Noise (Hardcover)

~ Bart Kosko (Author) "What is noise?..." (more)
Key Phrases: adaptive stochastic resonance, stable bell curves, noise benefit, Hedy Lamarr, United States, Bell Laboratories (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Noise, USC professor Kosko (Fuzzy Thinking) says, may be properly defined as "a signal we don't like," but as his book shows, there's much more to noise than idling buses and loud neighbors. The author makes the claims that the universe itself may be no more than noise, and that life might not have evolved without it. And though white may be the most widely recognized color of noise, Kosko describes others, including pink and black. Particularly informative are his passages on the development and use of noise-canceling technology (used as commonly by racecar drivers to block out engine noise as by physicians to listen to a fetus's heartbeat). Kosko's book will appeal mainly to science buffs; despite the author's accessible prose, swaths of the book assume an acquaintance with physics and electrical engineering. However, passages on topics such as actress Hedy Lamar's patent for a WWII-era "secret communication system," hold some attraction for a wider audience.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* From the author of the hugely popular and influential Fuzzy Thinking 1993) comes this exploration of what seems like a fairly simple concept: noise. Well, it ain't that simple, folks. Noise can be aural, but it doesn't have to be. Noise can be loud, but not always. Noise can be bad, but sometimes it's good. What is noise? It is, simply, an unwanted signal that disrupts a wanted signal. You're in a restaurant, and you're having a conversation. Next table over, someone else is talking, too loud for your comfort. Your conversation is the signal, theirs is the noise; although, to the person at the other table, his conversation is the signal, and yours may be the noise. Noise, in other words, can be a very subjective thing. This is an endlessly fascinating book; in fact, it's one of those books that, while reading it, keep you lifting your head from the page and muttering "Wow!" to yourself as you absorb something else you had never thought of before. Kosko is an engaging writer, and he makes the science seem simple without ever dumbing it down (yes, there are equations in the book, but don't panic). David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult (August 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670034959
• ISBN-13: 978-0670034956
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #254,676 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #96 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Physics > Acoustics & Sound

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read the whole thing if you're going to post a review, March 29, 2007

By	Donald C. Wunsch II (Rolla, MO USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Noise (Hardcover)

Notice that the ratings bifurcate and that most of the low ones admit to quitting pretty early. Kosko has a deeper emphasis on aspects of noise that are close to his own research, which is what I'd want and expect. If you're looking for popular biz-techno-babble, this isn't it. If you're looking for a classroom textbook on noise, complete with homework assignments, this isn't it either. If you'd like a fascinating introduction to the topic of noise, self-contained but with plenty of references to dig deeper, this is the book for you.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Little more than a rumble, November 5, 2007

By	BookMan (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) - See all my reviews

This is one of those books that I picked up as I was fascinated with the topic, "noise." Having had a life-long aversion to all types of "noise" (in all of its various manifestations) - which Kosko defines as "a signal we don't like" - I was quite interested in what I had read while glancing through it at the bookstore Upon reading it; however, I was quite disappointed, this book is quite bland and seems to leap from topic to topic (although some of those had the potential to be fascinating) and I really could not determine what angle the author was trying to take. "Noise" could be a book on physics, philosophy, law, pop-science, acoustics, computer science, or many other things (in no particular order). That happens to be its downfall - it's a book in search of focus. Overall, I was greatly disappointed as I had originally hoped this would be an enlightening book: in the end, it was little more than a noisy diversion to my list of books to read.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars For a select group of readers only, September 17, 2007

By	algo41 "algo41" (cinnaminson, nj United States) - See all my reviews

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"Noise" begins with a few non-technical subjects such as regulations on noise levels in residential areas, and then gets to information theory. The non-technical chapters are interesting, as are the comments about information theory. The problem is that I found the actual chapters on information theory impossibly difficult and gave up. As an indication of my background, I have a Master's degree in statistics, so I have to conclude this book is for a select group of readers only.