|
 
$9.95
Used Hardcover
Usually ships in 5 to 7 business days
 available for shipping or prepaid pickup only
More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionseBook editionsThe Human Voiceby Anne Karpf
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Dazzling and groundbreaking, the first book to explore something so fundamental that most of us take it for granted. What is more amazing about the voice: its central importance to human society, or our widespread disregard for it? From an early age we are taught to think about what we say, what we do, what we wear: not about how we sound. In fact, Karpf points out, we are overlooking one of the primary things people notice about us. The voice is more than a conduit for language: the moment you open your mouth and start to speak, even if it’s only to read from the phone book, your voice reveals, with remarkable accuracy, not only your sex, but your size, height, weight, and physique, and your health, education, mood, and social status. It tells your listener whether you are to be trusted, respected, or dismissed. And only the modulation of your voice makes you comprehensible at all: transgress the normal codes of volume, pause, and pitch, and you can entirely sabotage conversations, turning sense into nonsense. The culmination of years of research by acclaimed journalist, sociologist, and radio broadcaster Anne Karpf, The Human Voice is an utterly fascinating book on a universal subject. Karpf’s groundbreaking investigation uncovers the powerful messages that lie not just in what we say, but how we say it, and will make you hear the voices around you as if with new ears. Review:"This lively and intelligent guide reveals how powerfully and pervasively the human voice shapes our everyday world. Karpf, a British sociologist and columnist for the Guardian, engages with current research while interspersing intimate, reflective interviews with friends and relatives. In linguistics, the medium of voice traditionally receives short shrift, as Karpf points out: 'We raid speech for its semantic meaning, and then discard the voice like detritus, leftovers.' Karpf begins by demystifying the physical components of voice. She explores babies' capacity to recognize voices and their innate ability to focus on the rhythm of speech. Karpf then explores the psychological dimensions of voice, including how our voices change in different circumstances: when talking to oneself, say, or to pets. Tackling gender, Karpf speculates on why women's voices have deepened significantly over the last 50 years (to sound more trustworthy, i.e., masculine). Looking at voices in a global context, she notices that volume means different things in different cultures: 'Arabs sound loud to Americans, and Americans not loud enough and insincere to Arabs.' As clear and accessible as a good radio series, Karpf's fluent study provides an excellent introduction to an often-overlooked subject." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Synopsis:This fascinating book on a universal subject presents the culmination of years of research by acclaimed journalist, sociologist, and radio broadcaster Anne Karpf. Her groundbreaking investigation uncovers the powerful messages that lie not just in what we say, but how we say it.
Synopsis:Dazzling and groundbreaking, the first book to explore something so fundamental that most of us take it for granted. What is more amazing about the voice: its central importance to human society, or our widespread disregard for it? From an early age we are taught to think about what we say, what we do, what we wear—not about how we sound. In fact, Karpf points out, we are overlooking one of the primary things people notice about us. The voice is more than a conduit for language: the moment you open your mouth and start to speak, even if its only to read from the phone book, your voice reveals, with remarkable accuracy, not only your sex, but your size, height, weight, and physique, and your health, education, mood, and social status. It tells your listener whether you are to be trusted, respected, or dismissed. And only the modulation of your voice makes you comprehensible at all: transgress the normal codes of volume, pause, and pitch, and you can entirely sabotage conversations, turning sense into nonsense. The culmination of years of research by acclaimed journalist, sociologist, and radio broadcaster Anne Karpf, The Human Voice is an utterly fascinating book on a universal subject. Karpfs groundbreaking investigation uncovers the powerful messages that lie not just in what we say, but how we say it, and will make you hear the voices around you as if with new ears. Anne Karpf is a writer, journalist, broadcaster, and sociologist, and the author of The War After and Doctoring the Media. She has been a contributing editor to Cosmopolitan, a book reviewer for the Times, and the radio critic of the Guardian. Currently, she writes a weekly column in the Guardian on the family and teaches writing at London Metropolitan University. Anne Karpf lives in London and has two daughters. What is more amazing about the voice: its central importance to society, or our widespread disregard for it? From an early age we are taught to think about what we say, what we do, what we wear—not about how we sound. More than simply a conduit for language, however, the voice lies at the very heart of what it is to be human, revealing, with remarkable accuracy, not only one's sex, but also one's height, weight, health, education, mood, and even social status. And only the modulation of your voice makes you comprehensible at all: Transgress the normal codes of volume, pause, and pitch, and you can entirely sabotage conversations, turning sense into nonsense. In The Human Voice, journalist and sociologist Anne Karpf examines the physiological, emotional, and cultural significance of this remarkable tool. From the correlation between a child's early ability to interpret other people's inflection and his or her later popularity, to the impact of globalization on the voice, Karpf shows the ways in which the voice plays a vital role in how we use language, form meaningful relationships, and infer the attitudes, feelings, and intentions of those with whom we live, work, and play. Whether revealing the evocative power of famous voices or facing the fear that modern technology may render the human voice redundant, Anne Karpf makes it clear that today, more than ever, the voice is the most important sound in our lives. "Karpf, a sociologist and BBC journalist, argues that although much attention has been paid lately to speaking styles, surprisingly little focus has been on the voice itself. Here, in lively prose, she goes a long way toward filling that gap. The author discusses the mechanics of the sounds people make; what distinguishes human sounds from those of other animals; the effects of emotions on voices; cultural and gender differences; and how technology has been changing the ways we express ourselves. Hot current topics such as voiceprinting and the importance of voice in the workplace are addressed, as are the social effects of cell phones and musical experimentation on the new 'audio-aware generation.' Karpf shines a clear light on Hitler's speaking style and shows how crowds were manipulated by it. Through analyses of Tony Blair and the American politicians Reagan, Clinton, Gore, Kerry, and both Presidents Bush, she challenges readers to understand what they are really hearing in the voices of today's politicians—where, she asserts, the voice is no longer an instrument for argument, but for seduction. This is fine popular-science writing, and it will leave teens with a fresh and useful perspective on an important aspect of life that might have been, until now, misunderstood or unquestioned."—Christine C. Menefee, School Library Journal "This lively and intelligent guide reveals how powerfully and pervasively the human voice shapes our everyday world. Karpf, a British sociologist and columnist for the Guardian, engages with current research while interspersing intimate, reflective interviews with friends and relatives. In linguistics, the medium of voice traditionally receives short shrift, as Karpf points out: 'We raid speech for its semantic meaning, and then discard the voice like detritus, leftovers.' Karpf begins by demystifying the physical components of voice. She explores babies' capacity to recognize voices and their innate ability to focus on the rhythm of speech. Karpf then explores the psychological dimensions of voice, including how our voices change in different circumstances: when talking to oneself, say, or to pets. Tackling gender, Karpf speculates on why women's voices have deepened significantly over the last 50 years (to sound more trustworthy, i.e., masculine). Looking at voices in a global context, she notices that volume means different things in different cultures: 'Arabs sound loud to Americans, and Americans not loud enough and insincere to Arabs.' As clear and accessible as a good radio series, Karpf's fluent study provides an excellent introduction to an often-overlooked subject."—Publishers Weekly About the AuthorAnne Karpf is a writer, journalist, broadcaster, and sociologist, and the author of The War After and Doctoring the Media. She has been a contributing editor to Cosmopolitan, a book reviewer for the Times, and the radio critic of the Guardian. Currently, she writes a weekly column in the Guardian on the family and teaches writing at London Metropolitan University. Anne Karpf lives in London and has two daughters. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
Other books you might like
Related Aisles
|
|||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
Follow us on...
|
||||||||||
Don't Miss
