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An Immense World

How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us

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An Immense World

By: Ed Yong
Narrated by: Ed Yong
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Humans have three or four colour-detecting cones in their retinas. Mantis shrimp have 16. In fact, their eyes seem to have more in common with satellite technology than with biological vision as we currently understand it. They have evolved to track movement with an acuity no other species can match by processing raw information; they may not 'see', in the human sense, at all.

Marine molluscs called chitons have eyes that are made of stone. Scorpions appear to see with their entire bodies. It isn't only vision that differs from species to species—some animals also have senses we lack entirely. Knifefish navigate by electrical charge.

An Immense World will take us on an insider's tour of the natural world by describing the biology, physics and chemistry animals use to perceive it. We may lack some of their senses, but our own super-sense lies in our ability to understand theirs. And in the face of the largest extinction event since the meteor that killed the dinosaurs, our only hope of saving other species is bound up with our ability to see what they see, and feel what they feel.

©2022 Ed Yong (P)2022 Penguin Audio Animals Biological Sciences Biology Ecology Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science Inspiring
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Describes the richness of life and gives countless new perspectives on the same environment we all exist in. Umwelt

Absolutely mindblowing

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I loved this book from start to finish. Thank you Ed Young for giving me a greater understanding of how truly wonderful life on Earth is.

Brilliant

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Well written and well narrated. Complex ideas explain simply.

Goose, a greater appreciation to our animal kingdom neighbours. 

I book we should all listen to, and try to understand.

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Very interesting, easily digestible and well organised. The author did fairly well reading his own work but it could have benefited from a professional narrator: I repeatedly “zoned out” due to the narration but the book itself is excellent.

Very interesting

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Amazing, thought provoking and powerful book that everyone should read to understand that how "we" see the world is not comprehensive, or even realistic of reality.

This book will have you questioning your senses, their limitations, and your picture of the world, while increasing empathy for the many incredible species humans are impacting through their occupation of the planet.

Amazing!

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Made me think differently about how creatures who share our world are not sharing our experience.

fascinating

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Ed Yong’s performance and writing is incredible. In an incredibly easy to digest way, he let’s you see, hear, touch, smell, vibrate, echolocate, and electrolocate around the animal kingdom. He expands your world that’s just around you, sharpening your senses, learning about senses that you don’t have, and understanding just what’s at stake in our immense world.

This book will expand your world

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I could not recommend this book more highly. Allows you to step into different animal's shoes, viewing the world as they would.

Will alter your perception of the world around you

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Wow! I’ve been blown away by this incredible audiobook! When I finished it, I went straight back to the start to listen to it again, and when I finished it for the second time, I went back and have just finished listening to it for the third time in a row! It was very well laid out, the narration was clear and very easy to understand. I honestly think I’m about to go back and listen to it for a fourth time to really soak up the huge amount of awesome information about animals and their worlds. Thank you Ed Yong!

My favourite out of 80 audiobooks so far!

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All the great animal trivia. It gives you such a greater appreciation of the diverse ways of perceiving the world.

Animal perception

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