Ted Libbey's a really good guide for someone venturing into classical music without a lot of familiarity with the material. The book is put together pretty well, and Libbey’s very knowledgeable and a good writer. His taste is broad, which is good for a reader whose tastes are developing. He tends to emphasize large orchestral works at the expense of chamber music and solo instrumental works, as well as at the expense of opera and sacred music (and he seems to have a bit of a preference for late Romantic works). But that’s probably representative of the preferences of most classical music listeners, so it’s okay for an introductory book like this. Anyone who develops interest in specific areas will need more than this book offers. But, in good introductory fashion, it provides a mix of music history, composer biographies, a bit of musicology, and some explanation of genres. Definitely a good place to start, and probably worth checking out even if you’re fairly familiar with classical music. ( )