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jlsjourneys's review against another edition
I got through 50 percent of this before my library loan ended. It’s a great piece of science writing focused on the animal world - my interest in science writing focused on the animal world isn’t high enough for me to pick it back up after the loan ends, but that’s just me.
noahnewland's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
roxymaybe's review against another edition
5.0
Just one beef: Toph doesn't use echolocation. She uses earthbending
savaging's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful book about the bounty of animal sensory experiences. Yong is one of my favorite science writers -- he describes other beings clearly and with enthusiasm, but doesn't get carried away beyond what can be scrupulously shown through research.
I was a little bit disappointed with the sort of mild reformist advocacy at the end of the book. Red-spectrum street lights are nice, but doesn't the mass die-off of nearly all species demand some bigger changes? But still, sure, change the street lights and read this book.
I was a little bit disappointed with the sort of mild reformist advocacy at the end of the book. Red-spectrum street lights are nice, but doesn't the mass die-off of nearly all species demand some bigger changes? But still, sure, change the street lights and read this book.
justabean_reads's review against another edition
4.5
Several friends listed this as one of their favourite reads of 2023, and I can see why! Yong investigates all the different ways animals perceive the world, what that might feel like, the limits and advantages of different ways of sensing, and the difficulty of studying any of that. As has been mentioned elsewhere, this would be a great resource for science fiction or fantasy worldbuilding for non-humans or metahumans, especially with the attention to how different senses aren't just say vision plus, but often a completely different brain wiring. The concepts can be mind-bending on their own, and Yong does a great job trying to make it relatable and alien at the same time. He also, as far as I could tell, avoids using ableist language, and points out ableism in how people talk about senses.
The most fun parts are the adventures of scientists and their subjects as they try to figure out why bats keep running into things, hummingbirds sing songs they themselves can't hear, and dolphins keep being assholes. There are references to bad things happening to research subjects, especially in a historical context, but for the most part the focus stays with people trying to solve problems and running into unexpected brick walls and breakthroughs alike.
The most fun parts are the adventures of scientists and their subjects as they try to figure out why bats keep running into things, hummingbirds sing songs they themselves can't hear, and dolphins keep being assholes. There are references to bad things happening to research subjects, especially in a historical context, but for the most part the focus stays with people trying to solve problems and running into unexpected brick walls and breakthroughs alike.