annieb123's Review of How to Speak Whale

by Tom Mustill

‘Scary, important and brilliant’ Philip Hoare, author of Leviathan

A thrilling investigation into whale science and animal communication, and a poignant look at how science may change our relationship with animals forever.

In 2015, wildlife filmmaker Tom Mustill was whale watching when a humpback breached onto his kayak and nearly killed him. A video clip of the event went viral, and Tom found himself inundated with theories about what happened. He became obsessed with trying to find out what the whale had been thinking. He wished he could just ask it. In the process of making a film about his experience, he discovered that might not be such a crazy idea.

Developments in natural science and AI mean that we are closer than ever to genuinely talking to animals. Scientists and start-ups across Silicon Valley and beyond are working to turn the fantasy of Dr Doolittle into a reality, using powerful new technologies to try to decode the languages of animals. Whales, with their giant mammalian brains and sophisticated languages, offer one of the most realistic opportunities for us to do so. But what would the consequences of such human-animal interaction be? We’d open a Pandora’s Box that could never be closed.

How to Speak Whale is a lively, wide-ranging investigation into animal communication that explores how close we truly are to communicating with another species, and – if we were to make meaningful contact – how it would impact the world we live in.

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

How to Speak Whale is a beautifully written, layman accessible monograph on cross-species communication by Tom Mustill. Released 6th Sept 2022 by Hachette on their Grand Central imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out from the same publisher in late 3rd quarter 2023. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The book is layman accessible, and I found it a fascinating read. It's well annotated (and the chapter notes and index links make for fascinating further reading) but doesn't get bogged down in overly academic language. This is popular science writing - not an academic study guide or textbook. The author does present a broad range of species and behaviors. It's clear he's knowledgeable and deeply, profoundly respectful. There are a handful of popular science and zoology writers who have the gift of writing layman accessibly and engagingly on their topics of expertise, and he has a deft and engaging touch.

Five stars. Heartily recommended for readers of science, ecology, and similar subjects.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

26 June, 2023: Started reading

26 June, 2023: Finished reading

26 June, 2023: Reviewed