Abstract
Every day, we are beset by millions of sounds-ambient ones like the rumble of the train and the hum of air conditioner, as well as more pronounced sounds, such as human speech, music, and sirens. But how do we process what we hear every day? This book answers such revealing questions as:
Why do we often fall asleep on train rides or in the car, and what does it have to do with hearing?
What is it about the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard that makes us cringe?
Why do city folks have trouble sleeping in the country, and vice versa?