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VOLUME CONTROL

David Owen

Hearing In a Deafening World

For fans of pop-biology books like Gulp, Sapiens, and The Brain that Changes Itself, David Owen has once again turned what could be dry, prescriptive subject matter into an informative, anecdote-laced dive into the science of hearing and the remarkable technologies that can help us hear better.
Our sense of hearing makes it easy to connect with the world and the people around us. The human system for processing sound is a biological marvel, an intricate assembly of delicate membranes, bones, receptor cells, and neurons. Yet many people take their ears for granted, abusing them with loud restaurants, rock concerts, and Q-tips. And then, eventually, most of us start to go deaf.

Millions of Americans suffer from hearing loss. Faced with the cost and stigma of hearing aids, the natural human tendency is to do nothing and hope for the best, usually while pretending that nothing is wrong. In VOLUME CONTROL, David Owen argues this inaction comes with a huge social cost. He demystifies the science of hearing while encouraging readers to get the treatment they need for hearing loss and protect the hearing they still have.

Hearing aids are rapidly improving and becoming more versatile. Inexpensive high-tech substitutes are increasingly available, making it possible for more of us to boost our weakening ears without bankrupting ourselves. Relatively soon, physicians may be able to reverse losses that have always been considered irreversible. Even the insistent buzz of tinnitus may soon yield to relatively simple treatments and techniques. With wit and clarity, Owen explores the incredible possibilities of technologically assisted hearing. And he proves that ears, whether they're working or not, are endlessly interesting.

David Owen is a staff writer for The New Yorker and a contributing editor of Golf Digest, and he is the author of a dozen books. He lives in northwest Connecticut with his wife, the writer Ann Hodgman.
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Book

Published 2019-10-29 by Riverhead

Book

Published 2019-10-29 by Riverhead

Comments

This well-researched and accessible introduction to the complicated subject of hearing loss is highly recommended for all science readers, not just those experiencing hearing impairments.

AARP 's "Best Nonfiction Books of Fall 2019" included VOLUME CONTROL. They called it: "An informative, sympathetic and eye-opening book." Read more...

The New Yorker also made a video of Owen discussing the article. It powerfully illustrates the impact of noise pollution on human health and ecosystems. Read more...

Owen, a New Yorker staff writer, wrestles with the complexities of the human ear in this informative extended essay on aural perception... an illuminating account of human hearing. Read more...

Korea: ROK Media

Owen's writing and thinking about the nature of ears, sounds, and communication are lively enough that you don't need to know someone suffering from deafness or tinnitus to find value in the book (though with 37 million Americans having lost some degree of hearing, you're likely to know at least a few of them). The World Health Organization projects that a billion people on Earth will experience a disabling hearing loss by 2050, as the world grows louder and more populousmeaning that the concerns of Volume Control will remain relevant for decades to come.

Informative and entertaining.. In clear, appealing prose, Owen explains how loud sounds - machinery, live music, etc. - can leave people no longer noticing smoke alarms, sirens, gunshots, and backup signals... he makes earwax interesting... The book brims with useful advice.

David Owen was featured on APM's "Marketplace" in a piece about new hearing technology. Read more...

Article David Owen has written for The New Yorker. The article makes a case for noise pollution becoming the next big public-health crisis and touches on themes related to his new book, VOLUME CONTROL. Read more...

Accessible and surprisingly entertaining, [Volume Control] addresses an important issue for the growing pool of aging baby boomers.