Episode · EconTalk · 2021-11-29
Russ Roberts & Nina Kraus: books mentioned on EconTalk
Nina Kraus on Hearing, Noise, and Of Sound Mind
We undervalue our sense of hearing and we under-appreciate the impact sweet sounds and disturbing noises have on our well-being. Neuroscientist Nina Kraus of Northwestern University talks about her book, Of Sound Mind.
Russ Roberts discussed Of Sound Mind by Nina Kraus and After Babel by George Steiner. Nina Kraus discussed Lost Connections by Johann Hari.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Of Sound Mind
Of Sound Mind by Nina Kraus is a fascinating exploration of how the human brain constructs a meaningful sonic world and why sound is so often undervalued in everyday life.
Discussed“her book and the subject of today's conversation is of sound mind how our brain constructs a meaningful sonic world”
Where to get it
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After Babel
After Babel by George Steiner is a profound critical study of language, meaning, and translation that argues all human communication and acts of interpretation fundamentally function as acts of translation.
Discussed“i can't i can't help but add that george steiner the essayist and writer has written a very an extraordinary book called after babel reference to the tower babel in different languages where he argues that all language is translation”
Where to get it
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Lost Connections
Lost Connections by Johann Hari is a profound exploration of the underlying social and psychological causes of depression and anxiety, arguing that modern distress stems largely from a loss of meaningful human connections.
Discussed“because i think that part of what disconnects us as a society and um you know is is um you know part of of the the the depression and mental illness that that you know you had a in in the lost connections book right”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (7) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“and the book the book is my love letter to sound”
“and so the first part of the book and it's just it's the first third and it's called how sound works”
“and one of the metaphors that i use in the book is a mixing board”
“it's only a small part of the book on alice about a page and a half there is a chapter on songbirds toward the end”
“and you know i give many many examples in the book that people can think about with respect to their own lives”
“and there is you know clearly i mean and as i say in the aging chapter i am so happy as an older person”
“so one of the things that that you know russ is that uh twenty percent of the book is references so you know for anybody out there who's listening and saying oh she's just saying um there there is a lot of science and a lot of converging evidence”