this book provides an introduction to the physiology of hearing, second edition, by james o. pickles from the university of birmingham. the content covers various aspects of hearing, including the mechanisms of transduction and excitation in the cochlea, the brainstem nuclei, the auditory cortex, centrifugal pathways, and physiological correlates of auditory psychophysics and performance. chapter 5 discusses the cytoskeleton of the transducer region, mechanisms of transduction, the origin of sharp tuning in the cochlea, cochlear nonlinearity, and the relationship between hair cells and neural excitation. chapter 6 explores the brainstem nuclei, including the cochlear nuclei, superior olivary complex, ascending pathways, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body, and brainstem reflexes. chapter 7 focuses on the auditory cortex, its organization, single neuron responses, behavioral studies, and hypotheses about its function. chapter 8 examines centrifugal pathways, including the olivocochlear bundle and pathways to the cochlear nuclei and higher centers. chapter 9 discusses the physiological correlates of auditory psychophysics and performance, covering topics such as absolute threshold, frequency resolution, frequency discrimination, intensity, sound localization, and speech. the book is structured with summaries and further reading sections at the end of each chapter, making it a comprehensive resource for understanding the physiology of hearing.this book provides an introduction to the physiology of hearing, second edition, by james o. pickles from the university of birmingham. the content covers various aspects of hearing, including the mechanisms of transduction and excitation in the cochlea, the brainstem nuclei, the auditory cortex, centrifugal pathways, and physiological correlates of auditory psychophysics and performance. chapter 5 discusses the cytoskeleton of the transducer region, mechanisms of transduction, the origin of sharp tuning in the cochlea, cochlear nonlinearity, and the relationship between hair cells and neural excitation. chapter 6 explores the brainstem nuclei, including the cochlear nuclei, superior olivary complex, ascending pathways, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body, and brainstem reflexes. chapter 7 focuses on the auditory cortex, its organization, single neuron responses, behavioral studies, and hypotheses about its function. chapter 8 examines centrifugal pathways, including the olivocochlear bundle and pathways to the cochlear nuclei and higher centers. chapter 9 discusses the physiological correlates of auditory psychophysics and performance, covering topics such as absolute threshold, frequency resolution, frequency discrimination, intensity, sound localization, and speech. the book is structured with summaries and further reading sections at the end of each chapter, making it a comprehensive resource for understanding the physiology of hearing.