Why Animals Talk

The New Science of Animal Communication

De: Arik Kershenbaum

Narrado por: John Hastings

Duración: 10 h

Resumen del Editor

"Animal communication doesn’t need to resemble human language to be full of meaning and nuance. Arik Kershenbaum delivers an expert overview of the astonishing discoveries made in the last few decades"—Frans de Waal

From leading zoologist Arik Kershenbaum, a delightful and groundbreaking exploration of animal communication and its true meaning

Animal communication has forever seemed intelligible. We are surrounded by animals and the cacophony of sounds that they make—from the chirping of songbirds to the growls of lions on the savanna—but we have yet to fully understand why animals communicate the way they do. What are they saying? This is only part of the mystery. To go deeper, we must also ask, what is motivating them?

Why Animals Talk is an exhilarating journey through the untamed world of animal communication. Following his international bestseller, The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy, acclaimed zoologist Arik Kershenbaum draws on extensive original research to reveal how many of the animal kingdom’s most seemingly confusing or untranslatable signals are in fact logical and consistent—and not that different from our own. His fascinating deep dive into this timeless subject overturns decades of conventional wisdom, inviting listeners to experience for the first time communication through the minds of animals themselves.

From the majestic howls of wolves and the enchanting chatter of parrots to the melodic clicks of dolphins and the spirited grunts of chimpanzees, these often strange expressions are far from mere noise. In fact, they hold secrets that we are just beginning to decipher. It’s one of the oldest mysteries that has haunted Homo sapiens for hundreds of thousands of years: Are animals talking just like us, or are we the only animals on the planet to have our own language?

©2024 Arik Kershenbaum (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Kershenbaum, a zoologist at Cambridge and the author of The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy, has been studying animal communication for decades, and he readily admits that he and his colleagues have only scratched the surface of the subject. In his latest book, the author brings us up to date on the current research . . . For decades, there was an assumption that only human communication was 'real' language, but the new approach explores communication within the broader social and environmental context of animal communities . . . The author avoids the trap of thinking that animal communication is somehow inferior to human communication simply because it is different. Studying it lets us move away from the rigid notion of human exceptionalism and toward a better understanding of the world . . . A dive into animal communication that is fascinating in its own right, but also revealing about humanity.” —​Kirkus​

“Animal communication doesn’t need to resemble human language to be full of meaning and nuance. Arik Kershenbaum delivers an expert overview of the astonishing discoveries made in the last few decades." —Frans de Waal, author of Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?

“Talking isn’t just a human thing, and many animals communicate in sophisticated ways with sounds and melodies. In Why Animals Talk, Zoologist and science writer Arik Kershenbaum immerses us in the soundscapes of animal life. In the howls of wolves and clicks of dolphins, Kershenbaum helps us perceive how other animals sense their worlds, and in doing so, explores the evolutionary roots of our own advanced language skills. It is fitting that a book about communication is so conversational and engaging, and it will give you a new perspective on the richness of nature.” —Steve Brusatte, author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs