John Cage (1912-1992) assumed many roles in his life: composer, writer, popularizer of avant-garde art, social commentator, gourmet chef, and mushroom expert. In addition to his prolific musical output, he created numerous original works in the visual arts and literature, largely through chance encounters. Paradoxically, each of his works possessed an inimitable character and unmistakably identified its creator. His innovative pieces, such as 4'33' and Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano, not only established Cage as a leader of the post-war avant-garde movement but also consolidated the endlessly controversial debate surrounding his work. In a meticulous examination of Cage's biography, Rob Haskins explains the ideas behind the composer's working principles, including the Zen Buddhist principles embodied in his work—love without attachment, the ability to both feel and renounce emotion—that remain relevant today.