Now You’re Talking: Human Conversation from the Neanderthals to Artificial Intelligence
Rs. 2,690.00
Trevor Cox
“The spectrum of sounds humans emit are not only the lifeblood of conversation—they are central to our sense of who we are and where we come from. In his book Now You’re Talking, acoustic engineer and BBC radio presenter Trevor Cox zooms in on the basic mechanics of our vocal abilities, broadly surveys the ways our speaking voices define and reflect identity, and asks what it means when this most human quality can be replicated by computers.” —Psychology Today
“A lucid look at the science behind human communication . . . The greatest takeaway from the book is the welcome thought that our best moments as human communicators are in ordinary conversations, ‘quotidian activity that allows knowledge about how to survive and thrive to be passed between us.’ There’s lots to ponder in Cox’s geekily entertaining exploration of how we acquire our voices and understand those of others.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A lively, intelligent and persuasive history of speech.” —Laura Freeman, The Times
“Illuminating . . . Cox knows how to make his subject sing.” —Sebastian Shakespeare, Daily Mail
“Cox proves an affable guide, and his sharp history will give casual science buffs a lot to talk about.” —Publishers Weekly
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Being able to speak is what makes us human.
If you’ve ever felt the shock of listening to a recording of your own voice, you realize how important your voice is to your personal identity. We judge others – and whether we trust them – not just by their words but by the way they talk: their intonation, their pitch, their accent.
Now You’re Talking explores the full range of our voice – how we speak and how we sing; how our vocal anatomy works; what happens when things go wrong; and how technology enables us to imitate and manipulate the human voice. Trevor Cox talks to vocal coaches who help people to develop their new voice after a gender change; to record producers whose use of technology has transformed the singing voice; and to computer scientists who replicate the human voice in their development of artificial intelligence.
Beginning with the Neanderthals, Now You’re Talking takes us all the way to the digital age – with the frightening prospect that we may soon hear ‘Unexpected item in the bagging area’ more frequently than a friendly ‘Hello, how are you?’ in the street.
About the Author
Book Specifications
Title: Now You’re Talking: Human Conversation from the Neanderthals to Artificial Intelligence
Author: Trevor Cox
Language: English
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 320
Weight: 476g
Published Year: 2018
Publisher: Bodley Head
ISBN: 978-1847924261
Dimensions: 15.3 x 2.4 x 23.4 cm
Print size: Please feel free to drop us a message.
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