Aram Sohigian's Reviews > In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise
My rating:
In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise
by George Prochnik
by George Prochnik
I read this book a second time for the Noe Valley Library Book Club. I actually read it last year and nominated it and the other members decided to give it a go. I like that Mr. Prochnik starts out with a simple story and then it continually evolves and changes to be such a difficult and confusing belief system that silence is good. It really is something that I need and yet it is truly not able to achieved.
I really enjoyed the chapter on architecture designed by deaf people and Deaf Space with Gallaudet University. I also appreciated that the idea of being "sound proof" brings along its own problems in that if something is truly sound proof your own heart, breath, movement will sound incredibly loud and then make the sound proofing almost unbearable. There is a point of too much noise, though, and I agree with that. I've started not watching nearly as much tv or listening to music or anything while walking or relaxing and notice a huge difference in my own anxiety and emotions. I would definitely recommend this book if you are interested in how silence, and the lack of it, can affect your world and the world around you.
A must read so that anyone can understand what silence is and what it is not.
I really enjoyed the chapter on architecture designed by deaf people and Deaf Space with Gallaudet University. I also appreciated that the idea of being "sound proof" brings along its own problems in that if something is truly sound proof your own heart, breath, movement will sound incredibly loud and then make the sound proofing almost unbearable. There is a point of too much noise, though, and I agree with that. I've started not watching nearly as much tv or listening to music or anything while walking or relaxing and notice a huge difference in my own anxiety and emotions. I would definitely recommend this book if you are interested in how silence, and the lack of it, can affect your world and the world around you.
A must read so that anyone can understand what silence is and what it is not.
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Reading Progress
| 01/12/2012 | page 240 |
|
70.0% | "Re-reading this book for the Noe Valley Library Book Club. I actually read it last year and nominated it and the other members decided to give it a go. I like that Mr. Prochnik starts out with a simple story and then it continually evolves and changes to be such a difficult and confusing belief system that silence is good. It really is something that I need and yet it is truly not able to achieved. C'est la vie!" |
| 01/05/2012 | page 50 |
|
15.0% | "I'm reading this book for a second time because I recommended it to my book club and don't want to be a flake. It is still very interesting and intriguing a second time around." |
| 06/04/2011 | page 268 |
|
78.0% | "I am really enjoying this book and especially the chapter on architecture designed by deaf people and Deaf Space with Gallaudet University." |
| 05/16/2011 | page 116 |
|
34.0% | "When talking to a Jesuit Monk who has taken a vow of silence (allowing for the interview), Mr. Prochnik writes that when other Jesuit Monks die the Abbey has profound silence and prayer for a day around the dead Monk's body. "You'd think it would be morbid or scary, but those are some of the lightest, most joyful moments in the monastery...The silence is telling you it's going to be okay." Beautiful." |
| 05/15/2011 | page 21 |
|
6.0% | "I like this book and am very interested in the ideas that Mr. Prochnik writes about. Here is a quote about the antecedents of the word silence, "...the Gothic verb anasilan, a word that denotes the wind dying down, and the Latin desinere, a word meaning "stop."" |
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what did you think of this one, aram? i am doing a bibliography of books for my talk at GAP. this might be one that is useful. love, mom
I haven't read it yet. It is on my "to read" shelf. One of my salsa friends recommended it to me since she knows I'm doing my walks and vows of silence. I'll let you know after I read it.
It is well worth it. What is interesting is he is a fanatic about silence but comes to realize that there has to be a balance. Also, the "silence" movement in NYC in the 1920s was quite interesting.
Here is a quick link. Interesting, her husband owned the first car in NYC and made loads of noise. Her daughters also drove motorcycles through NYC and all were incensed when told to quiet down by others.http://disaster-wise.blogspot.com/2010/0...
Mom, there is a part of it that I think you'll love. A scientist (can't remember his name) goes into this cave in France and starts humming (he is a sound scientist and always does this to check what the sound is like) and he notices that the sound amplifies and has a lot more tonal quality when directed towards where the petroglyphs of animals are painted in the walls of the cave by the native people. This reminded me of that area in Chaco where you said some of Phillip's friends believed that there is one area, an outcropping of sorts, that they believed was a meeting area and would amplify sounds. We walked by it when we ending our walk and going back towards the car. Defintely buy this book. It is pretty deep and maybe could have been edited down a bit but otherwise well worth it.
