In the Preface to this book, the authors state that it "was written to provide an introduction to the principles of acoustics for those students who have little or no background in engineering. The material is especially directed to students in speech and hearing sciences, although those in other health-related fields and theater arts may also find the approach useful." We are therefore forewarned that this is a very elementary text, and (possibly) restricted to audio and airborne sound.The first four chapters of the book are devoted to the presentation of periodic motion and wave phenomena and the presentation is almost completely nonmathematical. It therefore provides little base for treatment of more complicated situations in the later chapters.In Chap. 5, the authors present an almost nonmathematical analysis of vibrating systems, working mainly with a series of tables. There is a presentation of a Helmholtz resonator without much comment as to its potential usefulness in analysis.My dissatisfaction with the mathematical or, rather, nonmathematic treatment grew greater in this chapter. Two thirds of a page, plus six equations, is used to develop the idea that frequency is equal to sound velocity divided by wavelength. Then, after that extremely elementary treatment, the authors proceed to a description of speech production that, while descriptive in nature, is carded out at a much higher level. There is a detailed drawing of the larynx, plus a schematic diagram of the vocal mechanism, but the connection between the text and the diagrams was inadequate for this reviewer. The chapter ends with the introduction of such concepts as formants, plosives, stops, and fricatives. The first is introduced with no direct definition but the others are explained with considerable care and clarity.The chapter on the ear and hearing is rather well done, except that a better connection between text and some of the drawings would have been useful.Chapters 8 and 9 concern themselves with the physical side of acoustics, electroacoustics and sound measurement. These introduce the student to simple electric circuits, microphones and loudspeakers, as well as various aspects of sound pressure levels and measurements in very gentle fashion. The problem of combining sound levels is treated in reasonable detail. Problems of room absorption and noise reduction are also treated carefully, and in elementary fashion. There are many caricature drawings in the book, some of them not very clear (photographically). These are apparently aimed at lightening a subject that the student might find heavy. My own feeling for the work is that it oscillates between an introduction to the subject at a junior college level, to a presentation that is closer to that of elementary school. This unevenness is not an asset, in my opinion. The book does contain about 15 pages of definitions of acoustical terms, and has a large number of references where the student can pursue the subject further. Both of these are real assets to the text. xvi 4-334 pp.
ISBN.' 2-...
