By Garret Keizer
Noise is a weak issue. We must learn to live more quietly.
This is the gist of the book. This book is a bit hard to describe. The subject is pretty broad. The author tries to limit his discussion to unwanted sounds. He succeeds. I was amazed at just how many experts he finds around the world who study different aspects of noise. It's at it's best when Garrett tells stories about the conflicts caused by noise along with the resolutions (if any.) To me the slowest chapter was the one about the history of noise throughout the ages. It was just hard to get through.
Some interesting facts from the book: Cultures where people know their neighbors tend to be quieter. You have more respect for people you know. Which is why America has so many problems. We don't know our neighbors. Also we hold individual parties that disrupt others. In cultures where they have large community or city wide parties people tend to be a be quieter.
The ancient Egyptians described tinnitus!
Everyone enjoys their sounds but when it's someone else it's just noise. The conflicts have lead to death. In my own life, we saved up and installed soundproof windows in the bedrooms to keep out the noise of the neighbors. Was it worth it? Well YES! Even fireworks sound like distant pops now.
To go with the book the author started www.noisestories.com. Seeing that the best parts of the book are the stories of noise problems you might be better off just going to the website.
Happy Mother's Day!
14 years ago
