The Canadian pianist Glenn Gould was a child prodigy and a musical genius whose 1955 recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations catapulted him to world fame. He was also plagued by lifelong depression; was terrified of playing before live audiences; and consumed prescription drugs by the handful. He died at fifty of a massive stroke. In this acclaimed biography; the late psychiatrist Peter Ostwald - himself an accomplished violinist and longtime personal friend of Gould's - raises many questions about Gould and his music. Was his genius sponsored by eccentricity or vice versa? Do those with genius sacrifice themselves for a higher ideal while remaining personally unfulfilled? Ostwald lays bare the energy and contradiction behind Gould's brilliance. Learning more of the man; absorbing Peter Ostwald's picture and analysis; has sharpened my ears and made me more acutely receptive.... [An] important and illuminating biography. -Oliver Sacks [A] superb psychological study ... a poignant personal memoir. -Time This brisk book is discerning rather than reductive; and guaranteed Freud-free. A. -Entertainment Weekly