Education & Languages review
Study in Music vs. Silence: What Works Best review
A $17.99 ebook comparing studying with music and in silence, sold with a fabricated doctorate on the credits.
Pass
The honest answer to the question in the title is that it depends on the task and the person, and that lyrics hurt reading comprehension for most people. If the book lands there, fine. What it claims as backing is the problem: it promises the science of how music affects focus while citing nothing, and credits a doctor with a PhD in Exam Psychology, which is not a field, and one of two author names that carry forty-four titles between them. Anyone can run the experiment the book describes for free over two study sessions.
- Price
- $17.99
- Billing
- One-time payment
- Best for
- Nobody: the experiment it suggests costs nothing to run yourself
- Not for
- Readers who want the actual studies rather than a summary
Study in Music vs. Silence: What Works Best at a glance
The book discusses how music affects focus, mood and memory, when silence suits deep concentration better, the different kinds of study music from classical to ambient, building playlists, avoiding distraction from lyrics and noise, and testing which environment works for you. It is an instant download of unstated length at $17.99 against a printed $47, with a 60-day refund window, and the order form is the only description.
- Format
- Ebook, instant download after purchase
- Length
- Not stated: the order form gives no page count
- Contents
- The science of how music affects focus, mood, and memory; When silence is better for deep concentration and learning; Different types of study music, classical, instrumental, ambient, and more; How to create personalized study playlists for maximum effect; Practical tips to avoid distractions from noise or lyrics; How to test and discover your own ideal study environment
- Price
- $17.99 one time, listed beside a regular price of $47
- Refund window
- 60 days on the order form
- Credited author
- Hina Sarwar
- Credited co-author
- Dr. Donna Castillo, described as holding a PhD in Exam Psychology with 20 years of experience
- Readership claim
- Claims 439000+ readers
- Sales page
- None: the Digistore24 order form is the only description
- Seller
- GhulamBooks, listed as the merchant on the Digistore24 order form; no website, address or phone number is given anywhere. Digistore24 Inc. is the reseller of record.
- Digistore24 ID
- 633492
Music, silence and the space between
Effects on focus and memory, when silence wins, music types, playlists and testing your own setup.
The reasonable conclusion, that it depends on task and person, is one you can reach in two sessions.
Promises science, cites none
The listing invokes the science of music and focus without a single reference.
Research on lyrics and reading comprehension is openly available and clearer than this summary.
The co-author's degree does not exist
The listing credits Dr. Donna Castillo with a PhD in Exam Psychology and 20 years of experience. No university awards a doctorate in that, and it is the pattern across all 84 titles from this seller: each book gets its own doctor with a PhD in exactly that book's subject.
Three of those names appear twice with different doctorates and different decades of experience, so the credentials are generated rather than held.
The rest of the numbers are decoration
Claims 439000+ readers, although the seller has no website, no catalogue page and no way to check. The $47 regular price sits next to $17.99 on every title in the catalogue and is never charged.
The reviews carry first names and US or European cities, which cannot be verified either.
Pros and cons
What works
- A genuinely debated question
- Practical playlist and testing advice
- 60-day refund window on the order form
- Instant download, no add-ons in the cart
What does not
- No references despite claiming science
- Question you can answer yourself for free
- Co-author credited with a degree that does not exist
- Permanent $47 anchor price
- No sales page, author bio or sample
Study in Music vs. Silence: What Works Best FAQ
Is music good for studying?
It depends on the task; lyrics reliably hurt reading comprehension.
Does it include playlists?
It describes how to build them rather than supplying them.
How much does it cost?
$17.99 as a one-time payment, with no sales tax added for a US address.
Can I get a refund?
Yes, the order form shows a 60-day money-back window.
Who wrote it?
The listing credits Hina Sarwar, with Dr. Donna Castillo as co-author. Neither has a verifiable profile, and the doctorate given is not a real academic field.
The bottom line
The honest answer to the question in the title is that it depends on the task and the person, and that lyrics hurt reading comprehension for most people. If the book lands there, fine. What it claims as backing is the problem: it promises the science of how music affects focus while citing nothing, and credits a doctor with a PhD in Exam Psychology, which is not a field, and one of two author names that carry forty-four titles between them. Anyone can run the experiment the book describes for free over two study sessions.
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