reviews
“Subtly navigating at the crossroads of sound studies, of Science and Technology Studies and post-ANT authors, and of urban policies and post-Foucaldian studies, this is a brilliant study on the ‘paradox of control’.”
— Antoine Hennion, Centre de sociologie de l’innovation, MinesParisTech / CNRS, France
“In this remarkable and innovative book, Leonardo Cardoso expands the conversation about cities and citizenship by taking his readers into the soundscapes of urban São Paulo and exploring the complexities of ‘sound-politics.’ Sound-Politics in São Paulo opens up a whole new arena for analyzing struggles over the urban environment, and for considering the often irreconcilable expectations that city dwellers harbor regarding the quality of urban life.”
— Barbara Weinstein, Professor of History, New York University
“This is a study of one major city’s modernizing approach to conquering the problem of sound, complete with all of the tumult and prejudice that always accompany capital-P politics. The work is rigorously historical as well as anthropological, and the methods match the argument. Sound studies needs this kind of scholarship, which feels fresh and urgent.”
— Benjamin Tausig, American Anthropologist 122, no. 4 (2020)
“Cardoso offers a concise and practical analytical framework that extends and enriches discussions about urban sounds, connecting sound-making and governance while positioning noise and noise control within the sphere of state-building, political bargain, and citizenship […] Sound-politics in São-Paulo illustrates how perspectives coming from the Global South could enrich discussions within sound studies while also making a significant contribution to different fields like urban history, urban studies, Latin American Studies, and cultural geography.”
— Juan Fernando Velasquez, Sound Studies 7, no. 1 (2021)
“Sound-Politics in São Paulo offers a novel approach to sound studies by delving into the interrelations between the ontology of sound and legal issues in one of the largest cities in the world. Through his thoughtful approach to sound and noise in São Paulo, Cardoso offers an equally grounded scholarly work, opening up new ways for studying governmental bureaucracies, citizenship issues in Brazil, and sound as it relates to legal settings.”
— Patrick Murphy, Ethnomusicology Review (2020)
“This is a well-written book on a most interesting and important subject. …This study incorporates voluminous references, and the figures and tables are highly informative and clear. It represents a welcome addition to the literature on noise pollution and especially its definition, control, and regulation. …Recommended”
— M. G. Prasad, CHOICE Reviews (2020)
