Matilda Lutts

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Writing SAmple: Book Review

AN IMMENSE WORLD by ED YONG;

RANDOM HOUSE; 9780593133231

Have you ever been walking a dog who just wanted to sniff everything? Every other step you get pulled to the side, or yanked by an excitable puppy who can smell the thousand other canines who have peed on the leg of that one park bench. In the moment, you were probably frustrated, or bored, but what you might not have realized — what I didn’t realize until I read An Immense World by Ed Yong — is that such behavior is vital for a dog’s umwelt. Their world is informed so much more by smell than by any other sense that restricting a dog’s nose is akin to blindfolding a person. With a ferocious curiosity and utterly accessible prose, Yong describes how countless creatures perceive the world. He covers the familiar senses, expanding on aspects we can’t fathom like the ultraviolet colors birds can see (“rurple, grurple, and yurple”), and introducing senses humans don’t have, like electromagneticism. Combining Yong’s inquisitiveness with interviews from scientists who have spent decades studying and researching the umwelten of a wide array of species, An Immense World changed my perspective not only on the world we live in, but also on its animals. The audiobook, narrated by Yong, feels like the most interesting lecture from your favorite engaging professor, but I look forward to returning to a physical copy for the copious footnotes and images, many of which include fascinating tidbits like, “leopard urine smells of popcorn.” And if you need more incentive to pick up this captivating book, well, just google “scallop eyes.” (But maybe not before bed.)