'Spellbinding . . . More than any other book, [Sentient] has made
me think differently about the world this year.' - Financial Times
Best Books of the Year The peacock mantis shrimp can throw a punch
that can fracture aquarium walls. The great grey owl can hear many
decibels lower than the human ear. The star-nosed mole's miraculous
nose allows it to catch worms in as little as 120 milliseconds. In
Sentient, Jackie Higgins assembles a menagerie of zoological
creatures - from land, air, sea and all four corners of the globe -
to understand what it means to be human. In it, we also meet the
four-eyed spookfish and its dark vision, the vampire bat and its
remarkable powers of touch, as well as the common octopus, the
Goliath catfish and the duck-billed platypus. Each zoological
marvel illustrates the surprising sensory powers that lie within us
and enables us to engage with the world in ways we never knew
possible. 'Lyrical and lucid . . . Higgins makes popular science
accessible.' - Observer
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
Fascinating!
Sun, 9 Mar 2025 | Review
by: Tanya K.
Higgins uses the definition of sentience to describes our ability to sense the world around us. So, this isn't a philosophical text on being human, but rather a broad survey that examines the science, psychology and neurology behind our (and other creature's) ability to perceive the the environment. "Sentient" is a nicely-written, interesting and approachable comparison of twelve "senses" that humans and a variety of animals share, and what we can learn about human senses from those animals. The senses examined in this book are: colour, dark vision, hearing, touch, pleasure and pain, taste, smell, desire (pheromones), balance, time, direction, and body. A fascinating subject and nice overview of some of the research going on in this field.
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes (0) |
No (0)