Preview
  • The Universal Sense

  • How Hearing Shapes the Mind
  • By: Seth S. Horowitz PhD
  • Narrated by: Dean Sluyter
  • Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (25 ratings)

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The Universal Sense

By: Seth S. Horowitz PhD
Narrated by: Dean Sluyter
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Publisher's summary

The surprising truth about how the things our ears hear affect what's between them. Every day, we are surrounded by millions of sounds - ambient ones like the rumble of the train and the hum of air conditioner, as well as more attention-grabbing sounds, such as human speech, music, and sirens. But how do we process what we hear every day? And how does it affect our brains and our minds? This book answers such revealing questions as:

  • How do bats see in 3D with their ears and how did that lead to the development of medical ultrasound?
  • What is it about the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard that makes us cringe?
  • Why do city folks have trouble sleeping in the country, and vice versa?
  • Why can't you get that song out of your head?

Starting with the basics of auditory biology, neuroscientist and musician Seth Horowitz explains how sound affects us, and in turn, how we've learned to manipulate sound: into music, commercial jingles, car horns, and modern inventions like cochlear implants, ultrasound scans, and the mosquito ringtone. Whether you're standing in a crowded subway or a quiet meadow, you'll never hear the same way after listening to this book. The Universal Sense gives new insight into what the sounds of our world have to do with the way we think, feel, and interact.

©2012 Seth S. Horowitz (P)2012 Audible, Inc.
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What listeners say about The Universal Sense

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Not what I was expecting

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I wasn't super engaged by this book because it was so scientific and detailed that I tended to drift off while listening EVERY time!! Maybe I absorbed something interesting in my sleep but ... I guess it just wasn't what I was looking for.

Has The Universal Sense turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, I am always interested in books related to sound and music. I just wasn't interested in this particular portrayal.

Did The Universal Sense inspire you to do anything?

No

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating, funny, and very informing

First, I must’ve met that I am a friend of the author’s. With that said, I was expecting to give him feedback like a parent to a 10-year-old kid… friendly, but not entirely honest.

I could not have been more wrong - it was fantastic.


Dr. Horowitz is able to combine decades of research with a sharp wit in an elegant and hilarious fashion. I look forward to asking about his allergy And several other of my life out loud moments.

Do you have any interest in music and it’s effects on the brain with cutting edge research put into a funny and enjoyable package the.
this is the book for you. Really well done.

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