The Tuning of the World

Title: The Tuning of the World

Author: R. Murray Schafer

Summary: Non-fiction - 1977, 262 pages. The book deals with acoustic anthropology, noise pollution, and acoustic ecology, i.e., the presence of sound in our world - past and present. The short chapter on 'silence' is extremely interesting and is perhaps the highlight of the book. The author is critical of architects who ignore acoustics when designing their structures.

Recommendation: I have mixed feelings about this work. The material is definitely interesting, but my reaction is rather that of going to a promising lecture and encountering a poor speaker. Regardless, the book should appeal to anyone with a serious interest in the phenomenon of sound.

Hearts: 3