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Also by Bart Kosko:

Noise, August 2006
Hardcover

NOISE
By: Bart Kosko

Viking
August 2006
On Sale: August 15, 2006
272 pages
ISBN: 0670034959
EAN: 9780670034956
Hardcover
Add to Wish List

Non-Fiction

From the well-known science commentator and bestselling author of Fuzzy Thinking comes a revelatory look at the phenomenon of noise

A celebrated maverick in the world of science, Bart Kosko introduced—and continues to popularize in print and television media—the revolutionary concept of fuzzy logic. In his latest book, he provides the first scientific history of noise aimed at the general reader.

Noise is a social nuisance, a cause of deafness and high blood pressure, and an all-around annoyance. But what is noise really? As Kosko simply states, “Noise is a signal that you don’t like.” It occurs at every level of the physical universe, from the big bang to blaring car alarms. Today, noise is considered the curse of the information age, but, in fact, not all noise is bad. Debunking this and many other commonly held beliefs about noise, Kosko gives readers a vivid sense of how deeply noise permeates both the world around us and within us. Along the way he covers many compelling topics, from noise’s possible role in the ice ages to noise pollution laws, the use of noise to generate synthetic speech, and Hedy Lamarr’s contribution to noisy wireless communication. The result is a vastly entertaining and illuminating scientific journey that promises to do for noise what James Gleick did for chaos—make it vital, fascinating, and relevant.

Media Buzz

Talk of the Nation - September 15, 2006