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The Neck: A Natural and Cultural History
"Fascinating discourse [that] travels through anatomy, paleontology, anthropology, the arts, the zoo, museums, medicine, murder and more... . Superb." ―
Wall Street Journal
A 300-million-year tour of the prominent role of the neck in animal evolution and human culture.
Humans give a lot of attention to the neck. We decorate it with jewelry and ties, kiss it passionately, and use it to express ourselves in word and song. Yet, at the neck, people have also shackled their prisoners, executed their opponents, and slain their victims. Beyond the drama of human culture, animals have evolved their necks into a staggering variety of shapes and uses vital to their lifestyles. The Neck delves into evolutionary time to solve a living paradox--why is our neck so central to our survival and culture, but so vulnerable to injury and disease?
Biologist Kent Dunlap shows how the neck's vulnerability is not simply an unfortunate quirk of evolution. Its weaknesses are intimately connected to the vessels, pipes, and glands that make it so vital to existence. Fun and far-reaching, The Neck explores the diversity of forms and functions of the neck in humans and other animals and shows how this small anatomical transition zone has been a locus of incredible evolutionary and cultural creativity.
A 300-million-year tour of the prominent role of the neck in animal evolution and human culture.
Humans give a lot of attention to the neck. We decorate it with jewelry and ties, kiss it passionately, and use it to express ourselves in word and song. Yet, at the neck, people have also shackled their prisoners, executed their opponents, and slain their victims. Beyond the drama of human culture, animals have evolved their necks into a staggering variety of shapes and uses vital to their lifestyles. The Neck delves into evolutionary time to solve a living paradox--why is our neck so central to our survival and culture, but so vulnerable to injury and disease?
Biologist Kent Dunlap shows how the neck's vulnerability is not simply an unfortunate quirk of evolution. Its weaknesses are intimately connected to the vessels, pipes, and glands that make it so vital to existence. Fun and far-reaching, The Neck explores the diversity of forms and functions of the neck in humans and other animals and shows how this small anatomical transition zone has been a locus of incredible evolutionary and cultural creativity.
1 pages, Audio CD
Published August 18, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 7, 2026
Got the audiobook for review.
The book felt random in the best way, discusses all things neck related. Human, animals, evolution, culture and more. Was such an engaging and fun book to listen to. As someone who have barley toughts of necks in particular and had no previous interested about the subject it still hooked flme from the start.
The book felt random in the best way, discusses all things neck related. Human, animals, evolution, culture and more. Was such an engaging and fun book to listen to. As someone who have barley toughts of necks in particular and had no previous interested about the subject it still hooked flme from the start.
August 12, 2026
A wide-ranging look at the neck, from biology and evolution to social status signalling. This very informative and often entertaining book is an inch wide and a mile deep on all things relating to the neck, from quoting Norah Ephron's "I Feel Bad About My Neck" humorous essay to citing academic research in which the neck feathers of young birds were dyed so scientists could determine if the birds could fake the dominance that typically comes with the breed's darker neck feathers. The author is also a potter, so there is an in-depth discussion of how the necks of vases are sculpted. Yes, there's a chapter on hangings as well. I very much enjoyed exploring the subject of necks in detail across a range of disciplines in this well-written and well-narrated audiobook.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @HighbridgeAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #TheNeck for review purposes. Publication date: 18 August 2026.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @HighbridgeAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #TheNeck for review purposes. Publication date: 18 August 2026.
August 10, 2026
This book is so much fun! I adore niche biology books because you can often hear and feel the author's passion of the subject as you read.
This book is wonderfully written, full of cool & weird science facts, and beautifully organized. Numerous studies on various vertebrates are shared in a super digestible way. Unfortunately, inverts aren't included (see note in the introduction), but I hope to read a book on the wild evolution of invertebrate necks in the future (who would've thought!). I liked the human/social additions (e.g., ballet, ceramics, vampires), but was glad that the author kept most of the discussion to biology.
Finally, the audiobook was very well narrated.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this fantastic read!
This book is wonderfully written, full of cool & weird science facts, and beautifully organized. Numerous studies on various vertebrates are shared in a super digestible way. Unfortunately, inverts aren't included (see note in the introduction), but I hope to read a book on the wild evolution of invertebrate necks in the future (who would've thought!). I liked the human/social additions (e.g., ballet, ceramics, vampires), but was glad that the author kept most of the discussion to biology.
Finally, the audiobook was very well narrated.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this fantastic read!
June 8, 2025
An expert excited about their topic - the best! This book included a huge array of new.to.me facts from the evolution of the neck to the long trachea of some birds to the history of the necktie, and so many more. All written with wit and organization.
I hear about it on the Nature email.
I hear about it on the Nature email.
August 25, 2026
The history and culture of the neck is long and varied- author Kent Dunlap explores next from across the world, across species and across time in this in-depth investigation into one of the most elemental part of our bodies.
I was impressed at the depth of information that Kent delivers had found that his research was thoroughly done and fascinating. I did wish that the delivery was more linear and provided smoother transitions to different subjects.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Christopher Grove and really enjoyed his reading voice. He delivers the material with a lot of personality and he went a long way keeping me interested in the topic. I think this book would be best access by listening and following along with a print copy.
I was impressed at the depth of information that Kent delivers had found that his research was thoroughly done and fascinating. I did wish that the delivery was more linear and provided smoother transitions to different subjects.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Christopher Grove and really enjoyed his reading voice. He delivers the material with a lot of personality and he went a long way keeping me interested in the topic. I think this book would be best access by listening and following along with a print copy.
September 26, 2026
👔 ALC Review 🎧
The Neck: A Natural and Cultural History by Kent Dunlap - Narrated by Christopher Grove
For non-fiction books, I like to look up the author to see why I should listen to what they have to say (not memoirs of course 😂). Kent is a Professor of Biology at Trinity College, Hartford. He's been a faculty member since 1998. He holds a PhD from the University of Washington (Seattle). Interestingly, his published research subject is fish (who, I htink, have quite small necks! 🤣). His awards include the Fulbright Specialist Award (2022), Fulbright US Scholar Grant (2018/19), and Fulbright US Scholar (2009).
I loved this book! The author covers *so* much about the neck. I wouldn't have thought it was possible to fill almost 350 pages with facts and discourse around the neck, but only did he accomplish this - but he made it utterly interesting.
From animals to humans, physiology to communication, medical component, and artistry, he covered what seemed to be all aspects of what necks do for us as humans and animals.
Some animals use the neck to show off to gain a better reproduction partner while others require incredibly strong necks for defense (or offense, as the case may be) purposes - while others need their necks for eating (I see you 🦒 & 🦩).
When it comes to people, we use the neck for so many things. Clearly, it holds up our heads, but it also holds real, necessary functions (and that's coming to you with someone with a thyroid disorder). We decorate it with jewelry or tattoos to attract partners or to change the way we feel about ourselves. Sometimes we wear a tie around it in particularly instances. The neck can literally change how we move about the world with confidence we wouldn't othewise have.
🤩 So, I loved this book front to back and everything I learned. I kept wanting to pause it to save some quote or other, but then I was going to end up practically bookmarking the entire book!
🎧 I loved the narration. It was already a fun topic and the book wasn't dry at all, so it didn't really need the 'help' of a narrator that some non-fiction books require. I would 100% recommend listening to this as an audiobook, but you may find yourself wanting to jot down a bajillion little facts, so I can also see wanting to read this one as a physical or digital book.
If you like non-fiction that will keep you entertained, want to be able to drop some fun facts at your next trivia night (or pub quiz), or are looking for that audiobook that will help make chores a little less boring, you may like this book.
Thanks to Netgalley & Highbridge Audio for this listening copy. My thoughts are given voluntarily.
The Neck: A Natural and Cultural History by Kent Dunlap - Narrated by Christopher Grove
For non-fiction books, I like to look up the author to see why I should listen to what they have to say (not memoirs of course 😂). Kent is a Professor of Biology at Trinity College, Hartford. He's been a faculty member since 1998. He holds a PhD from the University of Washington (Seattle). Interestingly, his published research subject is fish (who, I htink, have quite small necks! 🤣). His awards include the Fulbright Specialist Award (2022), Fulbright US Scholar Grant (2018/19), and Fulbright US Scholar (2009).
I loved this book! The author covers *so* much about the neck. I wouldn't have thought it was possible to fill almost 350 pages with facts and discourse around the neck, but only did he accomplish this - but he made it utterly interesting.
From animals to humans, physiology to communication, medical component, and artistry, he covered what seemed to be all aspects of what necks do for us as humans and animals.
Some animals use the neck to show off to gain a better reproduction partner while others require incredibly strong necks for defense (or offense, as the case may be) purposes - while others need their necks for eating (I see you 🦒 & 🦩).
When it comes to people, we use the neck for so many things. Clearly, it holds up our heads, but it also holds real, necessary functions (and that's coming to you with someone with a thyroid disorder). We decorate it with jewelry or tattoos to attract partners or to change the way we feel about ourselves. Sometimes we wear a tie around it in particularly instances. The neck can literally change how we move about the world with confidence we wouldn't othewise have.
🤩 So, I loved this book front to back and everything I learned. I kept wanting to pause it to save some quote or other, but then I was going to end up practically bookmarking the entire book!
🎧 I loved the narration. It was already a fun topic and the book wasn't dry at all, so it didn't really need the 'help' of a narrator that some non-fiction books require. I would 100% recommend listening to this as an audiobook, but you may find yourself wanting to jot down a bajillion little facts, so I can also see wanting to read this one as a physical or digital book.
If you like non-fiction that will keep you entertained, want to be able to drop some fun facts at your next trivia night (or pub quiz), or are looking for that audiobook that will help make chores a little less boring, you may like this book.
Thanks to Netgalley & Highbridge Audio for this listening copy. My thoughts are given voluntarily.
August 21, 2026
I picked up The Neck for an entirely sensible scientific reason: I thought the cover looked cool.
Fortunately, the contents more than lived up to it. This book is a wonderfully eclectic exploration of one body part that most of us only think about when we've slept awkwardly. Kent Dunlap uses the neck as a starting point for a tour through anatomy, evolution, physiology, behaviour and cultural history, asking why this surprisingly vulnerable bit of anatomy has become so important in both human societies and the animal kingdom.
This is absolutely my sort of book. It's packed with the kind of gloriously random facts. One minute you're learning about comparative anatomy, the next about communication, status symbols, evolution or some obscure biological quirk that suddenly seems astonishingly important. The combination of hard science and cultural history is fascinating, and Dunlap handles both with joy and enthusiasm.
There's a huge amount of information here, but it never reads like a textbook. Dunlap clearly knows his subject inside out and has a knack for explaining complex ideas without draining them of their wonder. I frequently found myself stopping to tell unsuspecting family members an exciting new neck fact. Suddenly starting to talk about pigeon milk and the Hoatzin’s foregut digestion system while waiting at the airport baggage reclaim did get me some funny looks…
The audiobook is very good overall. Christopher Grove has a pleasant voice and keeps the material engaging throughout. My only minor criticism is that I would have appreciated slightly longer pauses between chapters and sections. With a book that jumps between so many fascinating ideas, a little extra breathing room would have helped some of the transitions land more clearly.
This was thought-provoking and fun – I'm now looking for my next body part to explore.
Thank you to Highbridge Audio, NetGalley and Kent Dunlap for an advance listening copy of this book.
Fortunately, the contents more than lived up to it. This book is a wonderfully eclectic exploration of one body part that most of us only think about when we've slept awkwardly. Kent Dunlap uses the neck as a starting point for a tour through anatomy, evolution, physiology, behaviour and cultural history, asking why this surprisingly vulnerable bit of anatomy has become so important in both human societies and the animal kingdom.
This is absolutely my sort of book. It's packed with the kind of gloriously random facts. One minute you're learning about comparative anatomy, the next about communication, status symbols, evolution or some obscure biological quirk that suddenly seems astonishingly important. The combination of hard science and cultural history is fascinating, and Dunlap handles both with joy and enthusiasm.
There's a huge amount of information here, but it never reads like a textbook. Dunlap clearly knows his subject inside out and has a knack for explaining complex ideas without draining them of their wonder. I frequently found myself stopping to tell unsuspecting family members an exciting new neck fact. Suddenly starting to talk about pigeon milk and the Hoatzin’s foregut digestion system while waiting at the airport baggage reclaim did get me some funny looks…
The audiobook is very good overall. Christopher Grove has a pleasant voice and keeps the material engaging throughout. My only minor criticism is that I would have appreciated slightly longer pauses between chapters and sections. With a book that jumps between so many fascinating ideas, a little extra breathing room would have helped some of the transitions land more clearly.
This was thought-provoking and fun – I'm now looking for my next body part to explore.
Thank you to Highbridge Audio, NetGalley and Kent Dunlap for an advance listening copy of this book.
April 16, 2025
Dunlap takes a good long look at the neck of humans and the animal kingdom. It's both the "natural" and the "cultural" and just like anything you sit and ponder and research about for an extensive amount of time, the more you realize there's so much to learn.
The book shows the cutaway of the neck from it's elements like the trachea and esophagus to the spine and thyroid. The book talks about neck fighting in giraffes. The book talks about neckties, cravats, scarves, and neck coils in a specific culture. The book talks about blue collar and redneck. The book talks about St. Blaise and the blessing of the throats. The book talks about the nonexistent necks of fish and the flaps of a specific reptile around its neck. Literally anything about the subject of the neck. Ironically within 24 hours I had read in two separate books (this one and You'll Leave This World With Your Butt Sewn Shut: And Other Little-Known Secrets, Shocking Facts, and Amusing Trivia about Death and Dying about the 1929 death of Isadora Duncan, a dancer whose neck scarf got wrapped up in the wheels of a motor vehicle and killed her due to strangulation.
I return to the thought often that there are books about ANYTHING a person could think of to write about and I value the introspection and research of anyone willing to dive deep into a subject. And then when you slap a fantastic cover to match the topic, it's a forgone conclusion that I'll read it. I don't know what I don't know.
The book shows the cutaway of the neck from it's elements like the trachea and esophagus to the spine and thyroid. The book talks about neck fighting in giraffes. The book talks about neckties, cravats, scarves, and neck coils in a specific culture. The book talks about blue collar and redneck. The book talks about St. Blaise and the blessing of the throats. The book talks about the nonexistent necks of fish and the flaps of a specific reptile around its neck. Literally anything about the subject of the neck. Ironically within 24 hours I had read in two separate books (this one and You'll Leave This World With Your Butt Sewn Shut: And Other Little-Known Secrets, Shocking Facts, and Amusing Trivia about Death and Dying about the 1929 death of Isadora Duncan, a dancer whose neck scarf got wrapped up in the wheels of a motor vehicle and killed her due to strangulation.
I return to the thought often that there are books about ANYTHING a person could think of to write about and I value the introspection and research of anyone willing to dive deep into a subject. And then when you slap a fantastic cover to match the topic, it's a forgone conclusion that I'll read it. I don't know what I don't know.
August 16, 2026
The Neck: A Natural and Cultural History is a niche read/listen but was so worth it. Kent Dunlap makes you pay attention to just how much goes on in the neck, nevermind everything the neck invokes in culture and society. I liked that it took so much of what we consider "the head" but reframes it as actually being the neck.
You have to be willing to go for the ride but be ready to swing between animals, anatomy, dance history, lizards, vampires, turtles, military history, Indian Classical dance, body language, pop culture, everything from the start of life to causes of death, and more - there's too many topics to list! However, they all tie back in to the neck!
I do have to give some acknowledgement to the romance and fiction authors out there that I read so much from. From person to person, I'm not sure if it's research, just being very perceptive of human nature, or a combination of the two but multiple times while listening to The Neck I had the thought that, wow, so many authors capture movements and intentions that are backed by studies.
I thought The Neck was fascinating. If you are looking for a little pallet cleanser between fiction titles or just need a change of pace, this works wonderfully. Christopher Grove's narration is clear and easy to understand, given that some parts can get very detailed in scientific areas.
Thank you to Highbridge Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced listener copy.
You have to be willing to go for the ride but be ready to swing between animals, anatomy, dance history, lizards, vampires, turtles, military history, Indian Classical dance, body language, pop culture, everything from the start of life to causes of death, and more - there's too many topics to list! However, they all tie back in to the neck!
I do have to give some acknowledgement to the romance and fiction authors out there that I read so much from. From person to person, I'm not sure if it's research, just being very perceptive of human nature, or a combination of the two but multiple times while listening to The Neck I had the thought that, wow, so many authors capture movements and intentions that are backed by studies.
I thought The Neck was fascinating. If you are looking for a little pallet cleanser between fiction titles or just need a change of pace, this works wonderfully. Christopher Grove's narration is clear and easy to understand, given that some parts can get very detailed in scientific areas.
Thank you to Highbridge Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced listener copy.
August 19, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Highbridge Audio for this ALC!
Rating: 3.5 Stars rounded up.
“The Neck: A Natural and Cultural History” is a quite expansive piece of nonfiction, exploring everything about the neck (both human and animal). Kent Dunlap discusses everything from the basic anatomy of the neck to the illnesses and issues common in that area of the body, to the human psychological relationship with one’s neck and how the neck has been perceived and adorned throughout society’s history.
This book was extremely detailed. I’ve never read anything that focused on one specific subject and then combined so many extremely different areas and topics and showed how each affected / related to the subject.
Unfortunately there were a few times when the book felt a bit repetitive, though this is something I kind of expected and didn’t mind too much in the audiobook, though I feel it would bother me a bit more were I to read instead of listen.
The audiobook is narrated by Christopher Grove, whose voice is pleasant to listen to and narration done with the kind of tone and intonation that draws you in and keeps you engaged.
If you enjoy niche-nonfiction and want a book that is intensely focused on one subject but also includes a wide range of topics, this one is for you!
Rating: 3.5 Stars rounded up.
“The Neck: A Natural and Cultural History” is a quite expansive piece of nonfiction, exploring everything about the neck (both human and animal). Kent Dunlap discusses everything from the basic anatomy of the neck to the illnesses and issues common in that area of the body, to the human psychological relationship with one’s neck and how the neck has been perceived and adorned throughout society’s history.
This book was extremely detailed. I’ve never read anything that focused on one specific subject and then combined so many extremely different areas and topics and showed how each affected / related to the subject.
Unfortunately there were a few times when the book felt a bit repetitive, though this is something I kind of expected and didn’t mind too much in the audiobook, though I feel it would bother me a bit more were I to read instead of listen.
The audiobook is narrated by Christopher Grove, whose voice is pleasant to listen to and narration done with the kind of tone and intonation that draws you in and keeps you engaged.
If you enjoy niche-nonfiction and want a book that is intensely focused on one subject but also includes a wide range of topics, this one is for you!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Dunlap shines a spotlight on a vital but sometimes overlooked part of animal anatomy: the neck. The book examines it from many different angles. Why is the neck so fragile? How does it work? And what can we learn from non-human animals about this fascinating body part? That last question was my favorite part, especially the experiments involving lions and lion mannequins, as well as the discussion of what giraffes can teach us about hypertension. Christopher Grove narrates the audiobook in an approachable manner, sounding like the world’s most knowledgeable professor. Other chapters explore the neck’s role in art, culture, and even fashion. A few sections are more scientific, particularly those focused on evolution and sexual versus natural selection, but I found the book entertaining and accessible without becoming overly technical. Content warning: as with many books about anatomy and animal science, there are discussions of animal experimentation and suffering. Overall, this was an illuminating and informative look at a body part we rarely stop to think about.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Highbridge Audio.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Highbridge Audio.
August 16, 2026
I lost interest in this book at the 55% mark but that's totally a ME thing and has nothing to do with the subject, writing, or quality of this book. This type of thing happens often when I'm reading non-fiction. It starts out great and I'm very enthusiastic and I hardly, if ever, make it to the end. What I did read was fascinating, however, and, truth be told, made me a little uncomfortable. I think my schedule is just too charged at the moment and I needed to read this before the archive date. So based on that, I am giving the part that I did read 4 stars. I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy non-fiction and can make it to the end. I can't comment on the latter half of the book, this technically being a DNF. But I can say that it is well fleshed out and researched and I think a lot of people will appreciate the writing style.
August 21, 2026
This is such a fun and unique book. It's arguably a pop science book, but it includes philosophy, dance, art/pottery, biology, history, psychology, anatomy, physiology, and I'm probably forgetting a few other genres. It's a fun read, perpetually interesting as he bounces from one insight to another, all connected by... the neck. I'm frankly amazed that it's such an interesting read, but it is. If you like to nerd out on random interesting topics, this is well worth a look.
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NOTE: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review expressing my personal opinions.
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NOTE: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review expressing my personal opinions.
August 26, 2026
Very well-researched and -compiled!
This book is about 75% anatomy/biology, 25% sociology/history. To be honest, I enjoyed the latter way more than the former—despite my best efforts, I found myself zoning out during the more scientific sections. But still, I’m glad this book exists. I admire the author for his thoroughness, even if I wasn’t always riveted. And, of course, I did enjoy the sociology/history sections!
This book is about 75% anatomy/biology, 25% sociology/history. To be honest, I enjoyed the latter way more than the former—despite my best efforts, I found myself zoning out during the more scientific sections. But still, I’m glad this book exists. I admire the author for his thoroughness, even if I wasn’t always riveted. And, of course, I did enjoy the sociology/history sections!
September 11, 2026
This book was fun listening to!
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