"Herzing tackles the broad topic of nonhuman animal communication in all its fascinating and challenging scope. . . . Drawing on her four decades of dolphin research, Herzing unravels the workings behind interspecies communication—the many ways it is achieved amongst social species, the actual mechanics related with the different senses uses to communicate, and developments in the way humans have studied the phenomenon through the ages. . . . [There is] intense curiosity inherent in this book, and the author's laudable intentions of considering animal individuality over the conception of animal societies as just a numerical concatenation. . . . This book is a passionate plea for such research to be prioritised and funded, but always undertaken with a conception of the animals as mutually curious colleagues rather than as research subjects."

Open Letters Review

"In this entrancing report, marine biologist Herzing details her work for the Wild Dolphin Project researching how the animals communicate with humans and one another. . . . The firsthand accounts of studying dolphins in the wild position Herzing as a kind of aquatic Jane Goodall, and her recollections are elevated by philosophical musings on how scientists should think about the minds of other animals ('We should be looking to develop species-specific definitions for "types" of intelligence, rather than resorting to human comparisons'). Animal lovers will be eager to dive in."

Publishers Weekly

"Herzing does a fantastic job looking at communication among an array of nonhuman animals, and how quite a few of those nonhuman animals extend those techniques to humans, or try to. Virtually every chapter is eye-opening."

Steve Donoghue | Stevereads (The Best Books of 2024: Science and Nature)

"Is Anyone Listening? is foremost a compelling and essential story in the history of Western science, a book for marine biologists and lay readers interested in how far we've come in our understanding of animal communication, especially with respect to dolphin research. Herzing outlines the lessons of past and ongoing studies and offers a perspective on his­torical, present, and future research methods, technologies, and challenges at this crucial moment."

Richard J. King | Sea History Magazine

"Is Anyone Listening? is Herzing’s exciting, well-written chronicle of a lifetime experience as a scientist studying dolphins. . . . [It] is a daring, unconventional monograph brimming with ideas and findings that resonate with many dimensions of communication—of the intra-species as well as the interspecies variety."

Leonardo

"Herzing’s latest book Is Anyone Listening? discusses the complex and at times controversial topic of how to understand animal communication. . . I appreciated the nuance with which Herzing engaged with this topic. She’s careful to avoid mapping human motivations to non-human animals but still aptly describes how dolphins have their own complex approach to communication, which at times may be recognizable to humans. . . This book provides a deep dive into the world of animal communication, making the topic accessible to anyone fascinated by both the similarities and differences in how other species pass important information to one another. Through reading this book I gained a wider perspective on how our human perception of intelligence shapes scientific research."

Integrative and Comparative Biology blog

"Herzing, founder and research director of the Wild Dolphin Project, presents many innovations toward understanding the behavior and signals of wild dolphins. She details the ongoing development and deployment of technologies to better record, analyze, and discern meaning in the complex array of acoustic (often ultrasonic) signals and body movements of dolphins. From customized underwater audiovisual arrays that triangulate the positions of individual dolphins to better capture their difficult-to-localize directional signals to the use of adaptive learning tools, Herzing discusses the advances and setbacks of studying dolphins in the wild. She also informs us of her philosophical approach to studying these intelligent animals with rich social lives and a deep connection to their changing underwater world. Hers is an approach which, through respect and careful observance of dolphin etiquette, forms a mutual partnership with the dolphins and in doing so, listens to what they are saying. This beautiful and engaging work will be enjoyable for both scientific and general readers. Highly recommended."

Choice

“Dr. Dolittle famously desired to talk to the animals. Herzing has a better idea: stop talking long enough to listen to what the animals themselves are saying. Herzing has spent more than forty years doing just that, mostly while underwater with free-living dolphins. It might surprise us to learn that animals sometimes lie and that some animals talk by changing colors. Listen to what Herzing has to say here. You’ll be amazed.”

Carl Safina, author of "Beyond Words" and "Alfie and Me"

“It's high time someone pulled together our current knowledge of interspecies communication, and no one is better placed to do that than Herzing.”

Arik Kershenbaum, author of "Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication"

“By merging personal stories with scientific depictions, Herzing offers a compelling argument that captivates.”

Con Slobodchikoff, author of "Chasing Doctor Dolittle: Learning the Language of Animals"

“A detailed, fascinating survey of the ongoing pursuit to understand the linguistic dimensions of nonhuman animals, told through the lens of Herzing’s decades of studying a community of dolphins in their native habitat. Particularly interesting is Herzing’s chronicle of her imaginative and pioneering use of technology to attempt to understand the many facets of dolphin communication. Required reading for anyone interested in building a bridge between humans and nonhumans.”

Thomas I. White, author of "In Defense of Dolphins: The New Moral Frontier"