author
Ethel R. (Ethel Rose) Peyser
1887–1961
A lively American writer and journalist, she made big subjects feel approachable—from the history of music and opera to the changing technologies of everyday home life. Her books are clear, curious, and written to help general readers enjoy and understand the world around them.
2 Audiobooks
How music grew, from prehistoric times to the present day
by Marion Bauer, Ethel R. (Ethel Rose) Peyser
Cheating the Junk-Pile: The Purchase and Maintenance of Household Equipments
by Ethel R. (Ethel Rose) Peyser
About the author
Born in New York City in 1887, Ethel Rose Peyser was an American writer and journalist who studied at Vassar College, Barnard College, and Columbia University Teachers College, earning her bachelor's degree in 1908.
She wrote across an unusually wide range of subjects. Some of her best-known books introduced readers to music history and appreciation, including How Music Grew and How Opera Grew, while The House that Music Built explored the story of Carnegie Hall. She also wrote practical nonfiction such as Cheating the Junk-Pile, a guide to choosing and maintaining household equipment.
That mix of cultural writing and everyday advice helps explain her appeal. Her work has an energetic, instructive style that aims to make complicated topics useful and enjoyable for ordinary readers rather than specialists.