This book is a history of acoustics from the 19th century to the present, written by one of the preeminent members of the acoustical community. The book is both a review of the major scientific advances in acoustics as well as an account of famous acousticians and their discoveries. The development of the Acoustical Society of America is described. Acousitics is distinguished by its interdisciplinary nature and the book explores the field's development in its relationship to other sciences. In addition to covering the history of acoustics, the book contains a last chapter on the future of acoustics. Many lovely historical illustrations are included. Robert T. Beyer is the Editor-in-Chief of the AIP Series, Modern Acoustics and Signal Processing. Other appointments include past Vice- President and President of the Acoustical Society of America, as well as Fellowships with the Acoustical Society of America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, and IEEE, respectively.