Sounds Wild and Broken

Haskell is our tour-guide on the history of sound on earth. We learn about the first insects who learn to rub their wings together to create a buzz, and how the evolution of flowers caused a huge motivation for the development of auditory communication for winged creatures.

He takes us under water to listen to snapping shrimps, and to remote mountains to discover the geographic differences in bird song. Haskell's writing is beautiful, immerses you in the moment, teaches you to listen and to wonder.

Of course, there's no nature story without a focus on all the ways humanity is causing destruction. It's very hard nowadays to listen without noticing humanity's creations rumbling, hammering, screaming and droning. We're not only destroying animal habitats and causing biodiversity loss, our artificial noises are also invading and actively harming nature. The chapter on the effects of boat traffic and seismic measurement noise in the ocean was particularly eye opening.

A book to savour and to read while immersed in nature and its soundscape.
There was unevenness in some chapters, in the balance of poetics and science. And it could have been a bit shorter, maybe cut the chapter on musical instrument, but all in all very inspiring.
Sound and song is such a weird thing, in its ephemerality.