Audio Engineering and the Science of Sound Waves

March 15, 2014
Grades 5-8 Books in the Engineering in Action series provide broad introductions to their respective fields in a colorfully illustrated, large-format package. A typical, rather crowded double-page spread presents a specified topic and illustrates it with two or three small photos. (Example: one ongoing theme running through many of the books is an engineer's approach to problem solving and collaborating on projects.) The main text is augmented with related information in boxes designed to look like yellow sticky notes. While job possibilities in the field are discussed, educational requirements for various careers are not. Each book includes a design challenge that leads readers through the steps of a project such as creating a sound track, fire extinguisher, desalination device, or periscope. Audio tackles the science of sound and hearing, the differences between analog and digital signals, and the varied work of audio engineers. Solid information for engineering-minded students.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)