Have our noise-soaked lives driven us mad? And is absolute silence an impossible goal—or the one thing that can save us? A lively tale of one man’s quest to find the grail of total quiet.--- “ I don’t know at what point noise became intolerable for me,” George Michelsen Foy writes as he recalls standing on a subway platform in Manhattan, hands clamped firmly over his ears, face contorted in pain. But only then does Foy realize how overwhelmed he is by the city’s noise and vow to seek out absolute silence, if such an absence of sound can be discovered. Foy begins his quest by carrying a pocket-sized decibel meter to measure sound levels in the areas he frequents most—the subway, the local café, different rooms of his apartment—as well as the places he visits that inform his search, including the Parisian catacombs, Joseph Pulitzer’s “silent vault,” the snowy expanses of the Berkshires, and a giant nickel mine in Canada, where he travels more than a mile underground to escape all human-made sound. Along the way, Foy experiments with noise-canceling headphones, floatation tanks, and silent meditation before he finally tackles a Minnesota laboratory’s anechoic chamber that the Guinness Book of World Records calls “the quietest place on earth,” and where no one has ever endured even forty-five minutes alone in its pitch-black interior before finding the silence intolerable. Drawing on history, science, journalistic reportage, philosophy, religion, and personal memory, as well as conversations with experts in various fields whom he meets during his odyssey, Foy finds answers to his questions: How does one define silence? Did human beings ever experience silence in their early history? What is the relationship between noise and space? What are the implications of silence and our need for it—physically, mentally, emotionally, politically? Does absolute silence actually exist? If so, do we really want to hear it? And if we do hear it, what does it mean to us? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 30 million Americans suffer from environment-related deafness in today’s digital age of pervasive sound and sensory overload. Roughly the same number suffer from tinnitus, a condition, also environmentally related, that makes silence impossible in even the quietest places. In this respect, Foy’s quest for silence represents more than a simple psychological inquiry; both his queries and his findings help to answer the question “How can we live saner, healthier lives today?” Innovative, perceptive, and delightfully written, Zero Decibels will surely change how we perceive and appreciate the soundscape of our lives.

Voice Science, Second Edition was designed to provide speech-language pathologists and other members of the voice team with a thorough grounding in the anatomical, physiological, and mechanical aspects of voice production, as well as an introduction to cutting-edge research in voice science. This book is a valuable asset for teachers and students in communication sciences, as well as otolaryngologists, speech-language pathologists, singing and voice teachers, and professional voice users. An explosion of new knowledge has occurred in our time in the field of voice. The voice is one of our most critical communication tools. Therefore, voice disorders have a large impact on daily life for a great number of people. The interdisciplinary expertise of numerous authors has been invaluable in the preparation of this text. The book opens with introductory information about the physics of sound, and it goes on to discuss the anatomy and physiology of the voice, including neuroanatomy and the mechanics of vocal fold aging. It ends with chapters on voice care, exercise physiology, and forensic voice care. New to this edition: New chapters on topics such as laryngeal development and on exercise physiology, which is critical to understanding voice training and rehabilitation.Substantial additions to chapters on medical genetic issues, clinical anatomy and physiology, and processing of musical information.References have been updated throughout to reflect the current literature.A selection of new authors who provide an interdisciplinary approach.Many chapters have been rewritten extensively to include the most recent information. Voice Science, Second Edition is ideal for speech-language pathology students and clinicians and is suitable for classroom use as well as for reference.

Now in one convenient volume, Vocal Health and Pedagogy: Science, Assessment, and Treatment, Third Edition answers every question you've ever had about the voice, from the physics of sounds, to vocal technique, to medications, to performance anxiety. It presents anatomical, physiological, and neurological considerations, as well as covers critical issues related to patient history, laryngeal function, the physical examination, and historical perspectives of vocal pedagogy. The first part of the book introduces basic concepts of voice science, assessment, and training. It focuses on the science behind the common problems that afflict voice users and enables understanding of the medical approach to problem analysis. The second part of the book contains additional information on the specific health and performance conditions that affect the voice and their assessment and treatment. It considers the medical and nonmedical issues affecting the human voice, including diagnosis and treatment of voice problems, the effects of physical injury, posture, pollutants and irritants, psychological effects, voice therapy, medication, and more. New to this edition: New chapters on topics such as pedagogy for children, the importance of studying music, laryngeal issues involving wind instrument performance, high-speed digital imaging, the evolution of technology, pediatric voice disorders, thyroid disorders, the vocal effects of birth control medications, and autoimmune disorders.Many chapters have been extensively revised to update previous content and add new information on material such as choral pedagogy for geriatric singers, World Trade Center syndrome, and laryngeal effects of asbestos exposure.Chapters on medications for performers have been revised to delete medications no longer used frequently and to add various medications and drug classes that were not included previously, as well as information on alternative and complementary medicines.References have been updated throughout to include discussion of new studies and a review of the latest literature, while also retaining the classic literature.Includes the most recent practices and techniques, the latest information on surgical and adjunctive therapy, and important changes in criteria and strategy. Vocal Health and Pedagogy: Science, Assessment, and Treatment, Third Edition is ideal for courses in vocal pedagogy and speech-language pathology. Additionally, it is a valuable resource for professional and amateur performers and their teachers.