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Sentient: How Animals Illuminate the Wonder of Our Human Senses
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About This Book
Perfect for fans of The Soul of an Octopus and The Genius of Birds , this " masterpiece of science and nature writing" ( The Washington Post) explores how we process the world around us through the lens of the incredible sensory capabilities of thirteen animals, revealing that we are not limited to merely five senses. There is a scientific revolution stirring in the field of human perception. Research has shown that the extraordinary sensory powers of our animal friends can help us better understand the same powers that lie dormant within us. From the harlequin mantis shrimp with its ability to see a vast range of colors, to the bloodhound and its hundreds of millions of scent receptors; from the orb-weaving spider whose eyes recognize not only space but time, to the cheetah whose ears are responsible for its perfect agility, these astonishing animals hold the key to better understanding how we make sense of the world around us. "An appealingly written, enlightening, and sometimes eerie journey into the extraordinary possibilities for the human senses" ( Kirkus Reviews , starred), Sentient will change the way you look at humanity.
Reviews
"Mice are blinded, spiders are stoppered into test tubes for days on end, and animals are made into specimens so their cells can be microscopically analysed."
"In an authoritative and captivating tone, Higgins provides numerous entertaining lessons regarding how information gained from animals can be applied to humans ..."
"Higgins does a great job at describing scientific studies and their results, and at connecting them to humans, making for a moving and perspective-shifting examination of 'the everyday miracle of being sentient.' Fans of David Attenborough's documentaries or the works of Helen Scales will savor this delightful study."
"Occasional black-and-white illustrations enhance the narrative ..."
"As a producer of natural history documentaries, Higgins makes popular science accessible – Sentient is a dizzying display of the evolutionary ingenuity not only of lifeforms, but also of zoologists, neuroscientists and biologists who have mapped new frontiers of knowledge."
"Higgins highlights intriguing animals with remarkable sensory receptors that offer new perspectives on human senses, which, she explains, number far more than the traditional five ..."
"She leads us to adopt an entirely unfamiliar way of thinking about the senses."
"By examining the diverse perceptual capacities of our fellow creatures, Sentient leads us to perceive ourselves in a new, organic context ..."
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