Pardon? -- Our world of sound -- The body's microphone -- When hearing fails -- Cicadas in my head -- Conductive hearing loss -- Hearing aids -- Stigma -- Beyond conventional hearing aids -- Cochlear implants -- Asylum -- The mice in the tank -- Volume control

"Our sense of hearing makes it easy to connect with the world and the people around us. The human system for processing sound is a biological marvel, an intricate assembly of delicate membranes, bones, receptor cells, and neurons. Yet many people take their ears for granted, abusing them with loud restaurants, rock concerts, and Q-tips. And then, eventually, most of us start to go deaf." -- Publisher's description