What’s on your reading list?

Some books about sound, noise, and acoustics

If you’re interested in reading about sound, you probably have a collection of books already. Personally, I have more than I have time to read. But that doesn’t stop me from collecting more. And yes, it probably seems odd to read about sound, but there’s no shortage of books about listening, recording, hearing health, acoustics, or noise issues.

Here are some examples from my own collection, plus a few open-source books I found on the web.

On my bookshelf:

Environmental Acoustics (copyright 1972), by Leslie L. Doelle
A relatively easy-to-understand textbook from nearly 50 years ago. Some issues are timeless: it covers many of the noise issues we still talk about today in building construction and acoustics. And the solutions haven’t changed as much as you’d think.

Noise Control Manual for Residential Buildings (Builder’s Guide) (copyright 1997), by David A. Harris
Written in a straightforward way, this book covers what a noise consultant might explain to you. It also includes some common misconceptions about noise solutions in buildings.

Why Noise Matters (copyright 2011), by John Stewart, with Francis McManus, Nigel Rodgers, Val Weedon, and Arline Bronzaft
These experts cover noise as a social, cultural, environmental, and public-health issue. Also, don’t miss our Soundproofist podcast interviews with John Stewart and Arline Bronzaft!

Sonic Wonderland (copyright 2015), by Trevor Cox
A thoroughly enjoyable collection of stories about unique acoustical destinations and the stories behind them. The author actually visited these sites — from the most reverberant space in the world to the quietest one.

Hear Where We Are: Sound, Ecology, and Sense of Place (copyright 2013), by Michael Stocker
Covers sound and perception in humans and animals. This book dives into how animals and fish use sound to communicate and navigate through the world. Soundproofist also interviewed Michael Stocker on the topic of ocean noise.

Volume Control: Hearing in a Deafening World (copyright 2019), by David Owen
A very readable and informative primer on sound and hearing. It covers hearing loss, hearing aids, and other noise-induced hearing issues like tinnitus.

 

From the Internet Archive bookshelves:

Acoustics and Psychoacoustics (copyright 1996-2009), by David M Howard and Jamie Angus.
A textbook that covers sound, hearing, notes and harmony, musical instruments, and hearing timbre. Available as a download in different digital formats.

Encyclopedia of Acoustics (copyright 1997), by Malcolm J. Crocker
This is a highly technical book that covers topics like non-linear acoustics, aeroacoustics, and ocean acoustics. It would be very expensive to buy. However, you can “borrow” it by the hour from the Internet Archive.

Architectural Acoustics (copyright 2006), by Marshall Long
Covers human perception and sound, and then dives into the acoustics for different types of construction, such as office buildings, multi-unit apartment buildings, and performance spaces. Available in different digital formats.

Voices of tyranny: temples of silence (copyright 1993), by R. Murray Schaefer
This is a book you can borrow by the hour from the Internet Archive, or buy used through Amazon. From the publisher’s description: “Essays deal with creation and destruction by sound, the dialectics of the soundscape, music and the soundscape, and soundscape design. There are studies of Russian and French soundscapes described by Chekhov and Hugo, a diary of a Canadian soundscape and observations on the latest examples of soundscape design from Japan, Germany, and elsewhere.”

And a vintage video:

And finally, here’s a short video from 1950 that you can watch on the Internet Archive:

“Fundamentals of Acoustics”
Complete with the original sound of an old newsreel, this 10-minute film from 1950 describes how humans hear, the effects of reverb, and how sound can be affected when different frequencies are suppressed.