Includes bibliographical references and index.

We live in a world of waves. The Earth shakes to its foundations, the seas and oceans tremble incessantly, sounds reverberate through land, sea, and air. Beneath the skin, our brains and bodies are awash with waves of their own, and the Universe is filled by a vast spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, of which visible light is the narrowest sliver. Considering the main kinds of wave, their sources, effects, and uses, Mike Goldsmith discusses how wave motion results in a range of phenomena, such as reflection, diffraction, beats, and echoes; and explores the fundamental features shared by all waves in the natural world.--