The Evolving Animal Orchestra

This is a book I've been waiting to read. I devoured it. Easy enough to follow for the layperson, and full of useful findings for the specialist. It is beautifully written by one of the true world experts in our field. A triumph, and a book that deserves to be read and cited for many years to come.

Daniel J. Levitin, author of This Is Your Brain on Music and The World in Six Songs; coeditor of Foundations of Music Psychology

We take our love of tunes and sense of rhythm for granted, but Henkjan Honing is here to tell us that it is biology, not culture, that has given humanity its astounding musical talents. In a lively first-person account of recent discoveries in neuroscience and animal behavior, he illuminates the ancient roots of musicality.

Frans de Waal, author of Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?

Think you can dance better than a monkey? This scientific adventure story tells us why some animals can follow a beat, while most can't. Read this book, then get up out of your chair and show off your moves.

David Rothenberg, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Music, New Jersey Institute of Technology; author of Survival of the Beautiful and Nightingales in Berlin

How far beyond our species do musical capacities extend? In this genial and accessible research diary, music cognition specialist Honing narrates his forays into behavioral biology to answer this question. By exploring the rich perceptions and responses of monkeys, finches, sea lions, and more, he fashions an appreciation for the singularity that is human music.

Gary Tomlinson, Whitney Professor of Music and Humanities, Yale University; author of A Million Years of Music: The Emergence of Human Modernity

Any young person reading it will surely want to run away to become a cognitive scientist.

New Scientist

The book is about the evolution of musicality but it's also about evolving and shifting views and hypotheses that scientists often encounter in research. Honing's quest to find what makes us musical is a prime example of how the scientific process and progress occurs.

Massive Science