What do you think?
Togetherness: Symbiosis and the Hidden Story of Life's Greatest Collaborations
An awe-inspiring and mind-altering exploration of how symbiosis can change the way we understand our world, ourselves and our future
From evolution to capitalism, ‘survival of the fittest’ has shaped our view of the world. But we got it wrong – and our mistake has brought us to the brink.
For the history of life on Earth is much more than a story of competition. The natural world has been forged and sustained by small miracles of co-operation between animals and plants, insects and fungi, fish and bacteria – these partnerships are ubiquitous, lifelong and are an essential guide for a better future.
In Togetherness, Rowan Hooper reveals the intimate connectedness of nature through these remarkable stories of symbiosis. From the female wasp venturing deep inside a fig and the intricate relationship between corals and the algae that sustain them to the symbiotic gut microbes that influence our moods, he explores how co-operation is fundamental to life itself and to protecting our shared future.
Togetherness will change the way you see the world, our place in it – and our obligation to its hidden wonders.
From evolution to capitalism, ‘survival of the fittest’ has shaped our view of the world. But we got it wrong – and our mistake has brought us to the brink.
For the history of life on Earth is much more than a story of competition. The natural world has been forged and sustained by small miracles of co-operation between animals and plants, insects and fungi, fish and bacteria – these partnerships are ubiquitous, lifelong and are an essential guide for a better future.
In Togetherness, Rowan Hooper reveals the intimate connectedness of nature through these remarkable stories of symbiosis. From the female wasp venturing deep inside a fig and the intricate relationship between corals and the algae that sustain them to the symbiotic gut microbes that influence our moods, he explores how co-operation is fundamental to life itself and to protecting our shared future.
Togetherness will change the way you see the world, our place in it – and our obligation to its hidden wonders.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2026
About the author
Rowan Hooper
9 books38 followersRowan Hooper is Managing Editor of New Scientist magazine, where he has spent more than ten years writing about all aspects of science.
He has a PhD in evolutionary biology, and worked as a biologist in Japan for five years, before joining the Japan Times newspaper in Tokyo, and later taking up a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin.
Two collections of his long-running column for the paper have been published in Japan, and his work has also appeared in The Economist, Guardian, Wired and the Washington Post.
He lives in London with his partner and two daughters.
He has a PhD in evolutionary biology, and worked as a biologist in Japan for five years, before joining the Japan Times newspaper in Tokyo, and later taking up a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin.
Two collections of his long-running column for the paper have been published in Japan, and his work has also appeared in The Economist, Guardian, Wired and the Washington Post.
He lives in London with his partner and two daughters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Want to Read
June 21, 2026Rave review at The Guardian is well-worth reading:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...
Excerpt:
"My review copy of Togetherness is now peppered with marginal annotations of “Wow!”"
Published 4 June 2026.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...
Excerpt:
"My review copy of Togetherness is now peppered with marginal annotations of “Wow!”"
Published 4 June 2026.
September 21, 2026
I really appreciate all this book has to share! I tore through the part 1 and thought it was sooo interesting and inspiring, but part 2 got a little science-y for me (an average fiction reader), and part 3 made me quite sad in terms of human impact on the planet & the climate change crisis. Overall a great book for the academic in me!! I loved learning about the interconnectedness of our world!
July 27, 2026
From the female wasp venturing deep inside a fig and the intricate relationship between corals and the algae that sustain them to the symbiotic gut microbes that influence our moods, he explores how co-operation is fundamental to life itself and to protecting our shared future.
I especially like the study on Darwin over emphasising natural selection through completion whilst downplaying cooperation.. explains why he was ok to let this go because of the times (early fierce industrial capitalism) he was in choosing not to offend the elites etc
I especially like the study on Darwin over emphasising natural selection through completion whilst downplaying cooperation.. explains why he was ok to let this go because of the times (early fierce industrial capitalism) he was in choosing not to offend the elites etc
August 27, 2026
Thanks to the publisher for this fantastic and fascinating read. It’s amazing to read about how everything on Earth truly is part of a collaboration. I love how everything is connected but it was also important to learn how we can mess that up as humans and it’s definitely given me a lot to think about! I was tuned into every word in this book and really enjoyed the beauty that was put into words.
September 13, 2026
Togetherness by Rowan Hooper offers a fascinating look at how symbiosis defines our world. The author has a PhD in evolutionary biology (color me impressed), and I loved how he broke down these concepts in an easy-to-understand way. Most of this was new information to me. I always knew figs and wasps were connected, but I hadn’t really understood how important their relationship is until I read this. I also loved the sections on coral, hydrothermal vents, and ants. The last third gets a little depressing as it outlines human impact on the world (we are the worst). There was also some rather disturbing information about some famous scientists being pedophiles (hey, Schrödinger), which I had been blissfully unaware of before. Overall, though, Togetherness is a very important look at the interconnectedness of the world around us.
Recommended for fans of science/nature nonfiction reads and anyone who wants a better understanding of nature/symbiosis.
Thank you to Knopf for the gifted physical copy.
Recommended for fans of science/nature nonfiction reads and anyone who wants a better understanding of nature/symbiosis.
Thank you to Knopf for the gifted physical copy.
September 7, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of Symbiosis. Rowan Hooper brings a genuinely fascinating subject to life here and the science is accessible and interesting throughout. The individual stories of cooperation between species are often remarkable. But the book loses momentum in the middle and starts to feel repetitive, with each new example blurring into the last. I came away with a greater appreciation for the natural world but wished the book had been tighter and more selective in what it chose to include.
Read
June 24, 2026Symbiosis, Hooper writes in his introduction, “...is everywhere; it was at the origin of life and at the colonisation of land by the first plants. Symbiosis is what has shaped the composition of our atmosphere, and it has driven the creation of Earth itself.”
I found this thesis thrilling – the idea that we could track symbiosis’ role chronologically through time to map its role in shaping the biosphere – and really wanted to read a book which straightforwardly told the story: here is symbiosis’ role in merging mitochondria into the first eukaryote; here is the way the symbiotes of lichen may have emerged from the seas and turned the slimeball earth into proto-soil; etc., etc.
Instead of being that more directed and argumentative book, though, Togetherness is more like a huge, maximally digressive tour of Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Symbiosis (But Didn’t Know You Should Ask).
There are 22 chapters, each one like a very rich magazine article; Hooper writes beautiful prose, and while the overall thesis is substantiated, it’s not done in anything vaguely resembling a linear path.
Instead, what we do get, in Togetherness, is an episodic adventure. We get the incredible-and-horrible truth about figs and fig wasps, two entities so deeply enmeshed that, at the end, they seem more like a single entity which happens to have both flowers and wings. We get orchids, the scientific confusion about how they germinate (spoiler alert, it’s symbiotic), and how Darwin and his grandfather felt about these odd flowers. We get fungi, Darwin’s bachelor flat, bleaching corals, Lynn Margulis arguing for endosymbiosis, the conceptualization of the biosphere and Lovelock’s love life. We get everything from Emily Dickinson’s pressed flowers to the possible role of parasites in “tuning” human immune systems to the microbes that live near mega-hot hydrothermal vents. We get so, so much – a cornucopia of ideas, images, facts and speculations about symbiosis, ecology, and jita funi (the Zen idea of blurred boundary between self and other). All offered in semi-autonomous chapters, each one of which could blow your mind.
So to you, the symbiosis-curious, or even the symbiosis-knowledgeable, I do highly recommend this book – just with the caveat that it’s less like a detective story and more like an anthology; less like a line and more like a fractal. I do think this book would make an amazing backbone for a class or a book club or discussion group that wanted to do, like, a chapter a week; I do think that the ideas it expounds are freaking crucial to grapple with if we want to continue successful life in this biosphere. So buy it, read it, and let’s get together at the pub next Thursday to discuss it; just don’t pass me the fig and cheese plate.
(Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC)
I found this thesis thrilling – the idea that we could track symbiosis’ role chronologically through time to map its role in shaping the biosphere – and really wanted to read a book which straightforwardly told the story: here is symbiosis’ role in merging mitochondria into the first eukaryote; here is the way the symbiotes of lichen may have emerged from the seas and turned the slimeball earth into proto-soil; etc., etc.
Instead of being that more directed and argumentative book, though, Togetherness is more like a huge, maximally digressive tour of Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Symbiosis (But Didn’t Know You Should Ask).
There are 22 chapters, each one like a very rich magazine article; Hooper writes beautiful prose, and while the overall thesis is substantiated, it’s not done in anything vaguely resembling a linear path.
Instead, what we do get, in Togetherness, is an episodic adventure. We get the incredible-and-horrible truth about figs and fig wasps, two entities so deeply enmeshed that, at the end, they seem more like a single entity which happens to have both flowers and wings. We get orchids, the scientific confusion about how they germinate (spoiler alert, it’s symbiotic), and how Darwin and his grandfather felt about these odd flowers. We get fungi, Darwin’s bachelor flat, bleaching corals, Lynn Margulis arguing for endosymbiosis, the conceptualization of the biosphere and Lovelock’s love life. We get everything from Emily Dickinson’s pressed flowers to the possible role of parasites in “tuning” human immune systems to the microbes that live near mega-hot hydrothermal vents. We get so, so much – a cornucopia of ideas, images, facts and speculations about symbiosis, ecology, and jita funi (the Zen idea of blurred boundary between self and other). All offered in semi-autonomous chapters, each one of which could blow your mind.
So to you, the symbiosis-curious, or even the symbiosis-knowledgeable, I do highly recommend this book – just with the caveat that it’s less like a detective story and more like an anthology; less like a line and more like a fractal. I do think this book would make an amazing backbone for a class or a book club or discussion group that wanted to do, like, a chapter a week; I do think that the ideas it expounds are freaking crucial to grapple with if we want to continue successful life in this biosphere. So buy it, read it, and let’s get together at the pub next Thursday to discuss it; just don’t pass me the fig and cheese plate.
(Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC)
September 16, 2026
Thanks A. A. Knopf for the gifted book.
The mindset of “survival of the fittest” drives so much of our competitive individualistic world while the symbiotic relationships essential to life are often overlooked. Hooper explores nature’s connectedness in Togetherness, painting a vivid portrait of just how deeply intertwined the world is and what these collaborations mean for a sustainable future.
I was immediately captivated by the fascinating examples of symbiosis involving lichen, coral, figs, and more in Part I which showed that symbiotic relationships are abundant in the world. Hooper’s writing has an easy-going tone that’s informative and accessible for readers with varying levels of scientific background. He gives ample detail to explain without becoming unnecessarily complex. I easily could have read more about orchids, ants, and aphids but felt satisfied with the information provided.
Part II was about scientific discovery and acceptance and didn’t feel quite as strong or compelling. I struggled with holding attention through some of the middle. It’s important material but wasn’t as exciting.
Part III picked back up in interest with discussion of future implications. I liked how Hooper presented connections and insight to economics, the industrial food complex, and health, emphasizing big-picture thinking of it all.
In a time where divisiveness pervades society, this book is a reminder that all life is connected; all life is interdependent. Humans cannot separate themselves from nature nor each other.
If you already have a deep appreciation for your gut microbes, Togetherness is the book for you! If you don’t, this should be an eye-opening read. Either way, pick it up!
The mindset of “survival of the fittest” drives so much of our competitive individualistic world while the symbiotic relationships essential to life are often overlooked. Hooper explores nature’s connectedness in Togetherness, painting a vivid portrait of just how deeply intertwined the world is and what these collaborations mean for a sustainable future.
I was immediately captivated by the fascinating examples of symbiosis involving lichen, coral, figs, and more in Part I which showed that symbiotic relationships are abundant in the world. Hooper’s writing has an easy-going tone that’s informative and accessible for readers with varying levels of scientific background. He gives ample detail to explain without becoming unnecessarily complex. I easily could have read more about orchids, ants, and aphids but felt satisfied with the information provided.
Part II was about scientific discovery and acceptance and didn’t feel quite as strong or compelling. I struggled with holding attention through some of the middle. It’s important material but wasn’t as exciting.
Part III picked back up in interest with discussion of future implications. I liked how Hooper presented connections and insight to economics, the industrial food complex, and health, emphasizing big-picture thinking of it all.
In a time where divisiveness pervades society, this book is a reminder that all life is connected; all life is interdependent. Humans cannot separate themselves from nature nor each other.
If you already have a deep appreciation for your gut microbes, Togetherness is the book for you! If you don’t, this should be an eye-opening read. Either way, pick it up!
September 29, 2026
This is a very important book with information that everybody in the world should be aware of especially those making decisions regarding agriculture and resource use. Not to mention all the voters in democracies who are voting in governments that are not really caring about the knock on effects of their decisions.
I loved the first third of the book which was extremely accessible and interesting with examples of symbiotic relationships.
The next third was difficult to read and I am a fairly analytical scientific person. But it is definitely a treatise on the history of our understanding of symbiosis and it was very dense.... I felt like the author was trying to make a large scientific impact in the old style of scientific thinkers who wrote books rather than the more modern book that is trying to reach a wider audience.
The last third was once again interesting because it spoke about different symbiotic relationships especially those involving human agriculture and human bodies. It was still full of a lot of detail that I skimmed over.
As a book that would be accessible to a large audience this was a poor editing choice. But I suppose the author is trying to cover absolutely everything... Unfortunately I felt that made it much less accessible, which is why I gave it only a 3.
I loved the first third of the book which was extremely accessible and interesting with examples of symbiotic relationships.
The next third was difficult to read and I am a fairly analytical scientific person. But it is definitely a treatise on the history of our understanding of symbiosis and it was very dense.... I felt like the author was trying to make a large scientific impact in the old style of scientific thinkers who wrote books rather than the more modern book that is trying to reach a wider audience.
The last third was once again interesting because it spoke about different symbiotic relationships especially those involving human agriculture and human bodies. It was still full of a lot of detail that I skimmed over.
As a book that would be accessible to a large audience this was a poor editing choice. But I suppose the author is trying to cover absolutely everything... Unfortunately I felt that made it much less accessible, which is why I gave it only a 3.
September 14, 2026
A highly informative and exceptionally readable book about symbiosis and collaboration in nature.
I can’t say enough good things about how approachable this book is in terms of readability, striking the delicate balance between sophisticated language and subject matter and a presentation of the information that is digestible for those of us who are intellectually curious but don’t have an academic background in the sciences.
Hooper gives us dozens of fascinating accounts of nature working collaboratively, expanding well beyond the clown fish/anemone sorts of examples we all learn in elementary school.
One of the most interesting parts of this is Hooper’s explorations of the idea that collaboration and competition are not mutually exclusive, and the ways in which humans often err in their interpretations of nature in ascribing Christian, western, and even just human behaviors and values onto other elements of the natural world.
In all, a quick but densely informative and fascinating read.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I can’t say enough good things about how approachable this book is in terms of readability, striking the delicate balance between sophisticated language and subject matter and a presentation of the information that is digestible for those of us who are intellectually curious but don’t have an academic background in the sciences.
Hooper gives us dozens of fascinating accounts of nature working collaboratively, expanding well beyond the clown fish/anemone sorts of examples we all learn in elementary school.
One of the most interesting parts of this is Hooper’s explorations of the idea that collaboration and competition are not mutually exclusive, and the ways in which humans often err in their interpretations of nature in ascribing Christian, western, and even just human behaviors and values onto other elements of the natural world.
In all, a quick but densely informative and fascinating read.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
August 31, 2026
Fabulous!
I think that sums it up, really. I listened to this book on Audible, narrated by the author. Right from the word off, I could hear his passion for what he was describing, both in his words and his voice. It was magnetic - I listened to the book at every opportunity, enthralled by the stories of the symbiosis that surrounds us.
United we stand, divided we fall. As the sub-title accurately indicates, this book is filled with the tales of magnificent, world-saving collaborations. And when the technical, scientific elements went over my head, I just took in what I could, got the gist, and kept going. It was so good, I'm going to buy a hard copy so that I can refer to it again and again.
Thank you, Rowan!
I think that sums it up, really. I listened to this book on Audible, narrated by the author. Right from the word off, I could hear his passion for what he was describing, both in his words and his voice. It was magnetic - I listened to the book at every opportunity, enthralled by the stories of the symbiosis that surrounds us.
United we stand, divided we fall. As the sub-title accurately indicates, this book is filled with the tales of magnificent, world-saving collaborations. And when the technical, scientific elements went over my head, I just took in what I could, got the gist, and kept going. It was so good, I'm going to buy a hard copy so that I can refer to it again and again.
Thank you, Rowan!
September 12, 2026
This book has genuinely been such a journey from start to finish. Starting off as almost a lecture on the smallest to largest sightings of symbiosis seen throughout nature and how we can adopt those teaching from other organisms into our life. To a further push on how we ourselves are interconnected into the symbiosis and what we need to do to re-integrate into the symbiotic web of life we’ve almost forced ourselves out of due to our self image as being better than any other living thing. The ending gave a lot of hope to our future, to a brighter and greener one and one where symbiosis is the main focus to how we move forward as a society. Loved this book so much omg.
October 2, 2026
This book was a great read about how everything is interconnected. The detailed explorations in symbiosis becomes a bit astounding and yet makes perfect sense when you think deeply on the subject.
The author Hooper discusses Darwin and his theories quite a bit with how he got some of it wrong with competition being the driving force, when cooperation in nature is much more prevalent.
Fascinating book really. It was a bit dense at times but written in a fairly approachable manner overall.
Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.
The author Hooper discusses Darwin and his theories quite a bit with how he got some of it wrong with competition being the driving force, when cooperation in nature is much more prevalent.
Fascinating book really. It was a bit dense at times but written in a fairly approachable manner overall.
Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.
September 27, 2026
Oh what beautiful collaboration underpins all of the necessities of biology, and by extension, our own experiences and functioning. While humans may have mentally drawn a line in the sand away from nature, we are so inherently interwoven into a precious mesh of life. And this truth shouldn’t be known just for whispering in reverent tones when looking at the stars, but for placing a real and present responsibility for humanity to engage in stewardship and protection and a sacred benevolence.
September 10, 2026
Thank you to Knopf for the gifted copy - all opinions are my own.
Togetherness is an exploration into the large (and microscopic) ways our ecosystem works together to build and sustain life.
Rowan Hooper examines just how tentative and fragile our ecosystem is with extensive research and clear explanation. Through examination of the works by notable predecessors in the fields of naturalism and ecology such as: Darwin, Schrödinger, and Mereschkowski, Hooper displays how humanity got it’s approach to the world — and our place in it — so very wrong.
From the smallest organisms to the largest living ecosystems, the author examines the countless cooperations that take place in nature right under our very noses. Every particle and organism plays a vital role in the world and we have vastly overstated our importance in it. Ants and fungi, wasps and figs, legumes, and even viruses each have a pivotal role in life.
While this book certainly elevated my eco-depression, it also served to awe and inspire. Rather than viewing the world as an endless competition among species, it was nice to discover the pivotal roles and symbioses between them. We need to reconnect ourselves to the oneness of nature and do all we can to preserve these highly sensitive symbiotic relationships.
Togetherness is an exploration into the large (and microscopic) ways our ecosystem works together to build and sustain life.
Rowan Hooper examines just how tentative and fragile our ecosystem is with extensive research and clear explanation. Through examination of the works by notable predecessors in the fields of naturalism and ecology such as: Darwin, Schrödinger, and Mereschkowski, Hooper displays how humanity got it’s approach to the world — and our place in it — so very wrong.
From the smallest organisms to the largest living ecosystems, the author examines the countless cooperations that take place in nature right under our very noses. Every particle and organism plays a vital role in the world and we have vastly overstated our importance in it. Ants and fungi, wasps and figs, legumes, and even viruses each have a pivotal role in life.
While this book certainly elevated my eco-depression, it also served to awe and inspire. Rather than viewing the world as an endless competition among species, it was nice to discover the pivotal roles and symbioses between them. We need to reconnect ourselves to the oneness of nature and do all we can to preserve these highly sensitive symbiotic relationships.
September 16, 2026
Absolutely fantastic! My mind was blown multiple times. Symbiosis is the reason we are alive and how our planet can harbor life. The birth of cells came from symbiosis. And through symbiosis, we can heal the planet. Revolutionary, fun, and captivating from beginning to end!
September 21, 2026
Great science books are great because they explain complex science in simple, yet accurate, terms that we can all understand. If you ever wanted to know what relationships are going on below that oak tree, or within that coral reef, this is for you.
June 14, 2026
Interesting.
Review of advance copy
Got a bit beyond my comprehension at the end there as someone who forgot the components of a cell after high school biology, but genuinely so interesting.
August 18, 2026
Excellent book on the interwovenness of life.
September 8, 2026
Really enjoyed, especially part 2
September 16, 2026
I wanted to like this more than I did. Very interesting information, but neither the flow nor the hook were quite there for me.
August 28, 2026
This is a fantastic book that deftly weaves quite a bit of historical disagreement about some pretty technical aspects of biology into a wide range of really cool examples of symbiosis. The links between symbiosis and conservation biology and climate change were particularly well developed. The final chapter is a little speculative - I'm not sure I agree that implanted prosthetics approximate symbiosis - but it is otherwise fascinating.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews