"Listen to David Haskell: He will transform the way you hear the world. Haskell is one of those rare scientists who illuminates his topic--the magnificent natural sonic diversity of our planet, what we have to gain from its richness, what we have to lose from its diminishment--in lyrical, erudite prose that both informs and inspires. This masterful book is a gift of deep aural understanding and a resplendent read."
--Jennifer Ackerman, author of The Genius of Birds and The Bird Way

"A joyous celebration of the music of life . . . Seamlessly melding history, ecology, physiology, philosophy, and biology, Haskell exults in the delightful cacophony created by birds and insects, wind and sea, human voices and musical instruments . . . He mounts a compelling warning about 'the silencing of ecosystems, ' which 'isolates individuals, fragments communities, and weakens the ecological resilience and evolutionary creativity of life.' Like 'cultural knowledge, ' Haskell asserts, 'sound is unseen and ephemeral' and too precious to lose . . . Sparkling prose conveys an urgent message."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"In luminous prose, David Haskell teaches us to hear the beauty and tragedy of the whole history of life on Earth. Sounds Wild and Broken will change the way you listen to nature and to yourself, and may this help us heal our planet before it's too late."
--David Rothenberg, author of Nightingales in Berlin and Why Birds Sing

"A stunning call to reinhabit our ancient communion with sound. David George Haskell's gorgeous prose and deep research meld wonder with intellect, inspiring reverence, delight, and a sense of urgency in protecting aural diversity. The voice of the earth is singing with beauty and need--Haskell shows us the extraordinary gift and responsibility of being available to listen."
--Lyanda Lynn Haupt, author of Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit, and Mozart's Starling

"In Sounds Wild and Broken, David George Haskell once again expands our sensory universe, revealing not only the grand variety of earthly song, music, and speech but the astonishing ways in which sound originates, evolves, and binds us together. His careful listening will sharpen your ears."
--Michelle Nijhuis, author of Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction

"This brilliant book will change the way you hear everything. Haskell takes us deep inside the music of human and non-human life, revealing one marvel after another, and makes a powerful case for conservation that not only preserves species, but the sensory experience of life itself."
--Jonathan Meiburg, musician and author of A Most Remarkable Creature

"This is how scientific writing should be, and almost never is: suffused with wonder and pathos, throbbing with the music of the wild. Haskell conducts a magnificent symphony here. He shows us - no, lets us hear - that we are resonant animals in a thrillingly resonant universe, and that our fulfilment depends on finding the frequency that will make us resonate with everything else. His superb book sent me on my way singing, and trying to join in with the songs I heard on the way."
--Charles Foster, author of Being a Beast and Being a Human