Hearing: Anatomy, Physiology, and Disorders of the Auditory System (3rd ed.).

Hearing: Anatomy, Physiology, and Disorders of the Auditory System (3rd ed.) was written by Aage R. M ø ller, Ph.D. (D. Med. Sci.), a prolifi c book author and well-recognized auditory neuroscientist, and has well over 200 peer-reviewed papers in the areas of sensory neuroscience and plasticity. Although this book is the third edition, Dr. M ø ller indicates that its true predecessor is Auditory Physiology , a book published in 1983 by Academic Press. This early beginning, over 20 years ago, is signifi cant as it shaped the course of the current book and its subsequent editions: fi rst beginning with the physiology of the auditory system and later including coverage of anatomy and pathophysiology. Most unique about this book for the fi eld of audiology is the indepth, yet accessible coverage of auditory physiology and the promotion of understanding for how various hearing-related disorders can be partly explained by changes in neural expression and plasticity. To this point, Dr. M ø ller wrote in his preface, “ The fact that disorders of one part of the auditory system often affect the function of other parts of the auditory system is especially apparent with regard to hyperactive disorders, such as tinnitus and hyperacusis. Even noiseinduced hearing loss and presbycusis are not isolated cochlear phenomena; rather, the auditory nervous system is involved in these disorders. This means that it is no longer valid to divide disorders of the auditory system into peripheral and central disorders. ” The book has eleven chapters divided into three sections. The fi rst two sections have a natural division between the peripheral auditory system and the central auditory system, while the third section is a thoughtful collection of chapters related to various hearing disorders. All throughout this book, the reader will benefi t from carefully chosen chapter subheadings and fi gures to break up the text and highlight key concepts for readability and comprehension. Assets of the book are a list of abbreviations and a chapter on cochlear and brainstem implants, as well as separate appendices covering defi nitions in anatomy, hearing conservation programs, and neural plasticity. The reader will also benefi t from a numbered abstract listing of key concepts at the beginning of each chapter. From a reader ’ s point of view, the fi rst two sections are not exactly linear. For example, anatomy is covered in one chapter, while physiology is covered in another. From a teaching perspective, however, this approach lends itself naturally to how the information is often taught in a course. That is, let ’ s understand the structural components fi rst, and then let ’ s see how they functionally work together. In a course, the student may have to jump around in the book, but it will not be laborious. Once the reader has a reasonably good grasp of anatomy and physiology, Dr. M ø ller takes an integrated approach to help the reader make use of the information in the fi rst two sections and put it all together in the third section to better understand various hearing disorders. I especially appreciate in this book the greater emphasis on auditory physiology and its tie-in with hearing disorders compared to similar books on the market. This book is well written and organized, and should make an excellent textbook for graduate students in audiology, both beginner and intermediate. The book is well researched, yet it is neither overly technical nor data heavy. The book will also be useful for practicing audiologists who would benefi t from an update and for psychologists and psychiatrists interested in the study of tinnitus and hyperactive disorders. Already, I can see how this one book could be used in at least four of the courses that I teach in an Au.D. program, which could help students to reduce the cost of their education expense. I want to commend Dr. M ø ller for this work, which I believe will be a wonderful addition to the libraries of many students and practitioners. Improving our collective understanding of the central auditory nervous system will no doubt aid in the advancement and progress of audiology and related-fi elds. Simply put, hearing is more than just the ears.