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The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife
In The Truth About Animals Lucy Cooke takes us on a worldwide journey to meet everyone from a Colombian hippo castrator to a Chinese panda porn peddler, all to lay bare the secret--and often hilarious--habits of the animal kingdom. Charming and at times downright weird, this modern bestiary is perfect for anyone who has ever suspected that virtue might be unnatural.
11 pages, Audiobook
First published October 19, 2017
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May 30, 2020
Penguins. Early in the 20th century a report on the sex lives of Adelie penguins was submitted to the natural history museum in London. It so horrified them that 100 true copies were printed for the scientists and a highly abridged version for everyone else. The research was not confirmed for another 60 years.
What was so horrifying? Male Adelies mate with anything, baby penguins, dead frozen corpses, other males, they don't care, they just want to stick it in and fuck, and damn the consequences. The females, apart from chimpanzees and humans, are, it seems the only animals to go in for transactional sex. The males collect stones for nests and present them to the females and then they mate. But some females go and take the stones and then hop off, leaving the male frustrated! One female was seen to do this 62 times in an hour :-) Presumably these were the males desperate for a real live female rather than going in for abusing babies or necrophilia. Well they got their rocks off, didn't they? :-)
Bats. Male bats have big, dangly penises. Scientists have said that the more promiscuous a female of the species is, the bigger the willie of the male. Really? Does this apply to just bats? (What about human cultures? Do men have tiny willies in cultures where women aren't allowed any sexual freedom?) Bats also like oral sex. Researchers are investigating if the male not only licks the female but also inserts his tongue into her vagina to scoop out rival male's sperm. Fair enough, but there is no investigation or evolutionary justification given as to why the females enjoy giving blow jobs.
Vultures. The reason they can eat rotting flesh is that they have the strongest stomach acids imaginable. Their poo is so strong it can kill germs ('kills 99% of all known germs' like Dettol. Do you think it could be advertised as natural product?) and the author was told she could use it to 'wash' her hands. She declined, understandably. But if you see vultures standing around with shitty legs, they aren't dirty, it's their very effective way of cleaning them. Disgusting.
Turkey vultures defend themselves by projectile vomiting, up to 10 feet, their stinking stomach contents which are so acid they can burn the object of its displeasure. Turkey vultures do not make good pets. Since they only eat rotting meat, not good for eating either.
It was always hard to think of any of the vulture family with any kind of affection or even real interest in their lives. It's even less so now.
Sloths. Their fur is specially designed to trap water to feed the fungi, algae, moths and insects that live in it so it can 'make like a tree' and not attract predators who can't see it.
They have the slowest moving digestion in the mammal world. One shit a month. Just as well as it would take them all day to climb down the tree and then back up again. Since they eat plant material and do not shit, the gasses build up inside them. This has the effect of making them very buoyant and they are good swimmers, doggy paddle and even back stroke, at three times the speed that they can move in trees. ,
One of the sloths, the so-called two-toed sloth which has three toes but only two fingers is very bad tempered. If annoyed it will hiss and bare its two big front teeth and then swipe at the enemy with its huge clawed hands. Since this is done in slow motion, escape is not a problem.
________________
The book was really about debunking myths and changing popularly-held feelings about the animals featured. It is easy to debunk myths. No one nowadays would believe that beavers are capable of organising and controlling a construction gang, But changing feelings, that's harder. It is difficult to see vultures as 'pure' and 'noble' as eagles although (old world) both are in the same family. It is just as difficult to think of hyenas with the admiration and fascination granted to the animals they most resemble, the big cats and wolves.
I enjoyed the book. It has the cheery irreverence of Mary Roach, but is considerably deeper and with more scientific research than her books. A five-star read. I would say I would like to read other books by this author, but she seems to only write about Sloths and I'm not sure that there's that much more to say about them that I'd want to know.
What was so horrifying? Male Adelies mate with anything, baby penguins, dead frozen corpses, other males, they don't care, they just want to stick it in and fuck, and damn the consequences. The females, apart from chimpanzees and humans, are, it seems the only animals to go in for transactional sex. The males collect stones for nests and present them to the females and then they mate. But some females go and take the stones and then hop off, leaving the male frustrated! One female was seen to do this 62 times in an hour :-) Presumably these were the males desperate for a real live female rather than going in for abusing babies or necrophilia. Well they got their rocks off, didn't they? :-)
Bats. Male bats have big, dangly penises. Scientists have said that the more promiscuous a female of the species is, the bigger the willie of the male. Really? Does this apply to just bats? (What about human cultures? Do men have tiny willies in cultures where women aren't allowed any sexual freedom?) Bats also like oral sex. Researchers are investigating if the male not only licks the female but also inserts his tongue into her vagina to scoop out rival male's sperm. Fair enough, but there is no investigation or evolutionary justification given as to why the females enjoy giving blow jobs.
Vultures. The reason they can eat rotting flesh is that they have the strongest stomach acids imaginable. Their poo is so strong it can kill germs ('kills 99% of all known germs' like Dettol. Do you think it could be advertised as natural product?) and the author was told she could use it to 'wash' her hands. She declined, understandably. But if you see vultures standing around with shitty legs, they aren't dirty, it's their very effective way of cleaning them. Disgusting.
Turkey vultures defend themselves by projectile vomiting, up to 10 feet, their stinking stomach contents which are so acid they can burn the object of its displeasure. Turkey vultures do not make good pets. Since they only eat rotting meat, not good for eating either.
It was always hard to think of any of the vulture family with any kind of affection or even real interest in their lives. It's even less so now.
Sloths. Their fur is specially designed to trap water to feed the fungi, algae, moths and insects that live in it so it can 'make like a tree' and not attract predators who can't see it.
They have the slowest moving digestion in the mammal world. One shit a month. Just as well as it would take them all day to climb down the tree and then back up again. Since they eat plant material and do not shit, the gasses build up inside them. This has the effect of making them very buoyant and they are good swimmers, doggy paddle and even back stroke, at three times the speed that they can move in trees. ,
One of the sloths, the so-called two-toed sloth which has three toes but only two fingers is very bad tempered. If annoyed it will hiss and bare its two big front teeth and then swipe at the enemy with its huge clawed hands. Since this is done in slow motion, escape is not a problem.
________________
The book was really about debunking myths and changing popularly-held feelings about the animals featured. It is easy to debunk myths. No one nowadays would believe that beavers are capable of organising and controlling a construction gang, But changing feelings, that's harder. It is difficult to see vultures as 'pure' and 'noble' as eagles although (old world) both are in the same family. It is just as difficult to think of hyenas with the admiration and fascination granted to the animals they most resemble, the big cats and wolves.
I enjoyed the book. It has the cheery irreverence of Mary Roach, but is considerably deeper and with more scientific research than her books. A five-star read. I would say I would like to read other books by this author, but she seems to only write about Sloths and I'm not sure that there's that much more to say about them that I'd want to know.
December 16, 2023
Beware:After reading this book you may walk around spouting mostly useless but absofreakinglutely fascinating knowledge! Seriously, I believe my squat, hairy man was getting a wee bit sick of me! I adored this book. If it's an animal and its wild, then I'm gonna love it. From bats that are hung like a horse, to legends of beavers chewing off their 'nads to save themselves. Sloths, hippos, hyenas "I've always loved hyenas." Many, many more. I liked hearing about the old beliefs about animals daily doings. Just made me wonder how many misconceptions we still have today. This book also had me on my computer looking up everything I could of Glass Eels. I've never eaten eel, and now after discovering their life and death journey, I'm pretty sure I'll never eat one. Remarkable creatures. Yeah, this is definitely a book I'd recommend. I enjoyed everything about it. My thanks to the publishers, and Netgalley.
January 31, 2019
I just love how Lucy Cooke assembles and presents her information. Always interesting reads, and such a clarity of prose. In this book she traces the beginning thoughts of thirteen different species, and some of these facts were dingers.
To give just a little preview, I will share a few tidbits from the book. Eels, which I find creepy and slimy, were thought to arrive out of the mud. To this day no one has figured out how they procreate. Japan is now the biggest consumer of eels, though Italy had its share.
Beavers, almost extinct in Europe, so they decided to import some American Beavers, hoping they might all get along and have beaver babies. Turns out the American beaver is much more aggressive than the European model. Go figure!!
Bats, shver me timbers, blood suckers of lore. I love them because they eat tons of bugs. Also as far as sexual parts go, the male bat is very well endowed, in relation to size of course. Also, theirs is the sex life that is the closest to our own.
Frogs, during the middle ages, they foolishly believed that if the woman held a frog in her mouth during sexual relations, she would not conceive. Birth control by frog, can you believe it?
Stork, well we all know that storks bring babies, don't we? A young married couple in Germany believed this so strongly, and when the story was not forthcoming with said child, they were shocked to find out they had to have sex first.
The hippo, if one had flase teeth many years ago they were likely made from hippo teeth. Also there are now Randy hippos in Co!umbia. How did they get there, ask Escobar.
Penguins, their sex life was kept secret for many years. Think I'm going to keep it secret too. Read the book. The sex life of penguins is rather shocking.
To give just a little preview, I will share a few tidbits from the book. Eels, which I find creepy and slimy, were thought to arrive out of the mud. To this day no one has figured out how they procreate. Japan is now the biggest consumer of eels, though Italy had its share.
Beavers, almost extinct in Europe, so they decided to import some American Beavers, hoping they might all get along and have beaver babies. Turns out the American beaver is much more aggressive than the European model. Go figure!!
Bats, shver me timbers, blood suckers of lore. I love them because they eat tons of bugs. Also as far as sexual parts go, the male bat is very well endowed, in relation to size of course. Also, theirs is the sex life that is the closest to our own.
Frogs, during the middle ages, they foolishly believed that if the woman held a frog in her mouth during sexual relations, she would not conceive. Birth control by frog, can you believe it?
Stork, well we all know that storks bring babies, don't we? A young married couple in Germany believed this so strongly, and when the story was not forthcoming with said child, they were shocked to find out they had to have sex first.
The hippo, if one had flase teeth many years ago they were likely made from hippo teeth. Also there are now Randy hippos in Co!umbia. How did they get there, ask Escobar.
Penguins, their sex life was kept secret for many years. Think I'm going to keep it secret too. Read the book. The sex life of penguins is rather shocking.
May 29, 2019
(Two-toed sloth named Herman, taken at Detroit zoo. Photo by Ontley, on Wikimedia Commons)
I knew I was going to love this book when, on the very first page, I learned that sloths shit only once a week. How could you not love a book that teaches you such things?? And on the very first page?? OK, maybe the lackadaisical manner in which a sloth's intestines push things along is not the most important thing to know.... but it's still interesting. Sloths' metabolism is so slow that it takes 14 days to fully digest their food. Imagine having to wait 2 full weeks to get rid of that holiday meal you couldn't stop eating.
Other interesting tidbits found within these pages include:
•Some fruit bats have colour vision that's 3 times as good as a human's.
•Hippos secrete a slime that looks like blood but is actually an insect repellant, sunscreen, and antibiotic all rolled into one bright red super-goo.
•Secretions from beavers' anal glands are commonly used as "natural vanilla flavouring" in foods and cosmetics. Yeh, you know you've been thinking about becoming vegan for a reason!
•The highest a bird has been recorded flying is 36,000 feet or 7 miles (11 kilometers)!
•Some species of frogs can fly.
•Vulture excrement is an excellent disinfectant. (I'll take the author's word for that and continue using Lysol.)
Lucy Cooke takes us on a wild ride through the animal kingdom, sharing many such facts. She explores ways in which several animal species have been misunderstood, and shows us how each of them is actually very well adapted to their environment. Sloths are not lazy; they have evolved optimum ways in which to survive the rainforests of South and Central America. Bats are not greedy blood-sucking vampires but help keep insect populations under control and pollinate flowers. Vultures are not disgusting creatures to be obliterated -- they help prevent the spread of disease by bacteria like botulism and anthrax. We humans have long compared other animals to ourselves, seeking to judge them by human standards. This is a mistake, as each animal has evolved the physical traits, habits, and appetites that are best suited for its unique environment.
This book is fascinating and fun to read. My only complaint is that the author includes examples of horrid animal experiments. We are all no doubt aware of how many horrific things have been done to animals in the past; indeed, we are STILL doing horrific things to them. I could have done without reading about it and actually had to skip over a couple of pages. Was it really necessary to include that in the book? I think not. I don't see any purpose served in that, unlike talking about things humans still do to animals. Those things should be talked about, people should be aware of the immense suffering we heap upon millions of animals every single day.
That aside, and a somewhat boring chapter on eels, I highly recommend this book. It's important to learn about other animals so that we are more likely to appreciate their intelligence and inner lives. The more we learn about them, hopefully the less complacent we become over the unnecessary suffering we heap upon them.
Also, books like this are fun! Evolution by natural selection is one of the most beautiful and fascinating things I've ever learned and books depicting the evolution of life are such a joy to read! There are so many other interesting and thrilling facts I learned in this book that I had to often pause my reading to share them with my partner. Thankfully she is very patient and indulges me, and also loves to learn new things. I'm not sure many people would want to be around me when I'm devouring a book like this one! Since I can't possibly share everything in this review, I will instead suggest you read the book for yourself. Prepare to be wowed!
"We humans may have split the atom, conquered the moon and tracked down the Higgs boson, but when it comes to understanding animals we still have a long way to go."
August 10, 2019
In The Truth About Animals, Cooke takes us on a tour of the animal kingdom and peels back the layers of mystery surrounding all of these animals. She explores the history of our understanding (or misunderstanding) of each animal, along with the latest science on how they really are. Thirteen animals are covered in here, and every one gets its own chapter, so each is fairly short and snappy. My favorite chapters are the ones on hyena, hippo, and panda, but I enjoyed almost every one.
This reads a lot like the Planet Earth documentaries, but with more focus on the historical misconceptions of the animals and how those myths were propagated. It's a fun book filled with lots of interesting tidbits. If you ever wondered about why sloths are so slow, how pandas became sex-shy, and whether bats really drink blood (and so many other questions!), this would be a good book to check out.
This reads a lot like the Planet Earth documentaries, but with more focus on the historical misconceptions of the animals and how those myths were propagated. It's a fun book filled with lots of interesting tidbits. If you ever wondered about why sloths are so slow, how pandas became sex-shy, and whether bats really drink blood (and so many other questions!), this would be a good book to check out.
April 18, 2018
The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife by Lucy Cooke is a book I requested from NetGalley and I am so glad I was able to read it.
I read a lot of nature books and I want a few things from a book. I want a book that shows that an author really loves animals, that I learn something new, and that I am not bored while learning. Well this did all three and then some! It is obvious that the author loves animals, it is nearly palpable! I giggled and laughed through out this book! The things I learned, well, I wouldn't find in any other book!
When the author started talking about sloths, well, I was smiling already. They are so adorable but then the way it is written makes it even more hilarious. I really started giggling when the description came up of making them move fast. Then on to the female hyena penis delivery of babies or the sex act. Bat orgies or vampire bat blood spewing and so much more! I was hysterical with laughter!
There are myths in there too, they had me laughing as well. I hadn't heard them before. Wait til you find out what they put beaver gonad ass juice in that we use today, so gross! This is certainly a book that covers my three MUSTS for a nature book. It is a must read for anyone!
I read a lot of nature books and I want a few things from a book. I want a book that shows that an author really loves animals, that I learn something new, and that I am not bored while learning. Well this did all three and then some! It is obvious that the author loves animals, it is nearly palpable! I giggled and laughed through out this book! The things I learned, well, I wouldn't find in any other book!
When the author started talking about sloths, well, I was smiling already. They are so adorable but then the way it is written makes it even more hilarious. I really started giggling when the description came up of making them move fast. Then on to the female hyena penis delivery of babies or the sex act. Bat orgies or vampire bat blood spewing and so much more! I was hysterical with laughter!
There are myths in there too, they had me laughing as well. I hadn't heard them before. Wait til you find out what they put beaver gonad ass juice in that we use today, so gross! This is certainly a book that covers my three MUSTS for a nature book. It is a must read for anyone!
August 1, 2018
This is a book filled with very interesting information about a select set of animals including sloths, bats, penguins, hippos, frogs, eels, pandas, chimpanzees, hyenas and others. Lot of the information is lesser known, and makes for engrossing reading.
For instance, hippos genetic makeup shows a closer match with whales rather than any land animal. How do vultures promptly appear when animals die? And so many other interesting bits of information.
Lucy Cooke closes the book with some excellent passages about how in our thinking we have distanced ourselves so much from animals. We think of them as things which exist for our use, and have license to perform cruel experiments on. The passages in the book on the cruel experiments performed on bats to satisfy our curiosity on how they navigate and using frogs for pregnancy tests is sad to read. Pandas for their cute appearance have become a political industry where they are artificially birthed in captivity and don’t lead very satisfying lives.
While the book for the large part makes for excellent and very engrossing reading, it would have benefited from some more material on what motivates the behavior of each of these animals.
I received a free ecopy from NetGalley to provide an honest review.
For instance, hippos genetic makeup shows a closer match with whales rather than any land animal. How do vultures promptly appear when animals die? And so many other interesting bits of information.
Lucy Cooke closes the book with some excellent passages about how in our thinking we have distanced ourselves so much from animals. We think of them as things which exist for our use, and have license to perform cruel experiments on. The passages in the book on the cruel experiments performed on bats to satisfy our curiosity on how they navigate and using frogs for pregnancy tests is sad to read. Pandas for their cute appearance have become a political industry where they are artificially birthed in captivity and don’t lead very satisfying lives.
While the book for the large part makes for excellent and very engrossing reading, it would have benefited from some more material on what motivates the behavior of each of these animals.
I received a free ecopy from NetGalley to provide an honest review.
November 26, 2020
The author has done a lot of documentaries on animals & studied them in their native habitat. She was also a student of Richard Dawkins, so it's not surprising that this book was so well done. She did a great job of narrating it, too.
It took me a long time to read this, but it was more what else was going on in life & me reading the text alongside the audiobook. While this flows quickly, there's a lot to think about in each chapter & some great overriding themes. Highly recommended.
The historical to present understanding of animals presented in a fun manner including an English accent by the narrator which makes it even funnier for me. The historical ideas would be hilarious if they weren't so damaging. The early scientists were especially bad relying on the old books & second hand accounts. Old Christian bestiaries have done a lot of harm by creating lies in an attempt to make animals into examples for moral living & many are still repeated today.
1) Eel: I had no idea that we knew so little about these even today. We're still not positive how they mate or know anything about male eels. Both the European & Atlantic North American eels migrate from fresh water streams all the way to the Sargasso Sea in order to mate in its depths. It's thought they evolved there & keep going 'home' even though the continents have drifted so far.
2) Beaver: They believed that beavers chewed off their testicles when hunted & left them behind. Actually, their testicles are internal & the 'ball sac' near their anus is their scent glands from which 'natural' vanilla flavoring & scent comes from. The 'true' stories of yore are incredible lies.
3) Sloth: These poor critters are so misunderstood they even have a deadly sin in their name. In reality, they're quite the survivors & we don't understand a lot about them, but we should. They move so slowly, but are incredibly efficient in most respects. A notable exception seems to be climbing down specific trees once a week to poop, but even that may well double as a message drop.
4) Hyena: One of the very few female led socially organized animals with packs up to 150 individuals with group dynamics that rival that of early humans who were direct competitors. Their testosterone soaked females have sex parts that mimic those of the male which makes their births incredibly low & hazardous. Very weird, but admirable in many ways.
5) Vulture: Majestic in the air, but disgusting the rest of the time. They poop on their legs both to cool down & to sanitize themselves. Yes, their digestive juices are so powerful that their poop actually sanitizes! Often species are mixed up even by experts. They're really important garbage collectors that don't get enough support.
6) Bat: It wasn't until the 1930s that electronics were developed that could hear their screams which are 20db louder than a Black Sabbath concert. Not all echo locate. Some have tri-colored sight better than ours & none are interested in man nor do many carry rabies, but they got a lot of bad press by early Christians as hybrid creatures of the night.
7) Frog: I hadn't realized that the African Clawed frog which was used for pregnancy testing in the 1950s carries a fungus with it. They were released into the wild after a modern pregnancy test was invented & that fungus has wiped out entire native species around the world.
8) Stork: A symbol of fertility all over the Old World except England where the Church decided only God made babies, so they were a sign of adultery. Sigh. Their migratory habits were finally cleared up only 19th century when one was found with an African spear in it. A lot of interesting facts about other migratory birds & what the ancients thought about them. It's entertaining.
9) Hippopotamus: They secrete their own sunscreen that is also an antibiotic & pest repellent. How cool. Now there is a problem with them in Columbia since Pablo Escobar's went native. They're most closely related to whales, not pigs as I was taught in school.
10) Moose: George-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, was an 18th century naturalist who's Histoire Naturelle was extremely influential & is oft mentioned throughout this book. He was also an incredible liar & came up with the idea that all New World animals were smaller & more decadent than those of the Old World. Thomas Jefferson used a moose to change his mind, although Leclerc never did publish as promised in their bet. A lot of other interesting facts about moose, too. They do seem to get drunk off fallen apples, but there isn't enough alcohol in them, but a more likely explanation is apple acidosis - too much sugar-rich food too suddenly.
11) Panda: Apparently they are completely different in the wild, possibly the oldest species of bear, & Cooke gives a great account of how our idea of their behavior & breeding has been skewed by their captivity. They're a great example of what not to do when conserving a species. They're also one of China's influential diplomatic tools.
12) Penguin: lives only in the Antarctic. Nope. Some live almost at the Equator & their sexual habits vary depending on how long their breeding season is. Emperor penguins will even screw a corpse & others practice a form of prostitution.
13) Chimpanzee: are fantastic for pointing out that humans are just another animal as they blur all our definitions of how we differ & what makes us unique. It's pretty much only a matter of degree. It's incredible what researchers have to go through to really study them.
It took me a long time to read this, but it was more what else was going on in life & me reading the text alongside the audiobook. While this flows quickly, there's a lot to think about in each chapter & some great overriding themes. Highly recommended.
The historical to present understanding of animals presented in a fun manner including an English accent by the narrator which makes it even funnier for me. The historical ideas would be hilarious if they weren't so damaging. The early scientists were especially bad relying on the old books & second hand accounts. Old Christian bestiaries have done a lot of harm by creating lies in an attempt to make animals into examples for moral living & many are still repeated today.
1) Eel: I had no idea that we knew so little about these even today. We're still not positive how they mate or know anything about male eels. Both the European & Atlantic North American eels migrate from fresh water streams all the way to the Sargasso Sea in order to mate in its depths. It's thought they evolved there & keep going 'home' even though the continents have drifted so far.
2) Beaver: They believed that beavers chewed off their testicles when hunted & left them behind. Actually, their testicles are internal & the 'ball sac' near their anus is their scent glands from which 'natural' vanilla flavoring & scent comes from. The 'true' stories of yore are incredible lies.
3) Sloth: These poor critters are so misunderstood they even have a deadly sin in their name. In reality, they're quite the survivors & we don't understand a lot about them, but we should. They move so slowly, but are incredibly efficient in most respects. A notable exception seems to be climbing down specific trees once a week to poop, but even that may well double as a message drop.
4) Hyena: One of the very few female led socially organized animals with packs up to 150 individuals with group dynamics that rival that of early humans who were direct competitors. Their testosterone soaked females have sex parts that mimic those of the male which makes their births incredibly low & hazardous. Very weird, but admirable in many ways.
5) Vulture: Majestic in the air, but disgusting the rest of the time. They poop on their legs both to cool down & to sanitize themselves. Yes, their digestive juices are so powerful that their poop actually sanitizes! Often species are mixed up even by experts. They're really important garbage collectors that don't get enough support.
6) Bat: It wasn't until the 1930s that electronics were developed that could hear their screams which are 20db louder than a Black Sabbath concert. Not all echo locate. Some have tri-colored sight better than ours & none are interested in man nor do many carry rabies, but they got a lot of bad press by early Christians as hybrid creatures of the night.
7) Frog: I hadn't realized that the African Clawed frog which was used for pregnancy testing in the 1950s carries a fungus with it. They were released into the wild after a modern pregnancy test was invented & that fungus has wiped out entire native species around the world.
8) Stork: A symbol of fertility all over the Old World except England where the Church decided only God made babies, so they were a sign of adultery. Sigh. Their migratory habits were finally cleared up only 19th century when one was found with an African spear in it. A lot of interesting facts about other migratory birds & what the ancients thought about them. It's entertaining.
9) Hippopotamus: They secrete their own sunscreen that is also an antibiotic & pest repellent. How cool. Now there is a problem with them in Columbia since Pablo Escobar's went native. They're most closely related to whales, not pigs as I was taught in school.
10) Moose: George-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, was an 18th century naturalist who's Histoire Naturelle was extremely influential & is oft mentioned throughout this book. He was also an incredible liar & came up with the idea that all New World animals were smaller & more decadent than those of the Old World. Thomas Jefferson used a moose to change his mind, although Leclerc never did publish as promised in their bet. A lot of other interesting facts about moose, too. They do seem to get drunk off fallen apples, but there isn't enough alcohol in them, but a more likely explanation is apple acidosis - too much sugar-rich food too suddenly.
11) Panda: Apparently they are completely different in the wild, possibly the oldest species of bear, & Cooke gives a great account of how our idea of their behavior & breeding has been skewed by their captivity. They're a great example of what not to do when conserving a species. They're also one of China's influential diplomatic tools.
12) Penguin: lives only in the Antarctic. Nope. Some live almost at the Equator & their sexual habits vary depending on how long their breeding season is. Emperor penguins will even screw a corpse & others practice a form of prostitution.
13) Chimpanzee: are fantastic for pointing out that humans are just another animal as they blur all our definitions of how we differ & what makes us unique. It's pretty much only a matter of degree. It's incredible what researchers have to go through to really study them.
June 20, 2019
Overall: This is a very fun and interesting read about many different species of animals.
Each chapter is focused on a different animal and there is lots of great information. The author discusses myths and legends and proceeds to debunk most of them through meticulous research and an engaging voice. There is also lots of history and information on different research projects that have been conducted over time 7/10
The Good: This book is so interesting!! The author does a fabulous job at presenting lots of information in a fun and constantly interesting way. Below are some of my favorite facts presented throughout the book:
Sloths only poop once a week
Male adelie penguins are one of the most horny creatures on earth and have been known to mate with frozen corpses
Vultures have such extremely acidic stomachs that it enables them to ear carrion and this is actually a huge defensive benefit to us because it helps to prevent the spread of many horrible diseases
Female hyena have the largest clitoris of all animals and are extremely dominant and intelligent animals
Moose have been known to gorge on “drunken fruit” and get quite happy themselves
To this day, nobody has been able to figure out how eels reproduce
Wayyyy back people believed that if a woman held a frog in her mouth during sexual intercourse she would not become pregnant
The Bad: Some sections seemed to drag on a bit, especially the chapter on eels. There is quite a bit of discussion of different research projects that are quite grisly… I understand the benefit and need to know about them but I really didn’t want to read about all the horrible things people have done to animals.
Wish there was more on aquatic creatures and just longer in general!
Each chapter is focused on a different animal and there is lots of great information. The author discusses myths and legends and proceeds to debunk most of them through meticulous research and an engaging voice. There is also lots of history and information on different research projects that have been conducted over time 7/10
The Good: This book is so interesting!! The author does a fabulous job at presenting lots of information in a fun and constantly interesting way. Below are some of my favorite facts presented throughout the book:
Sloths only poop once a week
Male adelie penguins are one of the most horny creatures on earth and have been known to mate with frozen corpses
Vultures have such extremely acidic stomachs that it enables them to ear carrion and this is actually a huge defensive benefit to us because it helps to prevent the spread of many horrible diseases
Female hyena have the largest clitoris of all animals and are extremely dominant and intelligent animals
Moose have been known to gorge on “drunken fruit” and get quite happy themselves
To this day, nobody has been able to figure out how eels reproduce
Wayyyy back people believed that if a woman held a frog in her mouth during sexual intercourse she would not become pregnant
The Bad: Some sections seemed to drag on a bit, especially the chapter on eels. There is quite a bit of discussion of different research projects that are quite grisly… I understand the benefit and need to know about them but I really didn’t want to read about all the horrible things people have done to animals.
Wish there was more on aquatic creatures and just longer in general!
June 10, 2018
A book about animals and their odd behaviours? Count me in! "The Truth About Animals" by Lucy Cooke takes us on a worldwide journey to meet everyone from a Colombian hippo castrator to a Chinese panda porn peddler, all to lay bare the secret--and often hilarious--habits of the animal kingdom. Charming and at times downright weird, this modern bestiary is perfect for anyone who has ever suspected that virtue might be unnatural (from synopsis).
This is such a unique and fascinating read, full of interesting information that I haven't come across in any other books. Perfect for those who enjoy learning about animals, fact lovers and those seeking a lighthearted and super-funny read. Some of the facts could be considered crude, so it isn't something to purchase if you are prudish.
Cooke maintains that we have many misconceptions about animals and makes a conscious effort to correct these within this title. I feel that once people know some of these stories that they will want to know more. I sincerely hope Cooke writes another similar book, she has certainly found a niche. There is noone else I know making such excellent books, full of the oddities that exist in the animal kingdom. Although this is non-fiction, I feel strongly that a vast swathe of fiction-only readers would appreciate it too. The reason people usually give for not wanting to venture back into non-fiction is that the genre is dull. "The Truth About Animals" will change your mind! It is far from boring! I adored it!
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Perseus Books, Basic Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This is such a unique and fascinating read, full of interesting information that I haven't come across in any other books. Perfect for those who enjoy learning about animals, fact lovers and those seeking a lighthearted and super-funny read. Some of the facts could be considered crude, so it isn't something to purchase if you are prudish.
Cooke maintains that we have many misconceptions about animals and makes a conscious effort to correct these within this title. I feel that once people know some of these stories that they will want to know more. I sincerely hope Cooke writes another similar book, she has certainly found a niche. There is noone else I know making such excellent books, full of the oddities that exist in the animal kingdom. Although this is non-fiction, I feel strongly that a vast swathe of fiction-only readers would appreciate it too. The reason people usually give for not wanting to venture back into non-fiction is that the genre is dull. "The Truth About Animals" will change your mind! It is far from boring! I adored it!
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Perseus Books, Basic Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
August 12, 2018
This book is the myth buster for the animal kingdom focusing mostly on those animals that cause revulsion like eels, bats, hyenas, vultures but also includes the cuties of the animal world such as hippos, chimps, penguins and pandas.
For me the book started off on the wrong foot, (or is it animal?) as I don’t find eels all that fascinating but I very quickly realised that this is a meticulously researched yet accessible book with just enough humour to make this fun as well as education.
From perverted penguins, beaver testicle tax, the moon migration of birds, the link between hippos and Pablo Escobar, frogs as pregnancy tests and so much more, the book is filled to the brim with interesting facts and myths.
We should not laugh at the early explorers’ misconceptions as our society is still full of misunderstandings and fake news. What we can laugh at are the drawings of these early explorers. Some of these looked like 5-year olds letting loose with crayons (I am specifically referring to the sloth picture here)
Also, hats off to the author for trying out some fantastical things while writing this book. From parasailing with vultures to trying frog smoothies.
Absolutely recommended
For me the book started off on the wrong foot, (or is it animal?) as I don’t find eels all that fascinating but I very quickly realised that this is a meticulously researched yet accessible book with just enough humour to make this fun as well as education.
From perverted penguins, beaver testicle tax, the moon migration of birds, the link between hippos and Pablo Escobar, frogs as pregnancy tests and so much more, the book is filled to the brim with interesting facts and myths.
We should not laugh at the early explorers’ misconceptions as our society is still full of misunderstandings and fake news. What we can laugh at are the drawings of these early explorers. Some of these looked like 5-year olds letting loose with crayons (I am specifically referring to the sloth picture here)
Also, hats off to the author for trying out some fantastical things while writing this book. From parasailing with vultures to trying frog smoothies.
Absolutely recommended
April 29, 2022
With The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife trained zoologist, award-winning documentary film producer and now author Lucy Cooke introduces and showcases thirteen diverse animal species (from freshwater eels to chimpanzees) to not only give readers detailed and informative (engagingly recounted) portraits of the latter, but to also and equally demonstrate how our own actions and behaviours, how mankind's approaches to wildlife (and how human superstition and our tendencies to anthropomorphise and impose our often restrictive moral and ethical codes on other animal species) have often lead to major misunderstandings regarding the lives, the purposes and the general roles in a given ecosystem for animal species such as sloths, bats, hyenas, vultures etc. (that we are very quick to both condemn and even sometimes strive to actively annihilate animal species that we consider to be imbued with such negative human personality traits as cruelty, laziness, even the potential for evil, although in the majority of cases, these animal groups are both perfectly suited and adapted to and for their habitats and yes, like for example with bats, hyenas and vultures actually do play important general roles keeping vermin in check by devouring billions of insects or preventing the spread of disease by scavenging, by consuming mostly or primarily flesh from the deceased, from animal and yes, if unburied, even human corpses).
Now while I was reading The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife, it also became rather painfully obvious that in particular natural philosophers and scientists have sadly and frustratingly over the millennia, over the centuries been some of the absolutely worst offenders and villains with regard to imposing human characteristics, human superstitions, fears and animosities on animal species other than ourselves (claiming, for example, that beavers were socially organised construction companies and that bats supposedly were sexually deviant, even though their sexual practices are actually very much like our own, for bats as a species are in fact more closely related to primates and thus also to us, to humans, than to ANY other mammal species), not to mention the already alluded to above vehement and silly opposition to and often active hatred of scavengers (even though they provide such an important and essential general global service).
But even more problematic is the sad and true fact that for "science" for "discovery" both amateurs and professionals have repeatedly both then and also still sometimes even now often viciously and cruelly tortured the very same animals they have been studying. And yes, I was rather unpleasantly surprised and disgusted at and by this (although in retrospect, I probably should not have been) when I read about the multiple instances of "scientists" actively and very much deliberately maiming, blinding, deafening bats in order to study how they hear and how they fly at night, or that before we figured out that many birds migrate in the fall to warmer climates, there was for example the idea floated around that swallows submerged themselves in water to wait out the winter, and of course this was then tested by deliberately drowning the poor birds and then trying to (and of course unsuccessfully) revive them (and while I have indeed found all of this presented factual information most interesting and enlightening, it has also proved infuriating, and even though I do very highly recommend The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife I do leave a caveat that many of the human "mistakes" and misunderstandings regarding animals will make those of you who love animals and want to protect and help animals at best a trifle upset, although I still do absolutely and highly commend Lucy Cooke for both detailing these experiments of what I can only call terrorism towards animals and that she is also always both ready and willing to vociferously condemn and disparage even those scientists and natural philosophers whom many of us seem to somehow consider heroic and proverbial sacred cows and thus above and beyond criticism, such as Carl Linnaeus, Charles Darwin, Georges Cuvier, Aristotle just to name a few).
Highly recommended, and yes, a fun, engaging, informative (and also never tedious, never dragging or monotonous reading experience) The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife has been (with the detailed footnotes/endnotes and bibliography at the back and that the latter is in fact divided into specific sections corresponding to Lucy Cooke's presented chapters being both appreciated and very much an added bonus). But truth be told, I did kind of already expect there to be an included bibliography in The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife (just because of the subject matter at hand and that Lucy Cooke is obviously not just presenting her personal observations but also her own secondary research), but from my own academic point of departure, especially this here particular bibliography really does totally shine, and mostly because of the way it is organised, as I have always found that bibliographies based on a book's chapters or sections considerably easier and much more user-friendly to consult for especially supplemental research purposes than those bibliographies that just appear as one large and all encompassing list.
Now while I was reading The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife, it also became rather painfully obvious that in particular natural philosophers and scientists have sadly and frustratingly over the millennia, over the centuries been some of the absolutely worst offenders and villains with regard to imposing human characteristics, human superstitions, fears and animosities on animal species other than ourselves (claiming, for example, that beavers were socially organised construction companies and that bats supposedly were sexually deviant, even though their sexual practices are actually very much like our own, for bats as a species are in fact more closely related to primates and thus also to us, to humans, than to ANY other mammal species), not to mention the already alluded to above vehement and silly opposition to and often active hatred of scavengers (even though they provide such an important and essential general global service).
But even more problematic is the sad and true fact that for "science" for "discovery" both amateurs and professionals have repeatedly both then and also still sometimes even now often viciously and cruelly tortured the very same animals they have been studying. And yes, I was rather unpleasantly surprised and disgusted at and by this (although in retrospect, I probably should not have been) when I read about the multiple instances of "scientists" actively and very much deliberately maiming, blinding, deafening bats in order to study how they hear and how they fly at night, or that before we figured out that many birds migrate in the fall to warmer climates, there was for example the idea floated around that swallows submerged themselves in water to wait out the winter, and of course this was then tested by deliberately drowning the poor birds and then trying to (and of course unsuccessfully) revive them (and while I have indeed found all of this presented factual information most interesting and enlightening, it has also proved infuriating, and even though I do very highly recommend The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife I do leave a caveat that many of the human "mistakes" and misunderstandings regarding animals will make those of you who love animals and want to protect and help animals at best a trifle upset, although I still do absolutely and highly commend Lucy Cooke for both detailing these experiments of what I can only call terrorism towards animals and that she is also always both ready and willing to vociferously condemn and disparage even those scientists and natural philosophers whom many of us seem to somehow consider heroic and proverbial sacred cows and thus above and beyond criticism, such as Carl Linnaeus, Charles Darwin, Georges Cuvier, Aristotle just to name a few).
Highly recommended, and yes, a fun, engaging, informative (and also never tedious, never dragging or monotonous reading experience) The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife has been (with the detailed footnotes/endnotes and bibliography at the back and that the latter is in fact divided into specific sections corresponding to Lucy Cooke's presented chapters being both appreciated and very much an added bonus). But truth be told, I did kind of already expect there to be an included bibliography in The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife (just because of the subject matter at hand and that Lucy Cooke is obviously not just presenting her personal observations but also her own secondary research), but from my own academic point of departure, especially this here particular bibliography really does totally shine, and mostly because of the way it is organised, as I have always found that bibliographies based on a book's chapters or sections considerably easier and much more user-friendly to consult for especially supplemental research purposes than those bibliographies that just appear as one large and all encompassing list.
September 22, 2018
Everything that you thought that knew about cute penguins, adorable pandas and the utterly chilled out sloths, was probably wrong. When you see photos or videos of animals doing human type things we tend to put human personalities and our morals on animals and it really doesn't work. They have their own tales to tell us and in a lot of cases the truth is much much stranger than the fiction.
Cooke is the founder of the Sloth Appreciation Society and they make an appearance in here as she dispels the myths about them being lazy and explains the crucial part they play in the ecosystems in the forests that they live in. We will learn why vultures crap on their own legs, which animals partake in prostitution and necrophilia. How pandas are not as sex adverse as we think that they are and what happens when they stop being cute. Lots of animals were considered to appear from out of the mud at the bottom of ponds, including frogs and eels and swallows were though to stay at the bottom of ponds over winter and appear each spring. Migration was only properly discovered when a stork turned up with a spear from an African warrior in its neck. If you want to know why an African Hippo is making itself at home in Columbia and what they are actually closely related to and also to find out if moose are actually drunken reprobates then this is a good place to start.
I am not sure that science books are meant to make to laugh out loud and chuckle away to yourself, but this did. Cooke dispels lots of myths and uncovers secrets about her selected animals so of which have been suppressed for almost 100 years. It is an enjoyable popular science book that still has its foundations in serious research in seeking to understand just what makes animals do what they do. 3.5 Stars
Cooke is the founder of the Sloth Appreciation Society and they make an appearance in here as she dispels the myths about them being lazy and explains the crucial part they play in the ecosystems in the forests that they live in. We will learn why vultures crap on their own legs, which animals partake in prostitution and necrophilia. How pandas are not as sex adverse as we think that they are and what happens when they stop being cute. Lots of animals were considered to appear from out of the mud at the bottom of ponds, including frogs and eels and swallows were though to stay at the bottom of ponds over winter and appear each spring. Migration was only properly discovered when a stork turned up with a spear from an African warrior in its neck. If you want to know why an African Hippo is making itself at home in Columbia and what they are actually closely related to and also to find out if moose are actually drunken reprobates then this is a good place to start.
I am not sure that science books are meant to make to laugh out loud and chuckle away to yourself, but this did. Cooke dispels lots of myths and uncovers secrets about her selected animals so of which have been suppressed for almost 100 years. It is an enjoyable popular science book that still has its foundations in serious research in seeking to understand just what makes animals do what they do. 3.5 Stars
March 12, 2024
Mar 10, 945am ~~ Review asap.
Mar 11, 5pm ~~ I enjoyed this collection of unusual facts about animals, none of which I ever remember being mentioned on any of the nature programs I remember watching as a youngster. The chapters cover such animals as eels, sloths, moose, pandas, and penguins to name a few. It was entertaining and educational. (I know I will never think of vanilla flavoring in foods quite the same way ever again after that chapter about beavers.)
As usual with any non-fiction book about animals, I was overwhelmed at Man's cruelty and lack of simple respect for any creature. Some of the experiments done in the name of science over the years were sickening. But Man has to know how things tick, even if he destroys the very creature he is trying to learn about. Sigh.
The author has a masters degree in zoology, and she has a way with words. Thanks to that mix, I found this book very hard to put down. I had hoped to read another book by LC immediately after this one, but I found it a bit more weighted on the zoology side of things and I could not get caught up in it at this point. So I will save Bitch: On the Female of the Species and try again Someday when Real Life allows me more of a chance to relax and remember that I do usually understand most of the 'big words'.
Mar 11, 5pm ~~ I enjoyed this collection of unusual facts about animals, none of which I ever remember being mentioned on any of the nature programs I remember watching as a youngster. The chapters cover such animals as eels, sloths, moose, pandas, and penguins to name a few. It was entertaining and educational. (I know I will never think of vanilla flavoring in foods quite the same way ever again after that chapter about beavers.)
As usual with any non-fiction book about animals, I was overwhelmed at Man's cruelty and lack of simple respect for any creature. Some of the experiments done in the name of science over the years were sickening. But Man has to know how things tick, even if he destroys the very creature he is trying to learn about. Sigh.
The author has a masters degree in zoology, and she has a way with words. Thanks to that mix, I found this book very hard to put down. I had hoped to read another book by LC immediately after this one, but I found it a bit more weighted on the zoology side of things and I could not get caught up in it at this point. So I will save Bitch: On the Female of the Species and try again Someday when Real Life allows me more of a chance to relax and remember that I do usually understand most of the 'big words'.
May 11, 2019
Dear Lucy Cooke (and other popular science writers),
I am enjoying your book enormously, as I did The Little Book of Sloth, thanks very much. You're not a USian, so this is an easier-to-explain mistake, but "Fox News" is not a news channel, it is an entertainment channel, which means you should be skeptical of anything "reported" by them on air. If it's an amusing anecdotes about how stupid someone is, a popular theme, then it's sure to be bogus, maybe entirely, but certainly in all important details. I mention this to you, because you probably care about the credibility of your book, which clearly is less of an issue for your US publisher, Basic Books.
Less than five minutes with Google will get you to Snopes and a brief but thorough account of how the only truth in your two sentences is that a German couple attended a fertility clinic. Storks are a later embellishment to the story.
Please fix this before the next addition, because your book really is a fun demonstration of science as a process, chock full of bizarre theories and stranger facts. The stories of credulous writers in the past repeating outrageous claims made by other writers is sure to inspire a feeling of smugness in your readers that you probably don't want them to feel towards you (although it is an accurate demonstration: you probably had a fact-checker who confirmed that Fox had repeated the story but didn't check out Fox's source nor sought out evidence that it was an urban legend).
More later: I haven't even gotten to the pandas yet.
***
That is both an upper and a downer. Cooke has chosen to focus on species that challenge both the conventional wisdom and the science reporting on animals, and it is fascinating. The Comte de Buffon is a treasure trove of strong opinions which are hideously misguided, good solid eye-rolling fun. But it's not just 18th century natural philosophers who are wrong, oh no, bubble-boy. There's a parade of wrongness since the earliest writers to the folks in the field right this minute. Certainly there's lots I thought I knew that ain't necessarily so. There's errors in the field, assuming one population of a species is interchangeable with all, there are errors born of insufficient observation, and errors in reporting, and so very many errors in assumptions. As I mentioned before, the world needs more science writing that shows how theories evolve (or fail to).
Tl,dnr: humans aren't special in any of the ways we've ever thought, except our (so far as we currently know) unique ability to eradicate other species. Cooke is now one of my favorite nonfiction writers, up there with Bill Bryson and Mary Roach.
Library copy
I am enjoying your book enormously, as I did The Little Book of Sloth, thanks very much. You're not a USian, so this is an easier-to-explain mistake, but "Fox News" is not a news channel, it is an entertainment channel, which means you should be skeptical of anything "reported" by them on air. If it's an amusing anecdotes about how stupid someone is, a popular theme, then it's sure to be bogus, maybe entirely, but certainly in all important details. I mention this to you, because you probably care about the credibility of your book, which clearly is less of an issue for your US publisher, Basic Books.
Less than five minutes with Google will get you to Snopes and a brief but thorough account of how the only truth in your two sentences is that a German couple attended a fertility clinic. Storks are a later embellishment to the story.
Please fix this before the next addition, because your book really is a fun demonstration of science as a process, chock full of bizarre theories and stranger facts. The stories of credulous writers in the past repeating outrageous claims made by other writers is sure to inspire a feeling of smugness in your readers that you probably don't want them to feel towards you (although it is an accurate demonstration: you probably had a fact-checker who confirmed that Fox had repeated the story but didn't check out Fox's source nor sought out evidence that it was an urban legend).
More later: I haven't even gotten to the pandas yet.
***
That is both an upper and a downer. Cooke has chosen to focus on species that challenge both the conventional wisdom and the science reporting on animals, and it is fascinating. The Comte de Buffon is a treasure trove of strong opinions which are hideously misguided, good solid eye-rolling fun. But it's not just 18th century natural philosophers who are wrong, oh no, bubble-boy. There's a parade of wrongness since the earliest writers to the folks in the field right this minute. Certainly there's lots I thought I knew that ain't necessarily so. There's errors in the field, assuming one population of a species is interchangeable with all, there are errors born of insufficient observation, and errors in reporting, and so very many errors in assumptions. As I mentioned before, the world needs more science writing that shows how theories evolve (or fail to).
Tl,dnr: humans aren't special in any of the ways we've ever thought, except our (so far as we currently know) unique ability to eradicate other species. Cooke is now one of my favorite nonfiction writers, up there with Bill Bryson and Mary Roach.
Library copy
January 24, 2020
Sen nebiju tā smējusies lasot populārzinātnisko grāmatu. Daudz jaunu faktu un mītu par dzīvniekiem atmaskojumu. Autore apvienojusi gan seno pētnieku radītās pasakas par dzīvniekiem,gan arī jaunāko laiku zinātnieku pieļautās kļūdas. Lasot šo grāmatu var uzzināt,ka vardes turēšana mutē nav efektīgs kontracepcijas līdzeklis (šokējošs atklājums), putni nelido pārziemot uz Mēnesi, maitu lijas nevēlas sadarboties ar policiju līķu meklēšanā, bebri briesmu gadījumā neveic sevis kastrēšanu un daudzus citus aizraujošus faktus. Visinteresantākā likās nodaļa par aļņiem un pingvīniem. Aļņi,kā izrādās, mēdz saēsties puvušus ābolus un apreibt, kas vēlāk izvēršas sabiedriskās kārtības traucēšanā un publiskās seksuālās aktivitātēs. Pingvīnu seksuālā dzīve, kā izrādās, ietver arī krāpšanu, prostitūciju un pat nekrofīliju.
Grāmatā var izlasīt lietas par dzīvniekiem,ko diez vai atradīsiet pamatskolas bioloģijas mācību grāmatās.
Grāmatā var izlasīt lietas par dzīvniekiem,ko diez vai atradīsiet pamatskolas bioloģijas mācību grāmatās.
June 24, 2024
O carte foarte interesantă și în același timp amuzantă. Vă prezint câteva curiozătăți:
1.) Mult timp s-a crezut că hipopotamii secretă sânge prin piele. Nu e sânge, ci un amestec de polimeri ce absoarbe radiația ultravioletă. Hipopotamii secretă cremă de protecție solară.
2.) Mereu mi-am imaginat liliecii aproape orbi. Dar există specii de liliac frugivore cu o vedere cromatică de două ori mai bună decât cea a omului.
3.) Pâgănii sărbătoreau fertilitatea în timpul solstițiului de vară, prilej pentru multă iubire. Nouă luni mai târziu, primăvara, venirea pe lume a copiilor coincidea cu sosirea berzelor. Așa au ajuns berzele să fie asociate cu fertilitatea.
4.) Biologia moleculară a arătat că ruda cea mai apropiată a hipopotamului este balena. Are mai mult sens dacă ne gândim că balenele au în istorie strămoși tereștri și semiacvatici.
Recomand
1.) Mult timp s-a crezut că hipopotamii secretă sânge prin piele. Nu e sânge, ci un amestec de polimeri ce absoarbe radiația ultravioletă. Hipopotamii secretă cremă de protecție solară.
2.) Mereu mi-am imaginat liliecii aproape orbi. Dar există specii de liliac frugivore cu o vedere cromatică de două ori mai bună decât cea a omului.
3.) Pâgănii sărbătoreau fertilitatea în timpul solstițiului de vară, prilej pentru multă iubire. Nouă luni mai târziu, primăvara, venirea pe lume a copiilor coincidea cu sosirea berzelor. Așa au ajuns berzele să fie asociate cu fertilitatea.
4.) Biologia moleculară a arătat că ruda cea mai apropiată a hipopotamului este balena. Are mai mult sens dacă ne gândim că balenele au în istorie strămoși tereștri și semiacvatici.
Recomand
June 25, 2019
The bestest everest!
“We are an insecure species, seeking reassurance about our behaviour from drunk moose and busy beavers, and quick to condemn those creatures that don't conform to our moral code like indolent sloths, cruel hyenas and dirty vultures. Our discomfort with the truth about these animals reveals a great deal about our hopes as well as our fears.”
“We are an insecure species, seeking reassurance about our behaviour from drunk moose and busy beavers, and quick to condemn those creatures that don't conform to our moral code like indolent sloths, cruel hyenas and dirty vultures. Our discomfort with the truth about these animals reveals a great deal about our hopes as well as our fears.”
February 28, 2023
Let’s find out the real truths about animals, shall we? No more of this fake animal news.
That’s what this book is all about. Lucy Cooke mows down all the absurd beliefs about animals we have held all our lives, as well as the preposterous beliefs shared in years past, but also shares all the equally ridiculous, but true, facts about animals. She takes on all our favorites—-pandas, hippos, bats, penguins, and more.
More, more, more, please.
That’s what this book is all about. Lucy Cooke mows down all the absurd beliefs about animals we have held all our lives, as well as the preposterous beliefs shared in years past, but also shares all the equally ridiculous, but true, facts about animals. She takes on all our favorites—-pandas, hippos, bats, penguins, and more.
More, more, more, please.
July 2, 2019
Šo grāmatu klausījos audioversijā un tādēļ tās “izlasīšana” man prasīja pusgadu. Nav jau tā, ka viņa nav interesanta, patiesībā es viņu noklausījos četros piegājienos. Pie vainas bija grāmatas autore kā grāmatas priekšā lasītāja. Viņa ar lasīšanu nodarbojās tik pārspīlēti entuziastiski, padarot klausīšanās procesu knapi paciešamu, tādēļ nācās dozēt.
Pasaule ir brīnumu pilna, un vēl brīnumaināki ir viduslaiku bestiāriji, kuros dzīvniekiem tiek piedēvētas cilvēku īpašības, morāles normas un sabiedrības iezīmes. Leģendas mijas ar patiesību un, protams, ka nekas nespēj pārspļaut to, kāda ir dzīvnieku dzīve īstenībā. Autore cenšas spiest uz kontrastiem sagraujot lasītāja nezinātniskos un uz neko nebalstītās ekspektācijas par kāda dzīvnieka dabu.
Lai neizplūstu slavas himnās un neizskatītos pēc pielīdēja, teikšu uzreiz, šī ir viena no labākajām dzīvnieku pasaulei veltītajām grāmatām, kuras man ir nācies lasīt. Te lasītājam ir jāķepurojas interesantu faktu plūdos, bet aiz visas smiešanās un ironizēšanas slēpjas pavisam nopietns stāsts par bioloģisko diversifikāciju, sugu apdraudējumu un to, ka diez vai procesi, kurus cilvēce ir uzsākusi, būs atgriežami pirmsindustriālā stāvoklī. Bet nu par lietām, kuras es uzzināju.
Pandas – no zoodārzu rūgtās pieredzes visiem ir skaidri zināms, ka pandas ir absolūti nederīgs radījums. Tas pat nespēj lāgā vairoties, toties ir dikti smuks un jauks lāčuks. Liela daļa cilvēku pat nenojauš, ka tas nesmādē gaļu un ka tā vairošanās spēju neveicina pat pandu porno skatīšanās. Savvaļas pandas ir pavisam cits stāsts, tur viņas vairojas uz nebēdu, plēšas savā starpā un dzīvo lāča cienīgu dzīvi.
Stārķi – stārķi vairs neemigrē uz siltajām zemēm, bet uz Spānijas atkritumu izgāztuvēm, breksits visticamāk pieliks punktu to populācijas atjaunošanas mēģinājumiem Lielbritānijā. Iedomājies, tur ved pamestos poļu stārķus! Briti vispār ir pacentušies ar savējo iznīcināšanu, jo savulaik stārķa ligzda pie mājas norādīja uz sakariem ar pašu nelabo. Skaidrs, ka ilgi putni tur izvilkt nevarēja. Bonusā stāsts par putnu migrācijas evolūciju.
Zuši – jau no izseniem laikiem galvenā cilvēku problēma bija zušu izcelšanās noskaidrošanu. Neviens nekad nav redzējis mazu zuti. Un vienmēr atradās kāds, kuru nodarbināja zušu ģenitāliju meklēšana, tika izsludinātas prēmijas, bet velti. Nevar teikt, ka mūsdienu atbilde “Sargasu jūra” ir pilnīga.
Bebri – par bebru, kurš bēgot no mednieka, nokož savus pautus droši vien zina visi. Renesanses zinātnieki pat mēģināja parādīt bebrus kā tādu alternatīvu civilizācijas veidu. Bet mūsdienās bebru izdalījumus izmanto konditorijā un parfimērijā kā vaniļas aizstājēju.
Vēl jau varētu pastāstīt par Sliņķiem, Nīlzirgiem, Sikspārņiem, Maitasputniem, Hiēnām un Pingvīniem, bet es tomēr ieteiktu izlasīt šo grāmatu katram pašam. Tas būs aizraujošs piedzīvojums 10 no 10 ballēm.
Episka un izcila.
Pasaule ir brīnumu pilna, un vēl brīnumaināki ir viduslaiku bestiāriji, kuros dzīvniekiem tiek piedēvētas cilvēku īpašības, morāles normas un sabiedrības iezīmes. Leģendas mijas ar patiesību un, protams, ka nekas nespēj pārspļaut to, kāda ir dzīvnieku dzīve īstenībā. Autore cenšas spiest uz kontrastiem sagraujot lasītāja nezinātniskos un uz neko nebalstītās ekspektācijas par kāda dzīvnieka dabu.
Lai neizplūstu slavas himnās un neizskatītos pēc pielīdēja, teikšu uzreiz, šī ir viena no labākajām dzīvnieku pasaulei veltītajām grāmatām, kuras man ir nācies lasīt. Te lasītājam ir jāķepurojas interesantu faktu plūdos, bet aiz visas smiešanās un ironizēšanas slēpjas pavisam nopietns stāsts par bioloģisko diversifikāciju, sugu apdraudējumu un to, ka diez vai procesi, kurus cilvēce ir uzsākusi, būs atgriežami pirmsindustriālā stāvoklī. Bet nu par lietām, kuras es uzzināju.
Pandas – no zoodārzu rūgtās pieredzes visiem ir skaidri zināms, ka pandas ir absolūti nederīgs radījums. Tas pat nespēj lāgā vairoties, toties ir dikti smuks un jauks lāčuks. Liela daļa cilvēku pat nenojauš, ka tas nesmādē gaļu un ka tā vairošanās spēju neveicina pat pandu porno skatīšanās. Savvaļas pandas ir pavisam cits stāsts, tur viņas vairojas uz nebēdu, plēšas savā starpā un dzīvo lāča cienīgu dzīvi.
Stārķi – stārķi vairs neemigrē uz siltajām zemēm, bet uz Spānijas atkritumu izgāztuvēm, breksits visticamāk pieliks punktu to populācijas atjaunošanas mēģinājumiem Lielbritānijā. Iedomājies, tur ved pamestos poļu stārķus! Briti vispār ir pacentušies ar savējo iznīcināšanu, jo savulaik stārķa ligzda pie mājas norādīja uz sakariem ar pašu nelabo. Skaidrs, ka ilgi putni tur izvilkt nevarēja. Bonusā stāsts par putnu migrācijas evolūciju.
Zuši – jau no izseniem laikiem galvenā cilvēku problēma bija zušu izcelšanās noskaidrošanu. Neviens nekad nav redzējis mazu zuti. Un vienmēr atradās kāds, kuru nodarbināja zušu ģenitāliju meklēšana, tika izsludinātas prēmijas, bet velti. Nevar teikt, ka mūsdienu atbilde “Sargasu jūra” ir pilnīga.
Bebri – par bebru, kurš bēgot no mednieka, nokož savus pautus droši vien zina visi. Renesanses zinātnieki pat mēģināja parādīt bebrus kā tādu alternatīvu civilizācijas veidu. Bet mūsdienās bebru izdalījumus izmanto konditorijā un parfimērijā kā vaniļas aizstājēju.
Vēl jau varētu pastāstīt par Sliņķiem, Nīlzirgiem, Sikspārņiem, Maitasputniem, Hiēnām un Pingvīniem, bet es tomēr ieteiktu izlasīt šo grāmatu katram pašam. Tas būs aizraujošs piedzīvojums 10 no 10 ballēm.
Episka un izcila.
June 26, 2018
This book did not give me what I expected and the reason is because I think this book was aimed at people who are looking for an unusual insight to the animal kingdom, which I already have since I'm on my second degree in an animal science-based degree. Nevertheless, there were some really good facts in here - I won't say what because, spoilers!
The animals covered included some of my favourites; freshwater eels, pandas and frogs. The writing seemed largely anecdotal and some parts read like they were setting the scene for a fictional story - something I wouldn't want in a non-fiction book. The main issue for me was the disparaging remarks about significant figures like Charles Darwin and Carl Linnaeus, implying that their work contained too many errors; if like Carl Linnaeus you devise an entire classification system for cataloguing the entire world's living creatures, there's bound to be the odd error here and there - hell, scientists continue to rearrange and reclassify species following major research but that doesn't make the work by Linnaeus wrong!
There were some references to additional reading that I definitely intend to have a look into, because that is one of the things I love about non-fiction books on animals - the reference list! For those looking for a fun 'Did You Know' read about animals, with a fair amount of history thrown in, this is excellent. For me, this felt like an opportunity to showcase the animals the author has an affinity for in a very positive light but the chapters covering some other species were littered with derogatory remarks regarding the species' worth.
This was the best quote in this book: "science is not going to save biodiversity; a shift in human behaviour is the only thing that is going to save it" - unfortunately, this hits the nail on the head.
The animals covered included some of my favourites; freshwater eels, pandas and frogs. The writing seemed largely anecdotal and some parts read like they were setting the scene for a fictional story - something I wouldn't want in a non-fiction book. The main issue for me was the disparaging remarks about significant figures like Charles Darwin and Carl Linnaeus, implying that their work contained too many errors; if like Carl Linnaeus you devise an entire classification system for cataloguing the entire world's living creatures, there's bound to be the odd error here and there - hell, scientists continue to rearrange and reclassify species following major research but that doesn't make the work by Linnaeus wrong!
There were some references to additional reading that I definitely intend to have a look into, because that is one of the things I love about non-fiction books on animals - the reference list! For those looking for a fun 'Did You Know' read about animals, with a fair amount of history thrown in, this is excellent. For me, this felt like an opportunity to showcase the animals the author has an affinity for in a very positive light but the chapters covering some other species were littered with derogatory remarks regarding the species' worth.
This was the best quote in this book: "science is not going to save biodiversity; a shift in human behaviour is the only thing that is going to save it" - unfortunately, this hits the nail on the head.
June 24, 2019
🐧 🐧 🐧 🐧 🐧
In THE TRUTH ABOUT ANIMALS, National Geographic explorer Lucy Cooke, who has an Oxford University Masters in zoology, gives us a wild wacky informative and very funny tour of 13 different animals — bats, beavers, chimpanzees, eels, frogs, hippos, hyenas, pandas, penguins, moose, sloths, storks, and vultures. This is an utterly absorbing and laugh-out-loud guide to the Animal Kingdom that will have you spouting weird animal factoids for days.
Turns animal myths on their head, while allowing us to accompany Cooke on a worldwide trip to meet everyone from a Chinese panda porn peddler to a Colombian hippo castrator, all to educate about the animals she clearly loves.
Cooke once spent six months traveling South America solo to raise awareness about the swift extinction of amphibians and founded the Sloth Appreciation Society to promote understanding of the creatures she adores. She is also a talented filmmaker, broadcaster and photographer, who has produced and presented award-winning documentaries for Nat Geo, Discovery, PBS, BBC, and others. All in all, quite a life!
THE TRUTH ABOUT ANIMALS is highly recommended for adults who love animals and children old enough to withstand the knowledge of bat orgies, beaver ‘nads and the sex lives of eels. 5/5
Pub Date 17 Apr 2018
Thanks to Perseus Books, Basic Books and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.
#TheTruthAboutAnimals #NetGalley
In THE TRUTH ABOUT ANIMALS, National Geographic explorer Lucy Cooke, who has an Oxford University Masters in zoology, gives us a wild wacky informative and very funny tour of 13 different animals — bats, beavers, chimpanzees, eels, frogs, hippos, hyenas, pandas, penguins, moose, sloths, storks, and vultures. This is an utterly absorbing and laugh-out-loud guide to the Animal Kingdom that will have you spouting weird animal factoids for days.
Turns animal myths on their head, while allowing us to accompany Cooke on a worldwide trip to meet everyone from a Chinese panda porn peddler to a Colombian hippo castrator, all to educate about the animals she clearly loves.
Cooke once spent six months traveling South America solo to raise awareness about the swift extinction of amphibians and founded the Sloth Appreciation Society to promote understanding of the creatures she adores. She is also a talented filmmaker, broadcaster and photographer, who has produced and presented award-winning documentaries for Nat Geo, Discovery, PBS, BBC, and others. All in all, quite a life!
THE TRUTH ABOUT ANIMALS is highly recommended for adults who love animals and children old enough to withstand the knowledge of bat orgies, beaver ‘nads and the sex lives of eels. 5/5
Pub Date 17 Apr 2018
Thanks to Perseus Books, Basic Books and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.
#TheTruthAboutAnimals #NetGalley
May 3, 2018
I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.
The Truth About Animals is great fun, full of quirky, often crude facts about various animals. This is not a book for prudes! Cooke makes a conscious effort to correct sanitized, Disneyfied views on animals by bluntly discussing penguin orgies, bat penises, the allure of sloth poo, and the intriguing nature of hyena anatomy.
This is also not a book for people who are triggered by animal abuse. Cooke elaborates on the mythology around animals and how scientists in recent centuries (and decades, sadly) conducted cruel, almost senseless experimentation in the name of science. It used to be a great mystery as to where European birds went in the winter. Some believed they transformed into other winter birds, or hibernated in deep ponds (cue many horrible bird drownings to test this theory), or even migrated to the moon.
I requested this book largely because I have a deep love for sloths and wanted to read that chapter, but I ended up learning something new on about every page. Some of that information was a bit on the disturbing side--I never expected to learn of a chimpanzee's cocktail-swilling and self-pleasuring ways--but it was consistently fascinating.
The Truth About Animals is great fun, full of quirky, often crude facts about various animals. This is not a book for prudes! Cooke makes a conscious effort to correct sanitized, Disneyfied views on animals by bluntly discussing penguin orgies, bat penises, the allure of sloth poo, and the intriguing nature of hyena anatomy.
This is also not a book for people who are triggered by animal abuse. Cooke elaborates on the mythology around animals and how scientists in recent centuries (and decades, sadly) conducted cruel, almost senseless experimentation in the name of science. It used to be a great mystery as to where European birds went in the winter. Some believed they transformed into other winter birds, or hibernated in deep ponds (cue many horrible bird drownings to test this theory), or even migrated to the moon.
I requested this book largely because I have a deep love for sloths and wanted to read that chapter, but I ended up learning something new on about every page. Some of that information was a bit on the disturbing side--I never expected to learn of a chimpanzee's cocktail-swilling and self-pleasuring ways--but it was consistently fascinating.
March 15, 2024
Wspaniała podróż w głąb (nie)znanych przyzwyczajeń przedstawicieli światowej fauny. Swoisty manifest, który w sposób pasjonujący i charakterny obmywa liczne stereotypy, otwiera oczy i wzmaga głód zoologicznej wiedzy.
May 14, 2018
I love reading books by people who are passionate about their work. It easily shows in their writing and makes you eager to learn more. Cooke’s love of animals is clear and contagious in The Truth About animals.
There are 13 animals highlighted in this book. I’d have to say that my favorites were the sloth, hyena, hippo, and panda, although all of them had interesting tidbits.
Cooke’s extensive knowledge, research, and travels creates a book full of detailed information and anecdotes. And while I absolutely loved delving into all of these interesting creatures lives and habits, I have to say that Cooke’s conclusion will stay with me the longest. Her keen observation about how humans view their relationship to animals was incredibly well said and, in my opinion, very accurate.
There are 13 animals highlighted in this book. I’d have to say that my favorites were the sloth, hyena, hippo, and panda, although all of them had interesting tidbits.
Cooke’s extensive knowledge, research, and travels creates a book full of detailed information and anecdotes. And while I absolutely loved delving into all of these interesting creatures lives and habits, I have to say that Cooke’s conclusion will stay with me the longest. Her keen observation about how humans view their relationship to animals was incredibly well said and, in my opinion, very accurate.
July 15, 2018
The truth about animals is that they're fascinating and most humans don't have more than a basic understanding of the creatures we share this planet with. Using her wicked sense of humour, Oxford educated zoologist, Lucy Cooke debunks myths about some of the animal kingdom's most misunderstood residents and shows the ludicrous and sometimes barbaric lengths humans have gone to in order to better understand animals.
Think you know a lot about the sex lives of penguins, the antibacterial qualities of vulture poo or the just how well-endowed bats are? Well, think again, my friend!
Cooke brings readers into the private lives of thirteen animals and shows just how misguided (and often downright wrong) we've been about animals over the centuries. While the research side got a little heavy in places, overall, she successfully balances the information (both ancient texts and more modern beliefs) with a healthy dose of humour and it is clear that she truly loves and respects the beasties she studies.
This is an informative read but it's also peppered with truly hilarious anecdotes that will have readers giggling out loud. You can't NOT laugh about myths involving beavers pelting hunters with 'unique' missiles, chimpanzee farts, or be in awe of hippo suntan lotion or shocked by the special ingredient in some vanilla extract! (Yikes!) But I know my husband was thankful when I finally finished this book because after reading each chapter I'd regale him with funny tidbits about sloths, moose (my fav!!), pandas, eels etc. The man can only take so much of my giggle-filled updates of all things animal, apparently.
Human arrogance, rampant anthropomorphism and ignorance has proven to be detrimental and downright lethal to many animal species. From hippos to pandas, to hyenas and the slooooowww moving sloth, Cooke's knowledge, respect and love for animals is evident and hopefully readers will become more informed about the unique and fascinating creatures in this bestiary so that we can better appreciate and understand them before it's too late.
Think you know a lot about the sex lives of penguins, the antibacterial qualities of vulture poo or the just how well-endowed bats are? Well, think again, my friend!
Cooke brings readers into the private lives of thirteen animals and shows just how misguided (and often downright wrong) we've been about animals over the centuries. While the research side got a little heavy in places, overall, she successfully balances the information (both ancient texts and more modern beliefs) with a healthy dose of humour and it is clear that she truly loves and respects the beasties she studies.
This is an informative read but it's also peppered with truly hilarious anecdotes that will have readers giggling out loud. You can't NOT laugh about myths involving beavers pelting hunters with 'unique' missiles, chimpanzee farts, or be in awe of hippo suntan lotion or shocked by the special ingredient in some vanilla extract! (Yikes!) But I know my husband was thankful when I finally finished this book because after reading each chapter I'd regale him with funny tidbits about sloths, moose (my fav!!), pandas, eels etc. The man can only take so much of my giggle-filled updates of all things animal, apparently.
Human arrogance, rampant anthropomorphism and ignorance has proven to be detrimental and downright lethal to many animal species. From hippos to pandas, to hyenas and the slooooowww moving sloth, Cooke's knowledge, respect and love for animals is evident and hopefully readers will become more informed about the unique and fascinating creatures in this bestiary so that we can better appreciate and understand them before it's too late.
April 26, 2019
This book was informative, enjoyable, and easy to get through. The book is basically a history of zoology and misconceptions about certain animals, some of which were pretty wild. Cooke cites a number of sources that sound absolutely fascinating, from medieval bestiaries to
Lucy: Growing Up Human: A Chimpanzee Daughter in a Psychotherapist's Family
, the memoir of a psychotherapist who decided to raise a chimpanzee as his daughter, which apparently includes some raunchy scenes with a vacuum cleaner.
However, Cooke's sense of humor doesn't match up perfectly with mine, and I often found myself cringing at her jokes, which were largely unnecessary as the subject matter was already interesting, bizarre, and funny enough without them. She tries too hard to be cute, and on occasion misses the mark in problematic ways in her efforts to make a cheap joke. Her description of female hyenas as "the original chicks with dicks," which also uses the phrase "trans trickery," play into the misconception that trans people are trying to deceive others through their gender presentation (73). The phrasing is entirely inappropriate, using transphobic tropes to convey a misleading message about female hyenas, who are also not attempting to trick anyone, all for the sake of a rhyme and an alliterative phrase that Cooke evidently thought would be a cute way to spice up her writing. It's not cute.
Still, certainly an interesting book overall with plenty of positive features.
However, Cooke's sense of humor doesn't match up perfectly with mine, and I often found myself cringing at her jokes, which were largely unnecessary as the subject matter was already interesting, bizarre, and funny enough without them. She tries too hard to be cute, and on occasion misses the mark in problematic ways in her efforts to make a cheap joke. Her description of female hyenas as "the original chicks with dicks," which also uses the phrase "trans trickery," play into the misconception that trans people are trying to deceive others through their gender presentation (73). The phrasing is entirely inappropriate, using transphobic tropes to convey a misleading message about female hyenas, who are also not attempting to trick anyone, all for the sake of a rhyme and an alliterative phrase that Cooke evidently thought would be a cute way to spice up her writing. It's not cute.
Still, certainly an interesting book overall with plenty of positive features.
June 7, 2020
The Truth About Animals is a collection of history and latest scientific findings of 13 amazing animals that have been largely misunderstood. To name a few: sloth is not the nature's misfit but a strong survivor and a perfect result of the natural selection; The cuteness of pandas in our eyes severely distorted our understanding of the animal (sex-shy? no); Live African clawed frogs were used in the first reliable pregnancy test, and this frog species, brought by humans to the rest of the world, may be responsible for the deadly amphibian chytrid fungus that is wiping out other amphibians species all over the world.
Humans have been looking for meanings and drawing moral lessons from animals since ancient Greece. In this book, Lucy Cooke discusses that in medieval Christian literature, religious views heavily influenced the early western understanding of many animals, from the drunken moose to the penguins thought to resemble the conservative Christian family values. Anthropomorphism is the consequence of the human psych, as it reflects our false belief that we are the center of the natural world. The author criticizes China's panda conservation--the inadequacy of protecting the animals natural habitat, the focus on AI-based breeding program only, and the re-wilding of these animals has a long way to go.
Humans have been looking for meanings and drawing moral lessons from animals since ancient Greece. In this book, Lucy Cooke discusses that in medieval Christian literature, religious views heavily influenced the early western understanding of many animals, from the drunken moose to the penguins thought to resemble the conservative Christian family values. Anthropomorphism is the consequence of the human psych, as it reflects our false belief that we are the center of the natural world. The author criticizes China's panda conservation--the inadequacy of protecting the animals natural habitat, the focus on AI-based breeding program only, and the re-wilding of these animals has a long way to go.
Read
July 7, 2018This was much better than The Inner Lives of Animals, which I listened to earlier this year, though I kept thinking about one of the little takeaways from that book: why is it we insist that animals learn our language for us to communicate and we don't bother learning theirs? Cooke takes this one throughout the book, exploring how humans have conceived of animal behavior and framed it through human understand and beliefs, rather than the ones of the animals themselves. It's hilarious to read about the sex lives of penguins (no monogamy) and pandas (male pandas have peeing contests to win a mate) and sloths (no one really knows), but, we judge those things based on what we as humans see as normal. And Cooke isn't afraid to look at this both historically and through contemporary lenses.
A really great read, with tons of funny stories, and a clear love for animals throughout. My favorite sections were on the sloth -- particularly the drawings and ways that they were rendered in the past -- as well as the section on frogs and hippos. I found the chimpanzee one to be the weakest, but then again, it might be what really hooks other readers. The chimp-human connection isn't a thing that fascinates me the way it does many others.
Worth noting that for readers sensitive to depictions of animal abuse in the laboratory, this might be tough to read. Early science wasn't exactly kind to animals in the quest for "knowledge."
A really great read, with tons of funny stories, and a clear love for animals throughout. My favorite sections were on the sloth -- particularly the drawings and ways that they were rendered in the past -- as well as the section on frogs and hippos. I found the chimpanzee one to be the weakest, but then again, it might be what really hooks other readers. The chimp-human connection isn't a thing that fascinates me the way it does many others.
Worth noting that for readers sensitive to depictions of animal abuse in the laboratory, this might be tough to read. Early science wasn't exactly kind to animals in the quest for "knowledge."
May 20, 2022
This was perhaps the most interesting, and definitely the most humorous, book I’ve ever read about animals. Each chapter relates humans’ first encounters with a variety of animals and the misunderstandings about them made by early zoologists, as well as what we have learned about that particular animal since then. Humans tend to anthropomorphize animals, which has led to a lot of misunderstandings. I learned A LOT from this book thanks to the great wisdom and talented writing of Ms. Cooke. The most important thing I learned from this book is that if there is one threat to animals, it’s humans. That’s pretty sad, only this book is anything but sad. It’s a scream! When I told my husband about beavers and showed him the woodcut of one handing over his testicles to a hunter, we laughed for half an hour. It was definitely my favorite chapter. I was also amazed by what I learned about penguins, chimps, frogs and panda bears, as well as several other animals. I definitely recommend this book if you want to know about animals. You’ll both learn, and laugh, a lot.
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