In the song "Breathe", Anna Nalick sings, "2 a.m. and I'm still awake, writing [...]. If I get it all down on paper, it's no longer inside of me."
This song comes to mind for Diana Emanuel, Ph.D., when she is asked to describe what it was like to write her new book, Hearing Science, which she co-authored with Tomasz Letowski, Ph.D. The result of more than three years of writing, fourteen years of compiling information for her students at Towson University, and plenty of scholarly e-mail discussions at 2 a.m. with Letowski, Hearing Science was published in December by Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.
Emanuel and Letowski had different goals for the book, which they feel were both accomplished in the final text. Letowski envisioned a solid teaching tool for professors, while Emanuel envisioned a text that would be a resource for students, especially those with diverse backgrounds in hearing science. Hearing Science is unique in its scope in that it covers a comprehensive foundation such as anatomy and physiology, a review of physics, and mathematics, through advanced graduate-level content such as audio systems and digital signal processing. In addition, individual topics such as acoustics are covered from the basics through the graduate level. The authors, both professors, intentionally created the book in this manner so that it can be used whole or in parts, and can be tailored to the needs and objectives of each professor, student and course. In addition, the authors opted for dynamic online support materials in lieu of a cd-rom accompaniment to the book, so that supplementary information can be continuously updated and enhanced. Videos demonstrating various concepts, quizzes and test questions, web links and audio clips are just a few of the online resources for Hearing Science available on thePoint.
Passionate about hearing science, Emanuel dubs the book "our baby". And while she is currently enjoying a bit more time with family since the book's publication (in addition to her duties at Towson), she is already thinking ahead to new applications for the book, including new models and strategies for teaching hearing science. Having tried numerous texts throughout their teaching careers, she and Letowski hope that professors and students will find their textbook a useful resource. It wouldn't be surprising if more than a few of its readers also happened to find themselves inspired and passionate - as well as knowledgeable - about hearing science after reading it.
For more about Hearing Science or to order, visit lww.com.
