Book description
"[A] glorious guide to the miracle of life's sound." -The New York Times Book Review
A lyrical exploration of the diverse sounds of our planet, the creative processes that produced these marvels, and the perils that sonic diversity now faces
We live on a planet alive with song, music, and…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Sounds Wild and Broken as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
David Haskell is a modern-day Thoreau.
In Sounds Wild and Broken, he explains, in almost poetic terms, how a human-caused sonic crisis threatens to blow apart millions of years of exquisite adaptations.
Haskell carries readers into the world of sound and its profound impact on animal behavior. You’ll feel as though you are travelling through time and space with the author as he takes you on this journey.
From Lee's list on Lee Alan Dugatkin's favorite books on animal behavior and evolution.
Like me, David George Haskell was born in Britain, and currently lives in the United States. He is a trained scientist, who is also an astonishingly gifted writer. His focus on “sensory extinction” is close to my heart. He understands the joy of listening to the wild music of the world, and also that such music is under siege. In a world of increasing racket and distraction, he recognizes the importance of slowing down. Like Jay Griffiths, he combines deep research with an emphasis on wonder, reverence, and delight.
From Christian's list on The best books for taking time to stop & listen....
If you love Sounds Wild and Broken...
December on 5C4
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…
Want books like Sounds Wild and Broken?
Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Sounds Wild and Broken.
Share your top 3 reads of 2026!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
170
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like Sounds Wild and Broken, you might also like...
Sexy Selfie Nation
The problem is not with the actions young women take but with the toxic, sexist conditions they are responding to.
Tanenbaum found, based on six years of interviews with young people ages 14-30, that young women are navigating a culture littered with gendered dress codes, revenge porn, and sexually explicit…
In This Together
In This Together explores how we can harness our social networks to make a real impact fighting the climate crisis. Against notions of the lone environmental crusader, Marianne E. Krasny shows us the power of "network climate action"—the idea that our own ordinary acts can influence and inspire those close…
