How to Speak Whale
A Voyage into the Future of Animal Communication
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- £0.99
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Publisher Description
‘Fascinating’ Greta Thunberg
‘Extraordinary’ Merlin Sheldrake
‘A must-read’ New Scientist
‘Enthralling’ George Monbiot
‘Brilliant’ Philip Hoare
Wildlife filmmaker Tom Mustill had always liked whales. But when one breached onto his kayak, nearly killing him, he became obsessed.
This book traces his extraordinary investigation into the deep ocean and the cutting-edge science of animal translation.
What would it take to speak with a whale? Are we ready for what they might say?
MORE PRAISE FOR HOW TO SPEAK WHALE
‘One of the most exciting and hopeful books I have read in ages’ SY MONTGOMERY, AUTHOR OF THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS
‘A narrative that will expand your concept of language and deepen your understanding of the many ways there are to be alive … It left me inspired’ MERLIN SHELDRAKE, AUTHOR OF ENTANGLED LIFE
‘A must-read … a hugely engaging personal story of a journey into the future of human-animal communication facilitated by delving into its past’ NEW SCIENTIST
‘Fascinating and deeply humane’ GRETA THUNBERG
‘A rich, enthralling, brilliant book that opens our eyes and ears to worlds we can scarcely imagine’ GEORGE MONBIOT, AUTHOR OF REGENESIS
‘Tantalizing … Think how transformative it would be if we could chat with whales about their love lives or their sorrows or their thoughts on the philosophy of language’ ELIZABETH KOLBERT, NEW YORKER
About the author
Tom Mustill is a biologist turned filmmaker and writer, specializing in stories where people and nature meet. His film collaborations, many with Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough, have received numerous international awards, including two Webbys, a BAFTA, and an Emmy nomination. They have been played at the UN and COP 26, and been shared by heads of state, the World Health Organization, and Guns N’ Roses. He lives in London with his wife Annie; daughters Stella and Astrid; and the inhabitants of his small but surprisingly deep pond.
www.grippingfilms.com
Instagram @tommustill
Twitter @tommustill
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Filmmaker Mustill dives deep into the world of animal communication in this colorful survey. Prompted by a near-death experience—a breaching humpback whale rising above and landing on his kayak in Monterey Bay—Mustill became obsessed with figuring out "what, if anything at all" the whale was "trying to say." In his quest for answers, he describes the dismal history of human-whale relations (due in large part to hunting); whale anatomy that enables the creatures' communication; and recent breakthroughs in the field of animal communication, in which researchers are employing artificial intelligence to interpret animal songs. Mustill's survey is shot through with fascinating characters, among them Roger Payne, whose 1970s recordings of whale songs went multiplatinum and helped bring attention to the animals' declining numbers. While there's still a long way to go before "we will be able to speak to animals," Mustill concludes, scientists are hard at work at making the possibility a reality. Alongside his quest to understand whale songs, Mustill stresses the importance of humans shaking their sense of exceptionalism: "When we see ourselves as above or outside the rest of the living world and don't value other ecosystems and life-forms, we take them for granted and use them up." Thoughtful and curious, this study sings.
