An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us
Explore the amazing sensory abilities of the world’s animals. Read Ed Yong’s tour through natural phenomena with us this January.
Welcome to the SciFri Book Club page about An Immense World. There’s lots of ways to participate: Read with us, join our community space, attend an event, sign up for our email newsletter, or read an excerpt from the book.
As we begin a new year this January, the SciFri Book Club will dive into An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong. The acclaimed science journalist guides readers through moments that are imperceptible to human senses, but deeply meaningful for other living things on Earth. It explores how turtles can sense magnetic fields, how fish use electricity to communicate, what songbirds hear in their tunes—and much more. Peeking into some of the most niche natural perspectives we know of, An Immense World helps its human readers see our same world in a new way.
An Immense World brings together a range of topics, including biology, ecology, geology, physics, chemistry, microbiology, animal behavior and more—and we’ll touch on these ideas throughout this Book Club season. You can get your copy from your local bookstore or on Bookshop.org.
This Book Club season kicks off Monday, January 1, and you can read along with us! We’ll be (loosely) following this schedule, but all our readers are welcome to join us at their own pace:
- January 1-7: Chapters 1-3
- January 8-14: Chapters 4-6
- January 15-21: Chapters 7-9
- January 22-28: Chapters 10-13
- January 29-31: Final thoughts
Plus, we’ll be hosting events throughout the month! Keep an eye out on our website or join our Events newsletter to be the first to know.
There are so many ways to dive in and participate! You can grab a copy of the book (and support the author and SciFri), read an excerpt from An Immense World, join the discussion in our online Book Club community, sign up for our email newsletter, or RSVP for our upcoming Book Club events. Check out all the details below.
Grab Your Own Copy
If you’d like to purchase a physical copy, we encourage you to start local! Check out the SciFri Book Club partner bookstores and libraries—if you’re in the area, consider supporting your local bookseller or public library (plus, mention our Book Club for a percentage off your purchase at participating shops!).
Want more ways to read? This book is available in a few formats via online retailers, your local library, or elsewhere:
Your local library may not currently have An Immense World in its catalog, but many branches offer ways for patrons like you to submit book suggestions to librarians. Look for ways to suggest new titles via the Libby or OverDrive app, a form submission on your library’s website, or a suggestion box at your local branch!
Save The Date(s): SciFri Book Club Events
An Immense World: Author Livestream and Call-in Q&A
Ed Yong will be in conversation with science journalist Arielle Duhaime-Ross on the multitude of ways life—from giant squid to the tiniest jumping spiders—uniquely perceive their environments, and how he sees our world differently since the book’s publication in 2022.
Join us online for a Zoom livestream with the author on the science topics featured in the SciFri Book Club pick for January 2024. Come with your queries and wonderings—we’ll be taking some call-in questions from the chat!
SciFri Book Club January community meeting: An Immense World
Want to meet other SciFri Book Club members, talk about the book selection, and find more resources for deeper learning—all without leaving your home? Our community meeting is the place for you!
This discussion meeting will focus on themes and topics featured in An Immense World. You’re welcome to join us no matter your reading progress—come chat with other science-interested folks about biology, ecology, geology, physics, chemistry, microbiology, animal behavior and more.
Join Our Community Space
And as you start reading, join us on our online community space: the SciFri Book Club is on Mighty Networks, a platform where we can gather, read and discuss science books together. We’ve built this community space to create a better way for readers to stay connected with other Book Clubbers, and we hope you’ll join us there!
Read An Excerpt
Not sure this is the book for you? Want to read an excerpt before you commit? We’ve got you covered.
Random House, the publisher of An Immense World, has offered SciFri Book Clubbers an excerpt of the book! You can read this sample on our website.
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Subscribe to SciFri Book Club emails to stay updated on our monthly read sand join us for community discussions. We’ll send emails a few times per week.