Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Sonic Boom summary
Joel Beckerman with Tyler Gray
How Sound Transforms the Way We Think, Feel and Buy
11 mins
Brief summary
'Sonic Boom' by Joel Beckerman with Tyler Gray explores how sound shapes our world and how it affects our lives. The book offers insights into the power of sound design and how we can harness its potential to enhance our experiences.
Table of Contents
Sonic Boom
Summary of 4 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 4
While you might try to block out all the world’s noise, your brain never stops listening.
Close your eyes right now and take in the sounds around you.
What do you hear close to you? Perhaps you can eavesdrop on a whispered conversation on the bus. Now, what do you hear further away from you? Maybe you can identify the rumble of highway traffic, or children shouting in a nearby playground.
Every day we are surrounded by sound, and what we hear shapes the way we feel, influences our energy level and touches our consciousness. Movie music does this particularly well: you can’t help but be put on edge when the “shark theme” from Jaws – just two resonant bass notes – is played!
The right sound heard at the right time can even trigger a memory or evoke a powerful emotion. When this happens, it’s called a boom moment. But why exactly do boom moments occur?
It’s simple: your brain never stops listening. Even when you might not consciously be paying attention to the sounds around you, your brain is processing it all and connecting the sonic input with experiences you’ve had.
Chili’s, a Mexican restaurant chain in the United States, has recognized the power of sound to influence its customers. When you enter a Chili’s restaurant, you immediately hear the sizzle of meat on a hot iron plate.
This sizzle grabs your attention and inspires a chain of sensory reactions: you hear and smell the meat, the laughter of other happy and sated guests surrounds you, and you realize suddenly just how hungry you are for fajitas!
This is a boom moment, and one that obviously contributes to the restaurant’s bottom line. No surprise that Chili’s sells as much as 60.4 million pounds of fajitas per year!
The influence of sound on how we feel isn’t random; there’s definitely a science to it. Researchers Clare Caldwell and Sally A. Hibbert found that diners spent almost 15 minutes longer in a restaurant in which slower-tempo music was played, in contrast to a restaurant that played faster-tempo music.
The reason? Slower music made diners feel relaxed and safe, so they lingered over dinner.
Would you want to incorporate the power of sound in your business? There’s more to it than just turning on the radio. Read the next blink to learn more.
Want to see all full key ideas from Sonic Boom?
Key ideas in Sonic Boom
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Sonic Boom about?
Sonic Boom (2014) highlights the many ways sounds permeate not only our environment but also our personal lives. From your company brand to your personal space, sound has the power to make us remember and even can encourage us to buy. These blinks show you exactly how to harness the power of sound in your business and life.
Sonic Boom Review
Sonic Boom (2014) takes readers on a fascinating journey through the world of sound and its impact on our daily lives. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Explores the powerful influence of sound on our emotions, behaviors, and experiences, providing eye-opening insights into an often overlooked aspect of our lives.
- Offers compelling examples from various industries, showcasing how sound can be harnessed to create unforgettable experiences and drive success.
- With its engaging storytelling and thought-provoking content, the book ensures that readers will never listen to the world around them the same way again.
Best quote from Sonic Boom
The quickest way to understand the power of sound is by seeing what happens when its gone.
—Joel Beckerman with Tyler Gray
Who should read Sonic Boom?
- Musicians interested in how sound affects a person’s emotions
- Marketing executives looking to take company branding to the next level
- Business owners curious about how to use music to motivate others
Categories with Sonic Boom
Book summaries like Sonic Boom
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
31 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Sonic Boom FAQs
What is the main message of Sonic Boom?
The main message of Sonic Boom is the power of sound in shaping our experiences and emotions.
How long does it take to read Sonic Boom?
The reading time for Sonic Boom varies, but it typically takes several hours to read. The Blinkist summary can be read in just a few minutes.
Is Sonic Boom a good book? Is it worth reading?
Sonic Boom is worth reading for its fascinating insights into the world of sound and its impact on our lives. An engaging and thought-provoking book.
Who is the author of Sonic Boom?
Sonic Boom is authored by Joel Beckerman with Tyler Gray.
What to read after Sonic Boom?
If you're wondering what to read next after Sonic Boom, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay by Simon Napier-Bell
- How Music Works by David Byrne
- The Story of Sushi by Trevor Corson
- What Every BODY is Saying by Joe Navarro
- Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
- How Music Got Free by Stephen Witt
- Drive by Daniel Pink
- I Can Hear You Whisper by Lydia Denworth
- The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
- What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam