One person's sonic heaven is the next person's purgatory. When is sound enjoyable? When is it an irritation? When is it actually dangerous? These are some of the themes of Mike Goldsmith's Discord: The Story of Noise, an enjoyable history of "sound out of place." Mr. Goldsmith, a longtime researcher in acoustics, covers the scientific history of noise—especially how to measure and contain it—as well as its cultural aspects.