The Soundscape of Modernity: Architectural Acoustics and the Culture of Listening in America, 1900-1933

* The Soundscape of Modernity: Architectural Acoustics and the Culture of Listening in America, 1900-1933. By Emily Thompson. The MIT Press (5 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142-1493; 800-356-0343; http://mit press.mit.edu), 2002. 510 pp. Blackand-white photographs and drawings, bibliography, index. Hardback, $44.95. Delving into the history and evolution of modern acoustics, the author charts the transformation of what people heard and how they listened to it in the early twentieth century. This book discusses not only the new technologies that were developed, but also the culture that used them. Where traditional materials had created unique sound experiences in different spaces, with the advent of modern acoustical technology, diverse spaces began to sound alike, an effect that helped to shape the aural experience of modern America.