This took me so long to read because of how detailed it is. Also, I had quite the busy summer studying for my exams, so I didn't have spare brain power to digest this. I didn't want to skim this book or read it without actively trying to understand, and maybe remember some things. The natural world means a lot to me as a biologist and a person that lives in it. Ed Yong did an incredible job researching and writing this book. If I were to write a book about some aspect of nature, I would do it the same way as Yong. As a writer, and science educator, he is someone to look up to. In this day and age, it is scarily easy to spread misinformation, which is why science educators, teachers and professors have a responsibility to do prevent it. I took half a star away only because, at times, all the information presented seemed "too much". Yong goes into excruciating detail about all the animal senses. But it's absolutely worth to stick out until the end. I mean, sciency nonfiction is not meant to be a fast read anyway.