An Immense World

Every animal, humans included, lives inside its own sensory bubble and picks up only a small part of what surrounds it. Science journalist Ed Yong sets out to show what those bubbles contain, one species at a time.

Turtles follow Earth's magnetic field. Fish send electrical signals through rivers. Crocodiles register the faintest ripples with their scaly faces, and scallops see with complex eyes. Bees, songbirds and dogs each meet flowers, sound and scent in ways people can barely picture.

The book rests on the idea of the umwelt, the perceptual world particular to each species. Yong draws on researchers working in the field and in the lab, and recounts discoveries about vision, hearing, smell, touch, pain and vibration. He also covers senses that people cannot directly access.

This is popular science written for general readers curious about animal behavior, biology and the natural world. Its central question is what it is like to be another animal, and what the answer shows about the limits of human perception. Several mysteries remain unsolved, and the book points to them.