Is Anyone Listening?

""Herzing tackles the broad topic of nonhuman animal communication in all its fascinating and challenging scope. . . . Drawing on her four decades of dolphin research, Herzing unravels the workings behind interspecies communication—the many ways it is achieved amongst social species, the actual mechanics related with the different senses uses to communicate, and developments in the way humans have studied the phenomenon through the ages. . . . [There is] intense curiosity inherent in this book, and the author's laudable intentions of considering animal individuality over the conception of animal societies as just a numerical concatenation. . . . This book is a passionate plea for such research to be prioritised and funded, but always undertaken with a conception of the animals as mutually curious colleagues rather than as research subjects."" * Open Letters Review * ""In this entrancing report, marine biologist Herzing details her work for the Wild Dolphin Project researching how the animals communicate with humans and one another. . . . The firsthand accounts of studying dolphins in the wild position Herzing as a kind of aquatic Jane Goodall, and her recollections are elevated by philosophical musings on how scientists should think about the minds of other animals ('We should be looking to develop species-specific definitions for ""types"" of intelligence, rather than resorting to human comparisons'). Animal lovers will be eager to dive in."" * Publishers Weekly * “Dr. Dolittle famously desired to talk to the animals. Herzing has a better idea: stop talking long enough to listen to what the animals themselves are saying. Herzing has spent more than forty years doing just that, mostly while underwater with free-living dolphins. It might surprise us to learn that animals sometimes lie and that some animals talk by changing colors. Listen to what Herzing has to say here. You’ll be amazed.” -- Carl Safina, author of ""Beyond Words"" and ""Alfie and Me"" “It's high time someone pulled together our current knowledge of interspecies communication, and no one is better placed to do that than Herzing.” -- Arik Kershenbaum, author of ""Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication"" “By merging personal stories with scientific depictions, Herzing offers a compelling argument that captivates.” -- Con Slobodchikoff, author of ""Chasing Doctor Dolittle: Learning the Language of Animals"" “A detailed, fascinating survey of the ongoing pursuit to understand the linguistic dimensions of nonhuman animals, told through the lens of Herzing’s decades of studying a community of dolphins in their native habitat. Particularly interesting is Herzing’s chronicle of her imaginative and pioneering use of technology to attempt to understand the many facets of dolphin communication. Required reading for anyone interested in building a bridge between humans and nonhumans.” -- Thomas I. White, author of ""In Defense of Dolphins: The New Moral Frontier""