Animal Communication Theory: Information and Influence

The best aspect of the book [is] that it not only provides ideas about communication but the evidence and thought processes behind them - an excellent example of scientific theory making in action. Summing up: highly recommended.' J. A. Mather, Choice 'This book debates the role of information in animal communication by presenting opinion and evidence from diverse disciplines, such as evolutionary biology, ethology, linguistics, and neurophysiology. It also includes valuable philosophical contributions about the nature of information and meaning.' David R. Wilson, The Quarterly Review of Biology 'I would recommend the book to readers who already have a solid understanding of the concepts of behavioural ecology and want a stimulus to think about key issues in communication and to explore the literature more broadly. A unique contribution the book makes is its interdisciplinary set of authors: as a newcomer to linguistics and philosophy, I found the chapters on these disciplines to be an interesting taste of these fields' approaches. This thought-provoking book would make for a good semester-long graduate-level seminar: I anticipate that many of its chapters would generate lively discussion among researchers on animal communication.' Jessie Barker, International Society for Behavioral Ecology Newsletter