This biography investigates the life and career of Wendy Carlos, a pioneer of electronic music, to understand how her technical innovations and personal transition shaped her public and private existence. Amanda Sewell utilizes a combination of published and unpublished interviews with Carlos and her associates to construct a comprehensive narrative. The text examines the intersection of Carlos's early life in Rhode Island, her contributions to the development of the Moog synthesizer, and the subsequent privacy she maintained throughout her later years in New York.

Experts and music historians recognize this work as a significant contribution to the documentation of electronic music history. Readers frequently note that the prose is balanced and respectful, providing necessary context for both the musical achievements and the personal history of the subject.