The Human Voice: How This Extraordinary Instrument Reveals Essential Clues About Who We Are

Science News,  Sept 2, 2006  

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THE HUMAN VOICE: How This Extraordinary Instrument Reveals Essential Clues about Who We Are

ANNE KARPF

The human voice can convey a wealth of information simply by means of its timber and tone. It can reveal not only a speaker's age and sex but also his or her health, emotional state, and even social status. Karpf, a writer and sociologist, analyzes how the human voice has become such a powerful instrument, including how the anatomical apparatus that produces it is distinctly human. She describes the impact of a mother's voice on her child and the emergence of a baby's vocal abilities. She looks at some of the stereotypes surrounding male and female voices, including the assumption that women speak more loudly and talk more (whereas it's men who actually do). The voice conveys cultural differences that can lead to misunderstandings and can lend public figures and politicians more or less credibility, the author explains. Finally, she looks at voice technologies. Bloomsbury, 2006, 399 p., hardcover, $24.95.

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