As he turned forty, acclaimed scientist Gary Marcus was known for his studies of evolution, language, and cognitive development, but not for his musical talent. He learned to play the guitar and investigated how anyone of any age might master a new skill. His new book, Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning (Penguin Press), takes readers into a deeply pleasurable journey in which the writer, as his own experimental subject, encounters experts on errors, examines why we like the songs we like, and the role machines can play in making music. Gary Marcus, now the Director of the NYU Center for Child Languages, is the author of three earlier books, including Kluge: The Haphazard Evolution of the Human Mind