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How Insects Gave Us Rhythm and Noise
St. Martin's Press
April 2013
On Sale: April 16, 2013
288 pages
ISBN: 1250005213
EAN: 9781250005212
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
In the spring of 2013 the cicadas in the Northeastern United States will yet again emerge from their seventeen-year cycleβthe longest gestation period of any animal. Those who experience this great sonic invasion compare their sense of wonder to the arrival of a comet or a solar eclipse. This unending rhythmic cycle is just one unique example of how the pulse and noise of insects has taught humans the meaning of rhythm, from the whirr of a cricketβs wings to this unfathomable and exact seventeen-year beat. In listening to cicadas, as well as other humming, clicking, and thrumming insects, Bug Music is the first book to consider the radical notion that we humans got our idea of rhythm, synchronization, and dance from the world of insect sounds that surrounded our species over the millions of years over which we evolved. Completing the trilogy he began with Why Birds Sing and Thousand Mile Song, David Rothenberg explores a unique part of our relationship with nature and soundβthe music of insects that has provided a soundtrack for humanity throughout the history of our species. Bug Music continues Rothenbergβs in-depth research and spirited writing on the relationship between human and animal music, and it follows him as he explores insect influences in classical and modern music, plays his saxophone with crickets and other insects, and confers with researchers and scientists nationwide. This engaging and thought-provoking book challenges our understanding of our place in nature and our relationship to the creatures surrounding us, and makes a passionate case for the interconnectedness of species.
 Media BuzzDiane Rehm Show - NPR - July 5, 2013
Diane Rehm Show - NPR - April 18, 2013
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