In Pursuit of Silence

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• Book Review: In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise by George Prochnik Share

  It seems we have lost the ability to stare into space and think without distraction; without noise pulling us into someone else’s reality, Our future does not offer any glamorous solutions unless we are willing to appreciate the value of silence, in ... (read full critics)

  blogcritics published on Thu, 7 Jul 2011

• Book review: 'In Pursuit of Silence' by George Prochnik

  As our Founding Fathers went about writing the Constitution, they had the street outside Independence Hall covered with dirt to muffle the clatter of passing wagons. What would they do today? Divert traffic? Wear earplugs? Turn off their cellphones? ... (read full critics)

  dallasnews published on Fri, 10 Sep 2010

2 Reviews

• 

  A evangelist of Silence

  Even if he did his research, it seems he forgot to answer important questions:
  Where are we going as a society with this inevitable outcome of noise? If past initiatives have not worked, why should we try again to push for a quiet society? He just talks too much about the beauty of silence and not e ... (continue)

  Even if he did his research, it seems he forgot to answer important questions:
  Where are we going as a society with this inevitable outcome of noise? If past initiatives have not worked, why should we try again to push for a quiet society? He just talks too much about the beauty of silence and not enough about it's effect in society.

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  Zb Sergio said on Oct 7, 2010 | Add your feedback

• *** This comment contains spoilers! ***

  

  In praise of silence

  "A Note from The Author

  I’ve always been a lover of silence, and this love is bound up with my passion for books. The writer Stefan Zweig once defined a book as a “handful of silence that assuages torment and unrest.” For years before I began writing about the subject, I’d been feeling that silence ... (continue)

  "A Note from The Author

  I’ve always been a lover of silence, and this love is bound up with my passion for books. The writer Stefan Zweig once defined a book as a “handful of silence that assuages torment and unrest.” For years before I began writing about the subject, I’d been feeling that silence was a diminishing natural resource. I wanted to understand whether this was more than a subjective impression. If so, why had the world become louder, and what could be done to reinstate silence as a value in our culture?

  Living in New York City, I couldn’t help being aware that almost everyone I knew hated the city's noisiness. But if everyone despises noise so much, why is there so much of it? And why do so many noise-haters also spend hours of the day with iPods in their ears, sleep next to loud air-conditioners, turn on televisions the moment they walk into a room, and crank up their car radios the moment they sit down behind the wheel?

  We’re never going to make progress toward creating a quieter world until we learn to understand our secret love affair with noise. Part of what we have to recognize is that noise is a compelling stimulant. This noise-high can be addictive and adding your own din into the mix can become a way of exerting control. Stepping back from all the stimulation is not easy, but it can be done. Rather than cutting out stimulation, I went searching for the kinds of sonic wonders that only become audible when we manage to quiet down the world around us.

  Instead of being against noise, I think we need to begin making a case for silence. This means getting imaginative about expanding our understanding of silence in ways that develop associations between silence and a vibrant, fulfilling life. Anti-noise activists often compare noise pollution to air pollution. But unlike smoke, lots of noises are good, at least some of the time. Instead, we might frame noise as a dietary problem. Most of us absorb far too much sonic junk. We need to develop a more balanced sound diet in which silence, and sounds we associate with quiet states of mind, become part of our daily regimen.

  My hope is that by making positive experiences of silence more broadly accessible, more people will be tempted to cultivate silence of their own volition. Who knows? If we manage to recover more quiet in the world, maybe people will even begin reading more books again--rediscovering what can be contained in a handful of silence. --George Prochnik"

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  Antonio Gallo said on Aug 21, 2010 | Add your feedback

Book Details

• Rating:
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• English Books
• Others 352 Pages
• ISBN-10: 0385528884
• ISBN-13: 9780385528887
• Publisher: Doubleday
• Pub date: Apr 06, 2010

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