The Voices of Nature: How and Why Animals Communicate

"Winner of the PROSE Award in Biological Sciences, Association of American Publishers" "[A] multifaceted delight for animal-lovers and armchair adventurers."---David P. Barash, Wall Street Journal "The breadth of research is impressive, as is the direct language used to express the complicated science behind sound itself. . . . Sounds may not leave a fossil record, but Mathevon's research will. "---Tina Panik, Library Journal, starred review "Mathevon delivers fascinating insights into animal communication. . . . This will change how readers hear the animals around them." * Publishers Weekly * "There's no one better than Mathevon to tell us about how diverse animals talk with one another. . . . His enthusiasm is contagious!"---Marc Bekoff, Psychology Today "The language flows easily and important scientific concepts, often complex in nature, are seamlessly woven into an entertaining story."---David Gascoigne, Travels with Birds "A significant contribution to the art of aural animal science."---Eric Brown, News Shopper: Wild Things "This is an excellent book full of fascinating facts, full of detail, but always very readable."---Patricia MacDuff, British Naturalists Association Bulletin "Excellent."---Marc Weidenbaum, The Wire "The Voices of Nature is an immersive sonic journey, led by a tour guide with extensive knowledge of the subject. Some of the behaviours and adaptations described here delighted me, serving as powerful reminders that we underestimate animals, and that evolution comes up with ingenious solutions to the challenges animals face."---Leon Vlieger, Inquisitive Biologist "A good read . . .The book makes a very digestible introduction to the contemporary field of bioacoustics for anyone with an interest in animal behaviour, including chapters on the physics of sound, noise and communication theory, the evolution of hearing, vocal learning and social networking."---Geoff Sample, Ibis "This wonderful book takes us on a journey of discovery in the realm of animal voices. It is written in prose suitable not only for students of animal behavior, but also for nature enthusiasts. . . . Nicolas Mathevon has left no stone unturned."---Alexander N. G. Kirschel, Quarterly Review of Biology "Nicolas Mathevon takes us on a wild romp through the world of bioacoustics in all its fascinating variety. . . .It deserves a place in the library of anyone who is interested in the sounds that animals produce and what they mean, whether experts or neophytes."---W. Tecumseh Fitch, Current Biology