Abstract
The review regards Ed Yong’s An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us (2022). The reviewer elucidates Yong’s use of vivid metaphors and engaging prose to introduce the concept of “Umwelt,” or the subjective sensory worlds of different species. The critique surveys chapters on chemical sensing, visual perception, thermoreception, mechanoreception and echolocation, and avian magnetoreception. Venkatesh highlights Yong’s successful balance of scientific rigour and narrative lightness, making the work accessible beyond specialist circles and prompting reconsideration of anthropocentric viewpoints. The review concludes that the monograph is both enlightening and motivating, fostering deeper appreciation for animal sensory capacities and the imperative of biodiversity conservation.