An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the

12 reviews for An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the

1. 

   algo41 – February 27, 2025

   so much interesting material
   There is so much interesting material about animal senses that Yong need not spend much time on his travels and on the scientists involved. He writes well, emphasizing the basis for the evolution of each sense, physiological, and especially functional. He always points out the unsolved questions. For example, the leading theory of how the earth’s magnetic field is sensed involves a quantum interaction between pairs of molecules, a reaction which requires some light and is impacted by the magnetic field. The candidate molecule pair, in at least some animal’s eyes, has been identified, but not the actual sensory organ. Besides evolution, another emphasis is all the sensory input around us that we humans are not equipped to recognize, although there are electronic tools to remedy much of that. I advise the new reader to pay attention to the notes which follow each chapter – many of them are very interesting. Each sense has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, smell works around corners and in the dark, and remains after the cause has moved, but it is slow to reach the sensory organ. Vision can have high resolution, or high sensitivity (requiring little light), but there is a tradeoff between the two. Most animals that can see color can see UV; it is not known why humans cannot, just conjectures. I have previously read that human color vision is in part tuned to aid in distinguishing subtle differences in human facial expression. Incidentally, there are some women with four color cones, not three, which aids them in distinguishing subtle differences in green; this capacity can be tested for, but the subject otherwise does not realize they have a special talent. A sentence I liked: “The human visual world is in front and humans move into it…… But the avian world is around and birds move through it (i.e. they can see more than 180 degrees, even 360 degrees around their head).” While reactions to taste are mostly innate, reactions to smell are learned. Elephants can apparently smell better than dogs. We all know about primary colors, but what this means is that there is no specific light frequency for the color purple, it is developed by our ability to add and subtract the primary color frequencies. While we have many neurons which register different odors, our subjective consciousness of many odors is also based on combining the reactions of multiple “primary” neurons. The amount of brain power required to utilize senses, such as echolocation in a bat or dolphin, is very high. One conjecture about Neanderthals which I have read elsewhere is that more of their brainpower was devoted to vision.

2. 

   Mainer (from away) – February 27, 2025

   Learn how animals perceive the world
   Intense and fascinating book which puts you in the heads of a wide array of creatures great and small. Improve your understanding of the world around you and, perhaps why animals behave as they do.

3. 

   Dave Starns – February 27, 2025

   How many times can one book blow your mind?
   I absolutely loved this book! Every page had some kind of surprising “what? really??” moment, so much so that I had to read it in small increments (both to make the experience last longer and to allow myself to ponder what I’d just learned). Yong is a terrific writer; he really made me glad to be alive in such an amazingly varied world. It totally changed the way I look at other species. This is one of those books that I’ve bought several copies of as gifts, just because I want to share the thrill of having my head blown open with my more curious and prone-to-awe friends and family.

4. 

   Ward Walker – February 27, 2025

   Amazing
   It’s a whole new world. Interesting, mind-blowing facts about phenomena of the natural world. I suggest that you read it in small bites and let yourself be amazed. I marveled not only about the discoveries themselves but also about how they were discovered. What instruments could detect such sound and speed? Too much in one sitting could be overwhelming.

5. 

   Icon – February 27, 2025

   What an unforgettable book
   We don’t deserve the goodness of the animals that surround us. A call for our accountability and responsibility towards them. Beautifully written. Thank you, Ed Yong for this beautiful book!

6. 

   Jason – February 27, 2025

   It will forever change the way you view animals. A must read.
   In “An Immense World,” Thomas Goetz takes readers on a captivating journey into the sensory realms of the animal kingdom, offering a fascinating exploration of how different creatures perceive and interact with their environments. This book serves as a compelling testament to the intricate and diverse ways in which animals experience the world, revealing hidden dimensions that often elude our human senses.Goetz skillfully navigates through the intricacies of animal perception, weaving together scientific research and vivid storytelling to create an engaging narrative. The book delves into the sensory abilities of various species, shedding light on their unique adaptations and the evolutionary advantages conferred by these abilities. From the echolocation of bats to the magnetic sense of migratory birds, Goetz unveils a world rich with sensory wonders that challenge our understanding of the natural world.One of the book’s strengths lies in Goetz’s ability to convey complex scientific concepts in an accessible manner, making it suitable for both casual readers and those with a more profound interest in biology and animal behavior. The author’s enthusiasm for the subject matter is contagious, and readers will find themselves marveling at the ingenuity of nature as they learn about the incredible ways in which animals navigate and perceive their surroundings.”An Immense World” not only educates readers about the intricacies of animal senses but also prompts reflection on our own perceptions of reality. Goetz encourages us to appreciate the vast spectrum of sensory experiences that exist beyond the human realm, fostering a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all living beings.Overall, Thomas Goetz’s “An Immense World” is a compelling and enlightening exploration of the hidden dimensions of the animal world. Through its engaging prose and insightful revelations, the book invites readers to reconsider their perspectives on the natural world, ultimately deepening their appreciation for the rich tapestry of life that surrounds us.

7. 

   A. Oltsch – February 27, 2025

   According to well-read person: Fascinating!
   I have enjoyed Ed Yong’s occasional essays, and have begun an earlier book with open-eyed pleasure. I gave this one to my widely-read sister, and she’s captivated by it. She spoke with great enthusiasm not just about the amazing information but particularly about Ed Yong’s style – humorous, conveying rich detail in a thoroughly accessible manner. My sister recommends it!

8. 

   Meka Jones – February 27, 2025

   Really fascinating glimpse into the ways the world around us differs for each creature experiencing it!Gifted to a dog lover but I would recommend it for anyone.

9. 

   Francisco Inacio Bastos – February 27, 2025

   O livro mais recente de Ed Yong não vem sendo sucessivamente premiado (como pela Royal Society, em 2023) por acaso. Trata-se de uma obra simplesmente brilhante, exaustivamente documentada, sem jamais ser cansativa, escrita de forma clara, objetiva e cativante. Descortina para o leitor em geral e pesquisadores que atuam em outras áreas (como no meu próprio caso) um mundo até então pouco conhecido, bastante mais diverso e rico do que supomos, com base em nossa própria experiência sensorial. Ter contato, ainda que indireto, com experiências sensoriais tão diferentes e, por vezes, inusitadas, nos dá a sensação de quão refinada é a vida em nosso planeta, ou, talvez, mais profundamente, a sensação de encantamento, tão bem descrita por Einstein e Spinoza face aos mistérios do universo.

10. 

    Jorge E S�nchez T – February 27, 2025

    Me encanto la forma en la forma en la que esta redactado el libro, explican todo de una forma simple y entretenida, me encantaría retener más información del libro que la que puedo recordar ahora, seguramente lo leere de nuevo en algún tiempo para recordar.

11. 

    Felipe PR – February 27, 2025

    Book content = 6 starsBook printing/formatting = terrible, extremely small font almost impossible to read. Paperback costs 10 euros but alternative ~45 euros. Shame!

12. 

    G. D. Kendall – February 27, 2025

    A really interesting book that was a pleasure to rude. Widened my understanding of one of the fundamental things that living beings do – perceive their environment. The author brilliantly envisions how differently the world that we humans live in would seem to animals that either have the same senses as us, but very much enhanced, or have senses that we simply do not have at all. I now know why it is that bumble bees are ‘hairy’…