Announcement of a new book on Psychoacoustics

["Daniel J. Levitin" <levitin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Colleagues,

First, I apologize if you receive more than one copy of this email.

I am writing to tell you that MIT Press has just published a new edited
volume on PSYCHOACOUSTICS.  The book is based on a course taught
successfully to undergraduates and graduate students at Stanford University
for ten years, "Psychoacoustics and Cognitive Psychology for Musicians."

Music, Cognition, and Computerized Sound:  An Introduction to Psychoacoustics
Perry R. Cook (editor)
The MIT Press, March 1999
ISBN 0-262-03256-2, 392 pp., 174 illus.
The contributing authors include John Chowning, Perry R. Cook, Brent
Gillespie,
Daniel J. Levitin, Max V. Mathews, John R. Pierce, and Roger N. Shepard.
$60.00 list price (cloth, with CD included.  Some brokers such as
Amazon.com sell the book at a discount)

WHAT THE PUBLISHER SAYS ABOUT IT:
TOPICS: How hearing works and how the brain processes sounds entering
the ear to provide the listener with useful information are of
great interest to psychologists, cognitive scientists, and
musicians. However, while a number of books have concentrated
on individual aspects of this field, known as psychoacoustics,
there has been no comprehensive introductory coverage of the
multiple topics encompassed under the term. Music, Cognition,
and Computerized Sound is the first book to provide that
coverage, and it does so via a unique and useful approach.

The book begins with introductory chapters on the basic physiology
and functions of the ear and auditory sections of the brain,
then proceeds to discuss numerous topics associated with the
study  of psychoacoustics, including cognitive psychology and
the physics of sound. The book has a particular emphasis on
music and computerized sound. An accompanying audio CD includes
many sound examples, and source code to help explicate the text.
The book also includes suggested lab exercises and test questions.


FROM THE BACK COVER OF THE BOOK:
______________________________________________________
"This volume spendidly meets the need for an up-to-
date introduction to musical psychoacoustics in a
collection of wide-ranging chapters by some of the
most distinguished scholars in the field.  I recommend
it highly as a text and reference for undergraduates,
graduate students, and professionals."  Fred Lerdahl,
Fritz Reiner Professor of Music, Columbia University.
______________________________________________________
"This collection of well-written chapters introduces
readers to a range of current findings from musical
acoustics, physical acoustics, and psychological
experiments.  The text is easy to read, and ideal for
undergraduate and graduate students from varying
disciplines."  Caroline Palmer, Dept. of Psychology,
Ohio State University.
______________________________________________________
"A welcome and valuable teaching resource.  Oriented
toward classroom teaching, the book presents topics in
an accessible, engaging style.  The breath of coverage
is greater than that typically found in a single volume
and provides an excellent introduction to the rich
diversity of the field."  Lola L. Cuddy, Professor of
Psychology, Queen's University at Kingston, Canada.
______________________________________________________
"This volume provides a fine, readable introduction to
many topics related to music perception and computer
music in a way that neatly complements other current
texts.  Written in a fresh, approachable style, but having
significant scholarly depth, it will prove useful both
as a textbook and for individuals interested in this
burgeoning field of research."  Richard Ashley, Department
of Music, Northwestern University.
______________________________________________________


Instructors can request an EXAMINATION COPY from MIT Press:

Through the WEB:
http://mitpress.mit.edu/exam-req-region-query.tcl?isbn=0262032562

By regular mail, email, or phone:

The MIT Press
      Five Cambridge Center
      Cambridge, MA 02142-1493
      USA
      Tel: 617-253-5646
      Fax: 6l7-258-6779
      hardwick@mit.edu

London Office
      MIT Press Ltd.
      Fitzroy House
      11 Chenies Street
      London WC1E 7ET
      ENGLAND
      Tel: +44 (171) 306 0603
      Fax: +44 (171) 306 0604
      info@HUP-MITpress.co.uk


Or to buy a copy from amazon (Amazon ships anywhere in the world and is
selling the book at a $10 discount):
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0262032562



==============================================
Daniel J. Levitin, M.Sc., Ph.D.
CCRMA/Dept. of Music    FAX:  (650) 723-8468
Stanford University     email: levitin@ccrma.stanford.edu
Stanford, CA  94305


Home Page: http://www-ccrma.stanford.edu/~levitin

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