Compulsive Reader
"Impeccably written, soundly researched, and utterly fascinating. . . . Between and around the book’s hard science, the author wraps accessible and warmly told human narratives such as the tale of the dying man who on his last sea trip first realized whales communicated with each other. Thus, The Sounds of Life is filled with a certain kind of wild, brilliant charm that makes it very readable for the scientific and the nonscientific minded alike."
Conservation Biology
"This book is recommended not only for researchers in bioacoustics, but also for students of animal behavior, ecology, nature conservation, and biology."
Mongabay
"Bakker’s book is full of stories of wonder and curiosity about the world of sound that constantly surrounds humanity."
From the Publisher
Winner of the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books for Young Adults
Finalist for the PROSE Award in Popular Science and Mathematics, Association of American Publishers
"Winner of the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award, Northland College"
"Winner of the Nautilus Book Award, Animals & Nature Section"
"Winner of the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize, BC and Yukon Book Prizes"
"Meticulously researched and colorfully presented . . . the first [book] to integrate so many dimensions of the field in a way that is accessible to nonexperts. It is a wonderful mix of animal ecology, narratives of science-doing, futurism, and accounts of Indigenous knowledge that is as interdisciplinary as the field itself."—-Benjamin Gottesman, Science
"Bakker's well-researched stories showcase the mysterious communication styles of whales, elephants, turtles, corals, plants, bats, and bees as told by the scientists who care enough to listen. . . . These scientific breakthroughs couldn't come at a better time."—-Krystal Vasquez, Sierra
"Bakker ladles academic research liberally onto the reader in short, spare sentences that build up to a comprehensive whole. Her deep knowledge is worn lightly throughout the book, so that you never feel overwhelmed."—-Chris Stokel-Walker, New Scientist
"[I] couldn’t put [The Sounds of Life] down. . . . [A] fascinating and forward-looking book."—-Marc Bekoff, Psychology Today
Globe & Mail
"Nature lovers will delight in [Bakker's] chronicle of the emerging technologies tuning us into a new world of non-human sound and conversation."
Globe and Mail
"Nature lovers will delight in [Bakker's] chronicle of the emerging technologies tuning us into a new world of non-human sound and conversation."
The Globe and Mail
"Nature lovers will delight in the...chronicle of the emerging technologies tuning us into a new world of non-human sound and conversation"
