lars Ulrich’s relationship with Napster, as well as the documentary Some Kind of Monster
- Serves as a guide for thinking through the work of one of the greatest rock bands of all time
- Compiled by the editor of Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing and The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D’oh! of Homer
Book Description
Hit the lights and jump in the fire, you're about to enter the School of Rock! Today's lecture will be a crash course in brain surgery. This hard and fast lesson is taught by instructors who graduated from the old school-they actually paid $5.98 for The $5.98 EP. But back before these philosophy professors cut their hair, they were lieutenants in the Metal Militia. Metallica is the "thinking man's" metal band and the headbanger's CNN. Snobs and music critics have often dismissed Metallica as mindless noise; we're here to set the record straight. "In pursuit of truth no matter where it lies," this book considers questions that philosophers have been pondering for ages, including: Does Metallica's music provide an Aristotelian catharsis or does it just make kids go postal? Can "Fade to Black" save you from suicide? Are we all in the "Sanitarium"? How can we "Escape" to be free? What can Nietzsche tell us about the God That Failed? What can Descartes and "One" tell us about the relationship between the mind and the body? Did Lars make a sound argument against Napster? Metallica is more than just a band, and this book is much more than just a ticket to ride down memory lane. This is an in-depth analysis of the soundtrack to your life. So start your CD player, fire up your iPod, or, better yet, break out the old vinyl. We're going' for a ride with the four horsemen, and a few philosophers too.
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| Customer Reviews:
 very good book November 21, 2007
M. A. Kaptein (Hoorn, N-H Netherlands)
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
I like Metallica for a long time and have listened to their songs and trying to understand it. With this book it's possible to get more details about the songs: why are they written and with what perpose?
If you want to know more about the songs and the reason for writing those songs, just read this book.
 Philosophy & Metal Rocks! June 25, 2007
Mylissa Graves (Signal Hill, CA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I was given this book by the Editor Bill Irwin & had A Crash Course in reading it! I had 4 days to finish it, what pressure! This books contains 20 essays from 20 different perspectives & although I did not agree w/ some of them I agreed w/ most especially the essay by Rachel Sotos, you will have to buy the book to read her essay, but I related to what she had to say.
The premise of the book is taking the lyrics of Metallica's songs & trying to portray what Jaymz Hetfield was feeling/thinking when he wrote them & analyzing what it all means. This book is meant to get you thinking & to open your mind. They touch on all of Metallica's albums including St. Anger, which is not a favorite among many including me, but reading the lyrics & the analagy makes me think that I should give St. Anger yet another listen to find my own analagy.
This was a great book & I suggest everyone to read it whether you are a Metal Head or not! Metallica fans will LOVE this!
Metallica is GREAT and so is this BOOK!!! June 8, 2007
The Great Guldna (Eastchester, NY USA)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
I started listening to Metallica in my teens shortly after the release of RTL. I even quoted Motorbreath in my high school yearbook. At the time listening to Metallica and "acting like a maniac" is what came natural to me. Who would have ever thought I was such an existentialist?
I always felt a deep connection to their music, but at that time I didn't even know what philospohy really meant. Metallica's lyrics provoked my thoughts and the raw power of their music just always felt right to me. So if you were like me ,you didn't get into Metallica to be philosophical. That's not what we were about.
I first picked up this book hoping that philosopy would validate the music of my youth. But as I got into it I soon remembered that I didn't listen to Metallica for anyone's approval. Back in the day I could care less what "other people thought" about most things. And in the end I realized that it's not Philosphy that validates the music. Metallica's lyrics, their music, and most importantly their fans are what validate Philosophy. Somehow I think we knew that all along.
This book was an enjoyable read and helped me realize important things about myself and the music that I love. If you're story is similiar to mine, go ahead and "Jump in the Fire". You want be disappointed with this book.
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