The 'Pursuit Of Silence' In A World Full of Noise
Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit    If you live or work in
a city, you may have noticed and gotten sick of all the noise in
our lives: sirens, bus engines, jackhammers, booming music in
the car next to us and deafening racket in bars and restaurants,
not to mention all the people yelling on the street while we're
trying to sleep or barking into their cell phones as if there's
nobody else around.  Our next guest, writer George Prochnik,
says there's plenty of evidence that noise can be harmful, as
well as annoying, with studies pointing to hearing loss and even
risks of higher blood pressure and cardiovascular problems.  His
new book is a study of noise in the modern world and an
exploration of the benefits of silence. George Prochnik has
written for the New York Times, the Boston Globe and other
publications. His new book is called "In Pursuit of Silence:
Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise."  Well, George
Prochnik, welcome to FRESH AIR. Y