Wilderness Songs, a new book by Justin Anderson, tries to capture nature through both words and sound. A review in New Scientist describes how the book pairs written accounts of wild places with QR codes that readers can scan to hear the actual sounds.
The recordings include the groaning of ice and the calls of a very noisy troop of monkeys. According to the review, these audio elements show that some of the best nature stories are told through soundscapes as well as text.
The review suggests that this approach adds a new dimension to nature writing, making readers feel more immersed in the environment. It also calls the book fascinating, implying that sound can be a powerful tool for science communication.