This audiobook presents a reading of the 1962 children's book The How And Why Wonder Book Of Sound, written by Martin L. Keen. It explores in-depth the science surrounding sound and acoustics, and features instructions for several home experiments.

While we find this to be a mostly enlightening, easy to understand, and engaging text that can serve as a great introduction for kids and a refresher for adults, steps have been taken to edit out some of the era's political incorrectness, particularly when it comes to sexist and racist stereotypes, though we may have missed some. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

The audiobook also includes several annotations made by Museum of Portable Sound Director and Chief Curator John Kannenberg.

COMPLETE TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Part 1: A World Without Sound

Part 2: The Nature of Sound

What is sound?
How can you prove that sound is a form of energy?
How do we hear sounds that are far away?
How can we prove that sound needs a medium to travel through?
Sound Waves
What do we mean by compression waves?
What do we mean by rarefaction waves?
What do we mean by longitudinal waves?
Compression wave: How does it work?
Rarefaction wave: How does it work?
How can we make a vibration write its autograph?

Part 3: Measuring Sound

How fast does sound travel?
How can you use sound to measure distance?
How can you tell the distance of a lightning flash?
What is the pitch of a sound?
What do musicians mean by 'tone deaf'?
How can you prove that pitch depends on frequency?
How do scientists give proof that pitch depends on frequency?
What is loudness?
How is loudness measured?
Why are farther sounds fainter?
What is resonance?
How did Joshua win the Battle of Jericho?

Part 4: Reflected Sound

What is an echo?
Do bats use their eyesight to find insects?
How do bats locate insects?
How do bats use sound?
How does the porpoise use sound to catch fish in the sea?
How do people who are blind locate objects?
How do ships locate enemy submarines?
How are echoes used to detect schools of fish?
How are echoes used to locate minerals?

Part 5: Musical Sounds and Musical Instruments

What is musical sound?
What is a musical scale?
What is harmony?
How do stringed instruments produce sound?
How do wind instruments produce sound?
How do percussion instruments produce sound?

Part 6: Living Sound Organs

What is the human voice?
How do we hear?

Part 7: Sound and Communication

How does a telephone carry sound?
How does a radio transmit sound without wires?
How can we record sound?
What is stereophonic sound?
How does a wire or tape recorder work?
How are sound movies made?

Part 8: Ultrasonics and Supersonics

What is ultrasonics?
How can you wash dishes with sound?
What is the sound barrier?
What is a sonic boom?

Part 9: Some Interesting Facts About Sound

Why are soldiers at the rear of a column sometimes out of step?
Why does an approaching automobile horn have a higher pitch than usual?
Why is it easier to hear sounds from a boat during the day than at nighttime?
When can you hear the 'sound of the sea' in a shell?
Your New World of Sound