Science journalist Ed Yong explores the concept of the Umwelt—the unique sensory bubble each species inhabits—to reveal how animals perceive a world utterly unlike our own. From the electric fields sensed by fish to the magnetic navigation of birds and the seismic hearing of elephants, the book surveys the astonishing range of animal senses. Along the way it argues for humility about the limits of human perception and for protecting the sensory worlds we increasingly threaten.
Books mentioned in An Immense World (13)
On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: “"...could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree," he wrote in The Origin of Species.”
The Elephant's Secret Sense by Caitlin O'Connell: “We were finally showing that my original hunch so long ago was true," she wrote in her book The Elephant's Secret Sense.”
Sensory Exotica by Howard C. Hughes: “In Sensory Exotica, Howard Hughes wrote that if you set a clock by a black ghost knifefish's electric field, the device would only lose an hour every year.”
Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith: “Other Minds (Godfrey-Smith), 332 — referenced in Yong's discussion of octopus and cephalopod cognition.”
Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne: “On a perch in the corner, he placed a hand-raised barn owl, who was named Wol after the character from Winnie-the-Pooh.”
Hurts So Good by Leigh Cowart: “I highly recommend Leigh Cowart's Hurts So Good—an exploration of masochists, ultramarathoners, icy ocean bathers, and other people who engage with pain on purpose.”
The Lady's Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey: “The Lady's Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey (2020) and Doing Harm by Maya Dusenbery (2018) are excellent books on this topic.”
Doing Harm by Maya Dusenbery: “The Lady's Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey (2020) and Doing Harm by Maya Dusenbery (2018) are excellent books on this topic.”
The Shocking History of Electric Fishes by Stanley Finger and Marco Piccolino: “For a fuller account, try The Shocking History of Electric Fishes by Stanley Finger and Marco Piccolino.”
War of the Whales by Joshua Horwitz: “War of the Whales by Joshua Horwitz offers a masterly account of the events that connected naval sonar to whale strandings, and the legal battles that ensued.”
Silent Thunder by Katy Payne: “Silent Thunder (Katy Payne), 235 — Payne's memoir on elephant communication, referenced in Yong's chapters on hearing.”
The Seabird's Cry by Adam Nicolson: “The Seabird's Cry (Nicolson) — referenced in Yong's discussion of seabirds and their senses.”
I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong: “There's another twist to this story, which readers of my first book, I Contain Multitudes, will be delighted by.”