Book excerpt: (Book). This up-to-date book comprehensively covers all aspects of speech and music sound reinforcement. It is roughly divided into four sections: Section 1 provides the tutorial fundamentals that all audio engineers will need, discussing subjects such as fundamentals of acoustics, psychoacoustics, basic electrical theory and digital processing. Section 2 deals with the fundamental classes of hardware that the modern engineer will use, such as loudspeaker systems and components, microphones, mixers, amplifiers and signal processors. Special attention is given to digital techniques for system control and to audio signal analysis. Section 3 deals with the basics of system design, from concept to final realization. It covers topics such as basic system type and speech intelligibility, site survey, user needs analysis and project management. Section 4 discusses individual design areas, such as sports facilities, large-scale tour sound systems, high-level music playback, systems for the theater, religious facilities, and other meeting spaces. The book is written in an accessible style, but does not lack for ample amounts of technical information. It is truly a book for the 21st century! The Senior Director of Product Development and Application for JBL Professional, John Eargle is the author of The Handbook of Recording Engineering, The Microphone Book, Handbook of Sound System Design, Electroacoustical Reference Data, Music, Sound and Technology and The Loudspeaker Handbook . A 2000 Grammy Award-winner for Best Classical Engineering, Mr. Eargle is an honorary member and past national president of the Audio Engineering Society, a faculty-member of the Aspen Audio Recording Institute, and a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.