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3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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Customers buy this book with Heaven in a Chip: Fuzzy Visions of Society and Science in the Digital Age by Bart Kosko

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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: #561,446 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.3 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
15 of 18 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
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.
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4 of 4 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.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Rather disappointing, January 9, 2007
I had high expectations for this book, but I was disappointed. It concentrated too much on digital systems, rather than broadening the definition of noise to cover the natural environment. I lost interested in the last 1/3 of the book, and couldn't wait to finish.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Begins with a bang, ends with a whimper
My sense is that Kosko has thought a lot about noise, and knows a lot about noise but he isn't equipped to write a book for general readership. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Cecil Bothwell

4.0 out of 5 stars Noise by Bart Kosko
Noise, Fuzzy Thinking: The New Science of Fuzzy Logic
Noise like his previous popular book Fuzzy Thinking is another impressive work by the polymath Bart Kosko. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Timothy Savage

2.0 out of 5 stars For a select group of readers only
"Noise" begins with a few non-technical subjects such as regulations on noise levels in residential areas, and then gets to information theory. Read more
Published 22 months ago by algo41

5.0 out of 5 stars Making the arcane understandable
"Noise" is entertaining and enlightening as Kosko takes you through a bevy of stimulating notions regarding the various forms of noise and how they affect our lives in both... Read more
Published on April 4, 2007 by M. McDavid

1.0 out of 5 stars An Embarrassment to Electrical Engineers
I am an Electrical Engineer and I cannot overstate how embarrassed I am from reading this book. It is incomprehensible to me that these 200 pages of low- grade pop-sci were... Read more
Published on March 28, 2007 by Sambo Gonzales

5.0 out of 5 stars johnson noise
i knoow! i mean seriously - who would want to read a book where the last 1/3 is just notes and interpretation and source code and indices for the first 2/3? Read more
Published on March 13, 2007 by chris ross

2.0 out of 5 stars Far from Fuzzy Logic
I grabbed this book automatically, having known Kosko's writing in Fuzzy Logic in the 1980s. Then, he took a new concept and brought it to life in a simple, interesting way. Read more
Published on March 12, 2007 by Challenge Dividender

1.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Topic, Poorly Written
I got this book to learn about noise for my upcoming post-doctoral studies. Unfortunately, it is the worst popular science book I have ever read (and I read alot of 'em). Read more
Published on January 5, 2007 by BK

5.0 out of 5 stars Light, Well Written and Very Entertaining
This is a very well written book on the noise in our lives. I particularily like his definition of noise - it's unwanted signals that impact on our receivers. Read more
Published on November 1, 2006 by John Matlock

5.0 out of 5 stars noise
Kosko's latest book, Noise, wins on substance and writing style. This is popular science as it should appear. Read more
Published on September 23, 2006 by sadeek

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