Gary Marcus is the director of NYU’s Center for Language and Music and the author of several well-regarded books about the brain’s inner workings. His newest, Guitar Zero, describes his effort to master (or, at the very least, learn to play) a musical instrument—a task he undertakes despite his self-confessed lack of musical talent. Along the way, Marcus interviews a few A-list guitarists, surveys the cognitive science involved, and answers some basic (but fascinating) questions about musical ability, musical taste, and the various things that make musical works work.