What do you think?
Rate this book
Animate: How Animals Shape the Human Mind
Not yet published
Expected 19 Mar 26'An astonishing adventure' – Isabella Tree, author of Wilding
'Thrilling, effortlessly readable' – Charles Foster, author of The Edges of the World
'Impeccably researched' – Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals
A mind-expanding deep dive into how animals have shaped us, from the palaeolithic to the present day.
In Animate, science writer Michael Bond explores how animals have profoundly influenced our minds and cultures. Drawing on cutting-edge insights from psychology, anthropology, literature and neuroscience, Bond traces the varied ways their lives have affected ours, from our hunter-gatherer ancestors whose brains were rewired by the prey they hunted and the predators they feared, to the medieval and Enlightenment thinkers who used animals to promote notions of human supremacy.
Scientists today are challenging the assumption that we are separate from and superior to animals, showing that they too possess intelligence, empathy, creativity and even the ability to use tools. If everything that supposedly makes us human is shared with other creatures, where does that leave us? And if we are not as exceptional as we thought, how should we be treating the animals we live alongside?
A fascinating exploration of what it means to be both human and animal, Animate shows that to better understand ourselves, we must pay more attention to the other beings with whom we share our world.
'Thrilling, effortlessly readable' – Charles Foster, author of The Edges of the World
'Impeccably researched' – Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals
A mind-expanding deep dive into how animals have shaped us, from the palaeolithic to the present day.
In Animate, science writer Michael Bond explores how animals have profoundly influenced our minds and cultures. Drawing on cutting-edge insights from psychology, anthropology, literature and neuroscience, Bond traces the varied ways their lives have affected ours, from our hunter-gatherer ancestors whose brains were rewired by the prey they hunted and the predators they feared, to the medieval and Enlightenment thinkers who used animals to promote notions of human supremacy.
Scientists today are challenging the assumption that we are separate from and superior to animals, showing that they too possess intelligence, empathy, creativity and even the ability to use tools. If everything that supposedly makes us human is shared with other creatures, where does that leave us? And if we are not as exceptional as we thought, how should we be treating the animals we live alongside?
A fascinating exploration of what it means to be both human and animal, Animate shows that to better understand ourselves, we must pay more attention to the other beings with whom we share our world.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 19, 2026
5 people want to read
About the author
Michael Bond
638 books412 followersMichael Bond, CBE was an English children's author. He was the creator of Paddington Bear and wrote about the adventures of a guinea pig named Olga da Polga, as well as the animated BBC TV series The Herbs. Bond also wrote culinary mystery stories for adults featuring Monsieur Pamplemousse and his faithful bloodhound, Pommes Frites.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 7, 2026
A lovely book that spoke to my soul. Why have animals always been so important to me?
Well, they're supposed to me and I'm not alone in this deep feeling.
I will be recommending this book highly.
Well, they're supposed to me and I'm not alone in this deep feeling.
I will be recommending this book highly.
Displaying 1 of 1 review