This book takes you through the world of sound that surrounds us. Sound good? We will explain what a soundscape is and how to navigate it. But above all, we will work together to learn how to become an audio-cultural person.
- What is a soundscape, soundwalk and sound oasis?
- Do we really need so many noisy devices?
- What is acoustic smog and how to fight it?
- Are all the sounds around us nice?
- How to arrange furniture? A quick course for people who like silence
- Shared sound space – our rights and obligations

At the moment, smog, i.e. polluted air, is a hot topic. It turns out that this is not the only smog around us. We are also surrounded by acoustic smog, i.e. low-intensity noise. This is a major burden for our organism. Marcin Dymiter, author of A Guide for the Audiocultural, shows how to deal with it in order to live healthier. He presents the concept of a soundscape, i.e. all the sounds that surround us. Not all of them are bad or harmful: the sounds of nature – the rustle of the wind, birdsong, or the twinkling of water in a fountain – all do us good. So, he suggests creating our own private soundtrack and sound oasis. He also insists that in the spaces we share we also have the right to…silence. The age-old problem of people yelling into their phones, listening to music blaring in shared spaces, or even “never-ending” DIY projects.
Everyone has experienced something like this. The author implies that while regulations and laws do exist, the most important component is good manners. That sometimes it is worth asking someone to listen more quietly and there is a chance that the “man with the speaker” will understand.