This Month

The rustle of turning pages is usually the only sound you'd hear from us, but in this issue we explore a range of aural excitements. We recommend biographies of icons Phil Spector and John Coltrane. Flavorpill's Music Editor helps you navigate the world of niche-music books with a handy, three-step guide. We also review books on a variety of fascinating but little-known noisemakers — elusive sound artists, the man who really invented the telephone, and the obsessive field recorders who constructed the authenticity of the blues. We conclude with an interview with Radiolab's Jad Abumrad about sound and storytelling.