Reviewed by H. Saunders Kensler and Frey have been "household" names in the world of acoustics for the past three decades. Many acousticians and engineers have been weaned and raised on their Fundamentals of Acoustics. The third edition rearranges the contents of the previous editions and puts them in the proper place. This new edition updates some features of acoustics and keeps the more fundamental aspects in its proper perspective. Among the newer phases of acoustics (some mentioned in this book) are noise control, boundary layer acoustics, acoustic emission, and ultrasonics. Understanding the fundamentals propounded in this book will furnish a good foundation in the understanding of the more advanced and newer aspects of acoustics. The book consists of 15 chapters and ten small appendices. Chapter 1 treats the topic of fundamentals of vibrations. This includes the simple oscillator subjected to forced oscillation, transient response, power relationships, mechanical resonance and frequency. It concludes with equivalent electrical circuit for a simple oscillator, transients and Fourier analysis. There is very little change from the previous edition. Chapter 2 considers transverse motion of a vibrating string. This includes transverse waves on a string, one-dimensional wave equation, initial value and boundary conditions applied to wave equation. This continues with forced vibration of a finite and infinite string, normal modes and overtones, and harmonics. Again, this chapter is just a slight rearrangement of the information in the same chapter of the previous edition. Chapter 3 follows the same format of the previous edition and considers vibrations of bars. This encompasses longitudinal vibrations, forced vibration, transverse vibration and transverse wave equation. The clamped and free conditions are applied to the beam equation. Chapter 4 proceeds into the vibration of membranes and plates. The authors examine the wave equation for stretched, rectangular and circular membranes fixed at the rim. The chapter concludes with forced vibration of a membrane and vibrations of thin circular plates. The reviewer feels that the topic of rectangular plate and its associated boundary conditions should have been included. Chapter 5 focuses on the acoustic wave equation. Beginning with equation of state and continuity, this leads into Euler's equation, harmonic plane waves, acoustic intensity, specific acoustic impedance and decibel scales. New additions embrace rays and waves, Snell's law, inhomogeneous wave equation and point source. Again, there is very little change from the previous editions. Chapter 6 examines transmission phenomena. This fundamental chapter treats in a simple manner, transmission from one fluid to another, reflection at the surface of a solid for both normal and oblique incidence. Probing further, we meet absorption and absorption coefficients, molecular thermal relaxation, absorptionphenomena in liquids and attenuation in inhomogeneous fluids. Again, this is a readable chapter. Chapter 8 treats t...
