My Music, My Life Hardcover – Illustrated, November 6, 2007

Everything Raviji touches is gold!This book is really wonderful, both as a personal autobiography of a master musician, and as a technical manual for learning Sitar.I haven't had a chance to read the entire book yet, but I have tried some of the exercises in the technical section, and they are not only very helpful but quite beautiful in their own right.Its probably true for every instrument, but practice exercises can tend to be uninteresting or not very melodic. But the material in this book makes even a beginner feel like he is playing "real" Hindustani music.Ok, you still need personal instruction to learn to play a complete raga, but this is a really good start until you can find a teacher.UPDATEI finished reading the "autobiographical" sections and have been practicing the exercises for some time now, so thought this review should be updated.The entire book is focused on music. By that I mean that even the "autobiographical" sections are focused solely on Ravi's involvement and development in music, as opposed to his personal life.It starts off giving a brief, but concise history of the historical development of Indian music, and Hindustani music in particular, including development of instruments and styles/schools of playing. Then it shows where Ravi and his Guru fit into this context.It then discusses Ravi's early years dancing in brother Uday's dance troupe; how he basically learned to play multiple instruments "by ear" and how he eventually focused on Sitar under the teachings of Usted "Baba" Allauddin Khan.The book is a fascinating chronicle of how Ravi developed musically and began introducing Hindustani Classical music to the West and how he began changing the way even Indians listen to and honor their own music.The only (very) slight complaint I have is that the book really doesn't touch much on his non-professional life. He barely mentions his relations with women, even though he had a reputation of being a "womanizer." He mentions Norah Jones' mother in passing, and his current wife. But, even though he mentions his first marriage to Baba's daughter, he does not mention what happened with this marriage. Did she die? Did it end in divorce?However, I am not knocking this book because if you take it for what it is... a book focused on Ravi's professional life, music and teachings it is a truly fascinating read.And, after working more on the practice exercises, I think you don't need another sitar book. This has everything you need to get started on learning Sitar, other than a live, in-person teacher. (which is critical, actually!)

I bought this book as my own birthday present and it came on time less than one week from the time I ordered it. Many lovers of indian classical music were waiting for the reprinting of this book for more than 20 years. The new printing is so beautiful and the concept of raga is all over the book as if instead of reading one is lstening to the music it conveys thru its colors and the beautiful binding. The book is more or less the same as the original edition with the exception of Panditji's foreword and his epilogue at the end of the book. I would love to have this book translated in Spanish as it is my mother tongue. I even would like to do the translation myself. I remember that I learn to play the sitar when I made photocopies of the sitar lessons on the book from the old Simon and Schuster edition that the local university library had.Thanks to it I not only learned to appreciate the music but also to learn to enjoy one of the most magnificient, heavenly sounding string instruments in the world. I even remember when I met Ravi Shankar at a concert he gave at the Rialto Center in Atlanta in 2001. It was like a dream come true. Also I am very happy for the price Amazon had for such a beautiful book and the good service. Namaste!

I am very impressed with what Mr Shankar has communicated in his book. I thoroughly enjoyed his instruction in sitar and raga, but especially the deep spiritual connection his was able to explain. I have always loved his music, but I am deeply moved by his spiritual relationship to Indian music. Bravo and thank you sir, where ever you are now.

having read Raga Mala, the autobiography of/by Ravi Shankar first published by Genesis Publications, i expected with this volume titled "My Music, My Life" to be somewhat thicker (that's why only 4 stars applied). on the other side it's a very interesting manual on the actual structure and playing of the indian music on the sitar. at first hearing, the indian music appears disharmonic to our western harmonic music trained ears, however, over the years i fell in love with indian music and this volume allows a closer look inside the making of the disharmonic to make us understand it better and love it even more so.JohPWilbrand

I owned a copy back in 1971, mainly as a Shankar fan after the Concert for Bangladesh. A zillion years later I was teaching myself the surbahar and bought this new edition. Good book, serious approach to lessons.

Beautiful combination of Indian music basics, memoire and sitar instruction.

Awesome book, Ravi Shankar is the greatest...

This book is a veritable autobiography of Indian classical music itself....a tribute to the absolute identification of the student with his subject..Beautiful high quality pictures adorn the entire book and a technical manual of Sitar at the end provide a uniquely informative and pleasent book for a stumbler (like me), as well as I imagine a purposeful pursuer of Indian classical music's roots and traditions. A great coffee table book too.