Dr. Paul Westermeyer is more than qualified to write such a book. His work is excellent. He is an able historian, theologian, and philosopher--not to mention his abilities as a musician. His stated purpose in writing the book was to present a workable text for students and laymen alike. His careful historical treatment with just the right mix of commentary makes for excellent reading. I was amazed to realize my own lack of knowledge about church music. He really drove home the point of understanding your philosophy of worship. He backs up all of his statements with evidence and provides ample footnotes for further research. His treatment of the differing views was also quite fair.
I felt as though he may have gotten a little too technical at times. He feared "oversimplifying" some of his explanations from time to time, but I rarely found this to be the case! His explanation of Luther's views (and those of the major Reformers) was exceedingly helpful. He managed to successfully navigate the troubled water of church history with ease. His comments about modern music were quite incomplete. I would really enjoy reading his opinion about different modern day streams of thought with regard to worship. His emphasis on Lutheranism was interesting, but when it comes to the modern age he should have dedicated more time to discussing mainline evangelical musicians and their philosophies of worship.

Paul Heier, author of Leading Out of Love