If you are brave enough to tackle the music of Arnold Schoenberg, then there is no reason not to have a helpful guide along the way. Schoenberg is an unlucky composer in that his full oeuvre can be appreciated only after a significant investment from his audience. Usually, those without the will power give up. But Allen Shawn takes us on a very personal and enthusiastic journey through Schoenberg's life, giving the push some of us need to get our brain around the difficult bits of his Art. Many of the common questions are addressed, such as: why did Schoenberg write atonal music; why did serial music end up the way it did; or was he just pulling our collective legs? The book will inspire you to listen, truly listen, to his music. And it is time well spent because Schoenberg was a gifted composer and one of the great musicians of our time.