Third Ear: Reflections on the Art and Science of Listening

by Elizabeth Rosner

This illuminating book weaves personal stories of a multilingual upbringing with the latest scientific breakthroughs in inter-species communication to show how the skill of deep listening enhances our curiosity and empathy toward the world around us. Third Ear braids together personal narrative with scholarly inquiry to examine the power of listening to build interpersonal empathy and social transformation. A child of Holocaust survivors, Rosner shares stories from growing up in a home where six languages were spoken to interrogate how diverse areas of scholarship such as psychotherapy, neurolinguistics, and creativity can illuminate the complex ways we are impacted by the sounds and silences of others. Drawing on expertise from journalists, podcasters, performers, translators, acoustic biologists, spiritual leaders, composers, and educators, this hybrid text moves fluidly along a spectrum from molecular to global to reveal how third ear listening can be a collective means for increased understanding and connection to the natural world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2024

About the author

Elizabeth's newest book, "THIRD EAR: Reflections on the Art and Science of Listening," will be published by Counterpoint on September 17, 2024. Like her previous book, it's a hybrid of memoir and interdisciplinary research. "SURVIVOR CAFE: The Legacy of Trauma and the Labyrinth of Memory" (Counterpoint 2017) features a compelling blend of personal narrative, interviews, and extensive research about the inter-generational aftermath of war, genocide, and violence. It was selected as a finalist for a National Jewish Book Award, and Rosner has been interviewed on NPR's "All Things Considered" as well as in The New York Times.

Her third novel ELECTRIC CITY was published by Counterpoint in October 2014, and named one of the best books of the year by National Public Radio. Her full-length poetry collection GRAVITY was published by Atelier26 Books in fall 2014.

Ms. Rosner is the award-winning author of two previous novels: THE SPEED OF LIGHT and BLUE NUDE. The Speed of Light was the recipient of numerous honors, including the Harold U. Ribalow Prize and the Prix France Bleu Gironde; it was short-listed for the prestigious Prix Femina and selected for the Great Lakes Colleges New Writers Award. The novel has been translated into nine languages. Blue Nude was named one of the best books of the year by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Elizabeth's writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Elle, The Forward, the Huffington Post, and several anthologies.

A full-time writer, Elizabeth taught literature and creative writing at the college level for 35 years, and continues to lead workshops and seminars at retreat centers and universities throughout the U.S. and internationally. She lives in Berkeley, CA.

Reviews

[Amy Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully wrought book is both a deeply personal and an intellectual exploration of the power of listening, of the meaning of sound in our lives and to the interconnections that literally reverberate around us. Elizabeth Rosner's experiences as a daughter of holocaust survivors are told alongside research into the world of owls, bats, birds, whales, and horses, among others. As a whole the reader is gently woken to sound and listening through Rosner's own searching for how we are deeply imbedded in the natural world, and how we can literally listen ourselves into connection. Third Ear is an invitation to slow down, to open your window, to turn off the mechanical sounds that populate our lives and to listen as a part of the vastness that holds us all.

[E.R. Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth Rosner’s book is a poetic and often illuminating meditation on not just sound and hearing, but on her own life experiences. This blend of memoir and study of one of the five senses is at its best when weaving stories about sound over time. As the author calls upon us to differentiate between hearing and listening, or notes the way language sounds in different tongues (and how people differ when speaking languages they inherently know), it’s deeply enthralling. I could have read another 200 pages of Third Ear discourse.

By contrast, the memoir passages are less compelling, as the stories are hers but they are also well-trodden. The wistful moments when grief touches the tales do elevate the work, as Rosner weaves her sonic theme in. Yet, there are also significant passages where the ear doesn’t get much attention in the telling of the author’s misgivings about her religion’s treatment of women. The art is less here, but it’s not enough to derail an enjoyable and thoughtful read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to experience this fine book.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this from Netgalley as an audiobook . As a music teacher and a person who considers myself to be pretty empathetic, listening has always been a topic that I have thought about. This book was very interesting to me. One thing I love about reading is that it often sparks my interest to know more. I have not really considered how animals hear across long distances, differences in the natural world during covid when people were not as loud and noticeable (I had thought a little bit about this, but not in the same way the book describes), the sheer amount of sensory processing we do all day, etc. One thing I have noticed recently is my appreciation of quiet, even though I'm a person who works with sound all of the time. There are definitely things I will be looking to learn more about in this book.

[Mary Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Take a walk at night. Walk so silently that the bottoms of your feat becomes ears." -Pauline Oliveros.
According to Elizabeth, hearing is a science and listening is an art. The way she reflects on her own experiences of growing up in a multilingual household and learning to listen, the experiences of animals like elephants, bats, and finches in early development, writing, later life hardships and healing, and psychology research and history is weaved seamlessly and I learned SO much but it also felt fun and beautiful which is the best feeling. That was a very long sentence. Highly recommend!

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Rosner book, and it makes me want more of her writing. I studied communication disorders in college, and this book brings me back to communication past just the words we say. It also looks at communication between other species and how even over time their communication has changed. The final chapter brought tears to my eyes.

Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book.

[Maggie Post · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this gem in small doses, over time, taking notes when inspired. So much is here. Wise, honest, fascinating, a life well lived. I learned much, especially loved the sections on whales!
“Scarcity produces threats & violence; abundant sharing both creates & sustains peace.”
This book was an unexpected gift from my librarian friend 💕 and I’ll happily loan it to anyone! THANK YOU AGAIN Annette Wells 💗

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adage "Silence is Golden" is never more true than in Rosner's writing. So much can be learned if one listens to the silence. A good read.

[Julia Cheng · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like ⭐️3.5
Over winter break read!
This was a rather interesting book! I think I learned some cool stuff but it was mostly a for-the-experience read I found since I don’t remember a ton but I enjoyed reading it! It talks about listening, covering stuff from hearing in the womb, being raised multilingual, listening to nature and animals, and ofc listening to people. I was initially surprised that it was just a collection of the author’s personal narratives, scientific stuff, and other people’s narratives from like podcasts and articles but then I realized it was in the synopsis so I was like oh that’s on me.
But I did learn about this cool guy Gordon Hempton who records sounds in nature and he has a Spotify and a documentary about him and everything. I think the book actually says he records silence but in nature there’s noise in silence so I was like uh ok.
Another cool thing I found was that some of the practices the book recommends aligns with how God calls us to be still and quick to listen and all that.

All in all a very peaceful read, meaning I often read it before bed!

[Kevin Marler · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s difficult to rate a book like this. It’s kind of unique but meandering - but not in a bad way necessarily. But if you need books to have a clearly defined structure, this probably won’t land with you. I really enjoyed her personal stories of her family, and how language, culture, religion, and a sense of belonging (or not) impacted her and those around her. The theme was, of course, rooted in listening to all of the sounds around us. For me, it offered a great lesson on the importance of perspective gained from paying attention - not just to what we see - but also what we hear (and don’t hear).

[Mazen Alloujami · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book tries to sound intelligent, but it's just a speech without any results. Everything the author says (in a completely disorganized way) is pointless in the end. The book ends and you don't know what to make of the various stories and information you've just read.
Incidentally, I hate people who simply recount their lives and personal experiences to tell us that they're the perfect role model. Everything the author says is based on his own perception of things, not on study and without proof.
The book revolves around the author's ego, with a huge amount of "I".

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dipped in and out of it. A collection of musings, personal recollections and little snippets of brief quotes and comments by scientists ,therapists and artists.
Overall, not my cup of tea. Felt it was more of a memoir than a scientific reflection on listening.

[John H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more of a memoir than I was expecting. I guess that's what I get for not reading the description first and just picking this based on the title. Well-written, but just not what I was looking for.

[Ruth Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 picked this up at Batavia Public Library just returned cart cart. Small, personal, science book on listening.

[Jamal A · Rating 4 out of 5]

In its memoir-like narrative, this book is the author's journey toward finding peace with a significant event in her life. It's a personal exploration that may resonate with you in your own unique way.

"Third Ear" is filled with many tidbits of information across philosophy, biology, space, and time, coalescing into the overarching message of simply listening. Not just listening with your ears but truly listening to everything around you. This book is not a "how to" do that, but the experience Rosner pulls from some readers may undoubtedly relate to. There are elements of Rosner's Jewish faith sprinkled throughout, not in a religious way but more in the spiritual sense, that many people can relate to, even if you do not share the same background in faith as Rosner.

At times, the book seems to bounce around from idea to idea, a story here and a story there, but it's intentional. Sometimes, I thought to myself, "What does this have to do with the third ear?" Toward the end, it does come together.

While 'Third Ear' isn't a manual on how to become a better listener, it has the potential to inspire such a transformation. It encourages moments of self-reflection, echoing the book's message that it's okay to slow down in our fast-paced lives.

I've never swam with dolphins, but I think I need to go and do that now :)

[Clara Penrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third Ear is one of those rare books that quietly rearranges something inside you. Elizabeth Rosner brings together language, trauma, deep listening, and personal narrative with such clarity and heart that I found myself both intellectually stretched and emotionally moved.

This isn’t just a book about communication, it’s about connection. About what it means to hear, to feel, to notice what usually goes unspoken. Her reflections are both deeply personal and universally resonant. I marked so many passages I’ll return to again.

A truly transformative read, especially for anyone interested in healing, listening, or the layered ways language shapes our lives. This is the kind of book that deserves a wider audience. Quiet, powerful, and unforgettable.

[Ginny Svec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I thought it was going to be—very much a meditation on life, death, love, and the connections we make with each other in-between.