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The Creative Lives of Animals
Winner of the 2023 Nautilus Book Award in the category of Animals & Nature
The surprising, fascinating, and remarkable ways that animals use creativity to thrive in their habitats
Most of us view animals through a very narrow lens, seeing only bits and pieces of beings that seem mostly peripheral to our lives. However, whether animals are building a shelter, seducing a mate, or inventing a new game, animals’ creative choices affect their social, cultural, and environmental worlds.
The Creative Lives of Animals offers readers intimate glimpses of creativity in the lives of animals, from elephants to alligators to ants. Drawing on a growing body of scientific research, Carol Gigliotti unpacks examples of creativity demonstrated by animals through the lens of the creative process, an important component of creative behavior, and offers new thinking on animal intelligence, emotion, and self-awareness. With examples of the elaborate dams built by beavers or the lavishly decorated bowers of bowerbirds, Gigliotti provides a new perspective on animals as agents in their own lives, as valuable contributors to their world and ours, and as guides in understanding how creativity may contribute to conserving the natural world. Presenting a powerful argument for the importance of recognizing animals as individuals and as creators of a healthy, biodiverse world, this book offers insights into both the established and emerging questions about the creativity of animals.
The surprising, fascinating, and remarkable ways that animals use creativity to thrive in their habitats
Most of us view animals through a very narrow lens, seeing only bits and pieces of beings that seem mostly peripheral to our lives. However, whether animals are building a shelter, seducing a mate, or inventing a new game, animals’ creative choices affect their social, cultural, and environmental worlds.
The Creative Lives of Animals offers readers intimate glimpses of creativity in the lives of animals, from elephants to alligators to ants. Drawing on a growing body of scientific research, Carol Gigliotti unpacks examples of creativity demonstrated by animals through the lens of the creative process, an important component of creative behavior, and offers new thinking on animal intelligence, emotion, and self-awareness. With examples of the elaborate dams built by beavers or the lavishly decorated bowers of bowerbirds, Gigliotti provides a new perspective on animals as agents in their own lives, as valuable contributors to their world and ours, and as guides in understanding how creativity may contribute to conserving the natural world. Presenting a powerful argument for the importance of recognizing animals as individuals and as creators of a healthy, biodiverse world, this book offers insights into both the established and emerging questions about the creativity of animals.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published November 22, 2022
19 people are currently reading
468 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
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December 11, 2022So far this book has been a discussion on animal intelligence. Apart from a brief mention of bower birds collecting pretty objects which we have all heard of a million times, there hasn't been any discussion of creativity. When we talk of creativity we are not talking of solutions to quite usual problems that animals face, but so far that is where the author is at.
I'm looking for creativity as part of culture. Thinking outside the box, song, dance, art, that sort of thing. And hopefully this extremely wordy book will discuss these at some point. For now, it's a bit of a disappointment. The reviews aren't helpful but they are almost all if not all ARC reviews and unless they are by friends whom I obviously take seriously, I don't tend to give too much credence to all the gushing and thank you for the freebie (please send more).
I'm looking for creativity as part of culture. Thinking outside the box, song, dance, art, that sort of thing. And hopefully this extremely wordy book will discuss these at some point. For now, it's a bit of a disappointment. The reviews aren't helpful but they are almost all if not all ARC reviews and unless they are by friends whom I obviously take seriously, I don't tend to give too much credence to all the gushing and thank you for the freebie (please send more).
September 20, 2022
Wonderful book. I enjoyed this immensely. Gigliotti took her time to do proper research on animal intelligence, empathy, learning skills, and creativity. While the book is about animal creativity, we do get a lot of information and examples of animals thinking abstractly, memorizing information, and using that information for future situations. Gigliotti writes about a lot of different animals, and how they express their intelligence and creativity. The second chapter focuses on animal communication, and that is my favorite chapter. Gigliotti gives an example of the complex language of prairie dogs, and how they might have their version of grammar. She highlights the importance of understanding communication in context, rather than forcing animals to learn our language. She tries to tell us the important lesson of stepping out of our human-shaped thinking. Everything we know, and are in the process of getting to know, about animals mirrors our knowledge of ourselves. While that does give great directions on what to look for, it also puts boundaries on how much we can learn about the lives of animals.
I am impressed by this book and the amount of hard work and research Gigliotti put into this. It was about time someone wrote a book on this topic. I recommend this to all the biologists out there, and others who are interested in expanding their horizons.
(Thank you to Edelweiss for the review copy.)
I am impressed by this book and the amount of hard work and research Gigliotti put into this. It was about time someone wrote a book on this topic. I recommend this to all the biologists out there, and others who are interested in expanding their horizons.
(Thank you to Edelweiss for the review copy.)
August 27, 2023
I enjoyed reading Carol Gigliotti's The Creative Live of Animals for VINE book club this month. I wanted to wait until after hearing from the author, who kindly joined us, to write this review. Hearing more from her changed some of the ways I thought about this book.
I love when people reach across fields to write about topics. It can be a mess when done poorly, but when done well, it offers a set of fresh eyes and a different voice- in this case, on animals' ways of experiencing and interacting with the greater world. Gigliotti comes to us as an artist who explores the inner and outer worlds of other animals through the lens of creativity. I believe that this is mostly done well and can create a bridge for people to experience these topics who may not seek out a more academic book. It is not that this is not an academic work. I am struggling to find the words to differentiate this work from the jargony type of text written primarily for others in one's field.
I admit that while reading this book, I found a lot of information from animal intelligence, emotion, language, sexuality, culture, etc that I had already read (though many species-specific things that I had not.) I was struggling to find what made this book stand out specifically as being about creativity itself. Each chapter is full of interesting research, well conveyed, but the descriptions of how creativity fit into the equation were too short for my taste. However, one of the things I liked about this author was the approach of acknowledging how anthropocentric definitions of various terms- including creativity and all others in this paragraph- limit us in understanding what creativity really means for other species. Looking at it that way, I could see her point that things like "intelligence" and other attributes have great overlap with creativity. The various things she chose to combine in this book also make it stand out from others in similar fields.
In terms of studies discussed, I really loved the section on prairie dog language and culture. I know I had read something about this elsewhere, but barely remembered it and it was a joy to read all of the research about these complex communication systems. I also enjoyed learning about the Moscow stray dogs who learned to use the subway systems. As a birder, my most favorite sections were on the languages and creativity of brown thrashers and gray catbirds. I've had the pleasure of listening to and watching the serenades of brown thrashers and catbirds, but had no idea how complex these songs were until this book. We often learn of these birds as "mimics" because they incorporate songs of other birds (and animals, car alarms, etc.) Would we call a composer a mimic for using notes and instruments created by others before them? These were the places I could see very clearly how "creativity" as I understand it came into play. That is not to say bird song is the same as human music- it is far more other-worldly than that in ways we will never be able to truly understand, which is part of why it is so lovely to witness. Field guides will say a species sings to "defend territory" or "attract a mate" which is in part true, but only a small part of the equation. After all, the colonizers running around shooting birds to draw them before returning home to their enslaved house mates (*cough* Audubon *cough*) used to think only male birds sang, which we now know is completely false, as is the notion that there are singular reasons why birds sing and communicate. A book written by an ornithologist might gloss over the creativity aspect which is one of many ways this book shines.
One of the best things about how research was discussed in this book was how the author never shied away from ethics. I complain frequently of how even the most animal liberation minded authors will sometimes include information from gnarly animal studies without comment, I suppose to be more accessible to the fragile colleagues who can't bear to think of a world without animals suffering in laboratory cages. Gigliotti manages to share results while adding something I have not seen said quite the way she did. She not only comments about the ethical issues with the research, but that the research itself hides results from us. Mainly, what would this creativity (or intelligence, etc) that we are studying look like if it were not forced by human hands and defined solely by us?
While listening to the author in book club, I appreciated the discussion of the creativity metric being used as a bridge to bring this information to a wider audience. People put off by words like "agency" might be more willing to read about "creativity." That made me more comfortable with some of my early confusion about what was creativity and what was not. She also shared an anecdote about another author saying something about how the greater than human world is inextricably linked with human creativity. I tried imagining the history of all creativity mediums if other animals were never present and I realized just how intricately they are woven throughout human creative mediums (in some good and not so good ways.)
All in all, I think this book adds something useful to the shelf of animal studies. I would have liked a tighter grasp and focus on creativity as it branches further away from things like intelligence, but I still learned a lot and, more importantly, learned new ways to think about the lives of myself and other animals. I would love to read a full book by the author on creativity of birds specifically in the future.
This was also posted to my blog.
I love when people reach across fields to write about topics. It can be a mess when done poorly, but when done well, it offers a set of fresh eyes and a different voice- in this case, on animals' ways of experiencing and interacting with the greater world. Gigliotti comes to us as an artist who explores the inner and outer worlds of other animals through the lens of creativity. I believe that this is mostly done well and can create a bridge for people to experience these topics who may not seek out a more academic book. It is not that this is not an academic work. I am struggling to find the words to differentiate this work from the jargony type of text written primarily for others in one's field.
I admit that while reading this book, I found a lot of information from animal intelligence, emotion, language, sexuality, culture, etc that I had already read (though many species-specific things that I had not.) I was struggling to find what made this book stand out specifically as being about creativity itself. Each chapter is full of interesting research, well conveyed, but the descriptions of how creativity fit into the equation were too short for my taste. However, one of the things I liked about this author was the approach of acknowledging how anthropocentric definitions of various terms- including creativity and all others in this paragraph- limit us in understanding what creativity really means for other species. Looking at it that way, I could see her point that things like "intelligence" and other attributes have great overlap with creativity. The various things she chose to combine in this book also make it stand out from others in similar fields.
In terms of studies discussed, I really loved the section on prairie dog language and culture. I know I had read something about this elsewhere, but barely remembered it and it was a joy to read all of the research about these complex communication systems. I also enjoyed learning about the Moscow stray dogs who learned to use the subway systems. As a birder, my most favorite sections were on the languages and creativity of brown thrashers and gray catbirds. I've had the pleasure of listening to and watching the serenades of brown thrashers and catbirds, but had no idea how complex these songs were until this book. We often learn of these birds as "mimics" because they incorporate songs of other birds (and animals, car alarms, etc.) Would we call a composer a mimic for using notes and instruments created by others before them? These were the places I could see very clearly how "creativity" as I understand it came into play. That is not to say bird song is the same as human music- it is far more other-worldly than that in ways we will never be able to truly understand, which is part of why it is so lovely to witness. Field guides will say a species sings to "defend territory" or "attract a mate" which is in part true, but only a small part of the equation. After all, the colonizers running around shooting birds to draw them before returning home to their enslaved house mates (*cough* Audubon *cough*) used to think only male birds sang, which we now know is completely false, as is the notion that there are singular reasons why birds sing and communicate. A book written by an ornithologist might gloss over the creativity aspect which is one of many ways this book shines.
One of the best things about how research was discussed in this book was how the author never shied away from ethics. I complain frequently of how even the most animal liberation minded authors will sometimes include information from gnarly animal studies without comment, I suppose to be more accessible to the fragile colleagues who can't bear to think of a world without animals suffering in laboratory cages. Gigliotti manages to share results while adding something I have not seen said quite the way she did. She not only comments about the ethical issues with the research, but that the research itself hides results from us. Mainly, what would this creativity (or intelligence, etc) that we are studying look like if it were not forced by human hands and defined solely by us?
While listening to the author in book club, I appreciated the discussion of the creativity metric being used as a bridge to bring this information to a wider audience. People put off by words like "agency" might be more willing to read about "creativity." That made me more comfortable with some of my early confusion about what was creativity and what was not. She also shared an anecdote about another author saying something about how the greater than human world is inextricably linked with human creativity. I tried imagining the history of all creativity mediums if other animals were never present and I realized just how intricately they are woven throughout human creative mediums (in some good and not so good ways.)
All in all, I think this book adds something useful to the shelf of animal studies. I would have liked a tighter grasp and focus on creativity as it branches further away from things like intelligence, but I still learned a lot and, more importantly, learned new ways to think about the lives of myself and other animals. I would love to read a full book by the author on creativity of birds specifically in the future.
This was also posted to my blog.
September 1, 2022
“We do not give meaning to the lives of animals; they are able and willing to do that themselves. They plan their future, build their homes, fabricate bowers for their beloveds, defend themselves from predators they fear, (…). Their lives have meaning for them. To their detriment and ours, we have until recently dismissed and neglected the critical importance of that knowledge.”
Genre: Science, Nonfiction
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: N/A
Content Warning: N/A
The number of science books I read in comparison to the number of fiction books I read is basically negligible. I think that’s because I already work in a science-focused area, and it’s easier to escape the pressures of being a marine zoologist by reading about made up worlds where people live extraordinarily different lives from what I’ve experienced in mine. But a science book here and there usually doesn’t disappoint.
Just by reading the premise and the introduction to this book, I was instantly reminded of Frans de Waals’s “Are We Smart Enough To Know How Smart Animals Are?”, which is one of my all-time favorite animal behaviour books. So it was no surprise to see Carol Gigliotti quoting this same book later on, on her first chapter.
Written under different prompts, this book will give you a glimpse, both through theory and case studies, into why animals do the things they do. Discussing topics like animal intelligence, communication, building, amongst other things that make animals different, yes, but not necessarily superior, to humans.
This is a well-researched, but heavy read. I would only recommend this book to readers interested in biology, ecology, and animal behaviour. If these aren’t amongst your interests, you might find this book a bit boring. In my case, it served as a reminder of why I love my field of study and why I do what I do and study what I study.
ARC provided by NetGalley and NYU Press in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: November 22, 2022
Genre: Science, Nonfiction
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: N/A
Content Warning: N/A
The number of science books I read in comparison to the number of fiction books I read is basically negligible. I think that’s because I already work in a science-focused area, and it’s easier to escape the pressures of being a marine zoologist by reading about made up worlds where people live extraordinarily different lives from what I’ve experienced in mine. But a science book here and there usually doesn’t disappoint.
Just by reading the premise and the introduction to this book, I was instantly reminded of Frans de Waals’s “Are We Smart Enough To Know How Smart Animals Are?”, which is one of my all-time favorite animal behaviour books. So it was no surprise to see Carol Gigliotti quoting this same book later on, on her first chapter.
Written under different prompts, this book will give you a glimpse, both through theory and case studies, into why animals do the things they do. Discussing topics like animal intelligence, communication, building, amongst other things that make animals different, yes, but not necessarily superior, to humans.
This is a well-researched, but heavy read. I would only recommend this book to readers interested in biology, ecology, and animal behaviour. If these aren’t amongst your interests, you might find this book a bit boring. In my case, it served as a reminder of why I love my field of study and why I do what I do and study what I study.
ARC provided by NetGalley and NYU Press in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: November 22, 2022
November 22, 2022
From Dolphins giving their self names to cuddle fish being devious this book was surprising and I learn things I never would’ve thought about animals. I knew that animals played but I didn’t know they were manipulating devious and pranksters but it’s all in this book and it’s a book I found so interesting. I thought the narrator had such a pleasant voice but the best part of this book was all the crazy things that animals do. I can listen to stories about animals all day and so this audiobook was right up my alley and I loved it! If you think animals eat sleep fight and that’s it you need to listen to this book it is so absolutely amazing! I receive this book from NetGalley and publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
August 21, 2022
I thought this was quite interesting and well-researched. I learned a lot, and while the research and findings will evolved over time, this is a nice set of highlights of what is currently known about animals and their creativity. Recommended.
Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!
Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!
September 13, 2022
This was an interesting and different way to look at animals and their lives. I enjoyed seeing them in this new way. I found the studies easy to follow and it was an enjoyable read all round.
August 25, 2023
Audio ARC provided by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Audio review: Great narrator. Easy to listen to and added plenty of nuance.
Main review: This was a marvellous book. It was genuinely enjoyable to read and tackled some of the stickier issues around animal cognition without straying into preachiness. I've seen a couple of other reviews of this book which complain that the creativity of animals discussed is not really creativity because it exists without culture. I'm assuming those reviewers did not read the book in full since it a) establishes a working definition of creativity for this context which can broadly be applied to all animals (including humans) and b) examines the fact that animals do indeed have culture. I do get frustrated with people who think that just because something doesn't fit their narrow understanding, it therefore doesn't count. Between humans and animals that has its roots in 'the exceptionalism doctrine' as regards homo sapiens (thank you very much Abrahamic religions and Western mindset for that particular pile of crap). I find that mindset both damaging and dangerous because once you've decided that animals are meatbags that happen to move with no real comprehension, emotion or sentience, it's really easy to apply that mindset to other marginalised groups eg women, other ethnic groups etc (As a decent look at history will tell us!)
Anyway, while it would be false to assume that animals think exactly like us because we are not part of their umvelt and don't share their viewpoint, going in the opposite direction and assuming that they feel nothing, have no concept of abstraction or thought processes beyond bare survival is equally problematic. Human intelligence is not the only intelligence - it may well not even be the greatest intelligence! And there are other types of creativity too as this book illustrates. I also feel that Gigliotti made an excellent point in that as humans we expect animals to learn our language when the onus ought to be on us learning theirs if we wish to understand them. And animals do have their languages both vocal and non-vocal. (Again this echoes the attitudes of European settlers expecting people to speak English or French or Spanish 'like a civilised man'. There's some parallels with a very chilling section of history here.)
Overall, this is a beautifully written, interesting and thought provoking book that should be widely read. Highly recommend.
Audio review: Great narrator. Easy to listen to and added plenty of nuance.
Main review: This was a marvellous book. It was genuinely enjoyable to read and tackled some of the stickier issues around animal cognition without straying into preachiness. I've seen a couple of other reviews of this book which complain that the creativity of animals discussed is not really creativity because it exists without culture. I'm assuming those reviewers did not read the book in full since it a) establishes a working definition of creativity for this context which can broadly be applied to all animals (including humans) and b) examines the fact that animals do indeed have culture. I do get frustrated with people who think that just because something doesn't fit their narrow understanding, it therefore doesn't count. Between humans and animals that has its roots in 'the exceptionalism doctrine' as regards homo sapiens (thank you very much Abrahamic religions and Western mindset for that particular pile of crap). I find that mindset both damaging and dangerous because once you've decided that animals are meatbags that happen to move with no real comprehension, emotion or sentience, it's really easy to apply that mindset to other marginalised groups eg women, other ethnic groups etc (As a decent look at history will tell us!)
Anyway, while it would be false to assume that animals think exactly like us because we are not part of their umvelt and don't share their viewpoint, going in the opposite direction and assuming that they feel nothing, have no concept of abstraction or thought processes beyond bare survival is equally problematic. Human intelligence is not the only intelligence - it may well not even be the greatest intelligence! And there are other types of creativity too as this book illustrates. I also feel that Gigliotti made an excellent point in that as humans we expect animals to learn our language when the onus ought to be on us learning theirs if we wish to understand them. And animals do have their languages both vocal and non-vocal. (Again this echoes the attitudes of European settlers expecting people to speak English or French or Spanish 'like a civilised man'. There's some parallels with a very chilling section of history here.)
Overall, this is a beautifully written, interesting and thought provoking book that should be widely read. Highly recommend.
December 3, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the audio version of this book. Everything I write is of my own thoughs feelings and opinions. I am not compensated in any way for my review.
I really enjoyed listening to this book. I listened to it with my six year old daughter who would ask to have me put it on so she could learn more about the animals. It drew us both in and we learned alot.
I really enjoyed listening to this book. I listened to it with my six year old daughter who would ask to have me put it on so she could learn more about the animals. It drew us both in and we learned alot.
December 30, 2022
The Creative Lives of Animals, written by Carol Gigliotti and narrated by Sheri Saginor, is a wonderful listen as well as an important statement about how we (mis)understand animals.
I listened to the audiobook and the narration was very good. Saginor kept my interest without making this seem like some dry lecture. The fact is that this is a book that presents examples from research to support an argument about how we interact with the many other species on the planet. In other words, this isn't an elementary book that just shows cute things and leaves it at that. That said, it is accessible for any reader/listener with an interest in learning more, though admittedly some who really don't want anything that forces them to, I don't know, think may be disappointed.
Also, one of the perfect examples of the anthropocentrism Gigliotti is arguing against will be those who question how far she supposedly had to stretch the idea of creativity to make her argument. In other words, anything that doesn't fit with how we, as humans, use our intelligence and creativity isn't "really" intelligence or creativity. How someone can read/listen to this book and still make such a statement without a hint of irony speaks not to this book but their passive reading skills and, likely, their level of empathy for anyone or anything different from them. Ignore them. In fact, some will even try to denigrate reviewers to make themselves appear more able to define terms than those who study and research them. Poor insecure things, again, just skip them and let them whine in peace.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in both examples of animal intelligence and creativity as well as a discussion of how a better understanding can help make the world better for all species.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
I listened to the audiobook and the narration was very good. Saginor kept my interest without making this seem like some dry lecture. The fact is that this is a book that presents examples from research to support an argument about how we interact with the many other species on the planet. In other words, this isn't an elementary book that just shows cute things and leaves it at that. That said, it is accessible for any reader/listener with an interest in learning more, though admittedly some who really don't want anything that forces them to, I don't know, think may be disappointed.
Also, one of the perfect examples of the anthropocentrism Gigliotti is arguing against will be those who question how far she supposedly had to stretch the idea of creativity to make her argument. In other words, anything that doesn't fit with how we, as humans, use our intelligence and creativity isn't "really" intelligence or creativity. How someone can read/listen to this book and still make such a statement without a hint of irony speaks not to this book but their passive reading skills and, likely, their level of empathy for anyone or anything different from them. Ignore them. In fact, some will even try to denigrate reviewers to make themselves appear more able to define terms than those who study and research them. Poor insecure things, again, just skip them and let them whine in peace.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in both examples of animal intelligence and creativity as well as a discussion of how a better understanding can help make the world better for all species.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
December 17, 2022
As someone who loves and lives with animals, I didn't need convincing that animals are creative. Yet I find my opinion stronger after reading this well researched and detailed book.
Gigliotti breaks down creativity into different elements, which in themselves are creative. For exampleIt wouldn't have occurred to me before to consider an animals mating lives as creative, but now I see it is.
Overall, an interesting read I would recommend for anyone with an interest in animals and science.
Gigliotti breaks down creativity into different elements, which in themselves are creative. For exampleIt wouldn't have occurred to me before to consider an animals mating lives as creative, but now I see it is.
Overall, an interesting read I would recommend for anyone with an interest in animals and science.
March 21, 2023
The book was an interesting and expansive collection of examples of animal creativity and activities that humans also partake in. While I was reading it I also encountered several videos (without even trying) of pets and animals in captivity exhibiting human-like behavior: from a dog trying to teach a puppy how to open a doggy-door, to a dolphin mirror playing with a human doing cartwheels. Examples of animal cognition that is very clearly human-like are expanding. And so I didn't understand why the author had to exaggerate or misrepresent scientific data.
The book unfortunately skews rather heavily at times into what sounds like propaganda (the author is clearly an animal activist and I respect that a lot). I wouldn't mind it, if the author actually presented information with a bit of constraint. It is however obvious she is not a scientist. She has a lot of evidence supporting her claim that we should stop seeing animals as "other" incapable of higher reasoning, morality, or creativity. So when she started making claims about scientific data that were different from the authors's conclusion but phrased like the scientists agree with Carol Gigliotti I got first confused, then annoyed. See the beaver dam study: The initial scientists interpretation was, as far as I could find: "the sound of running water triggers the beavers' instinct to build and plug a leak." Instead the author claims the beavers ignored the running water and in the end just buried the speakers because the sound annoyed them. And that's another recurring theme in the book: the author goes in the animals' minds somehow and knows exactly what they were thinking. Based on what? If she hadn't been trying to prove scientists wrong I'd have given the author creative freedom. But she DID try to make scientific arguments. So then she needs to follow the science.
Speaking of the science: one of the major complaints of the author is that scientists are too slow and uncreative to allow the possibility that animals minds are much more similar to ours. I mostly agree. However, the way some sentences are phrased becomes a bit grating. Too often it sounds like the author is mocking scientists for being less intelligent than her and other animal lovers. She insists on the importance of letting creativity guide us into new territory. And then she herself proves very limited in her interpretation of anecdotes. She insists so much on finding a human equivalent for an observation, that at one point a bird-scientist pushes back--and argues that anthropomorphizing animals too much may blind us to phenomena that are unique to the species/group of animals we are studying.
Overall the book had some interesting points but was too brash and at times too disorganized. I am still not clear why we spent so much time on parthenogenesis in a book about creativity. Why would a species ability to switch sex or reproduce asexually matter so much for a cognition study? If there was a reason, it wasn't clear. And there were also scientific inaccuracies so take everything with a grain of salt and verify any of the stories you may want to repeat. For example the author talks at length about the morality of wolves and their alfa to omega organization. Repeat after me: THE ALFA WOLF DOESN'T EXIST, HE IS AN INVENTION OF BAD SCIENCE. That study has been invalidated and dismantled in common press for so long it was not funny to find it taken as fact in this book. In reality wolf packs are more like family, and the alfas are practically mom and dad. So all of a sudden, a discussion on the morality of allowing a low-ranking omega to influence the decision of the pack becomes the morality of the youngest family member to influence mom and dad. It's still an interesting discussion, but different.
2.5 stars, rounded up because I feel generous today.
The book unfortunately skews rather heavily at times into what sounds like propaganda (the author is clearly an animal activist and I respect that a lot). I wouldn't mind it, if the author actually presented information with a bit of constraint. It is however obvious she is not a scientist. She has a lot of evidence supporting her claim that we should stop seeing animals as "other" incapable of higher reasoning, morality, or creativity. So when she started making claims about scientific data that were different from the authors's conclusion but phrased like the scientists agree with Carol Gigliotti I got first confused, then annoyed. See the beaver dam study: The initial scientists interpretation was, as far as I could find: "the sound of running water triggers the beavers' instinct to build and plug a leak." Instead the author claims the beavers ignored the running water and in the end just buried the speakers because the sound annoyed them. And that's another recurring theme in the book: the author goes in the animals' minds somehow and knows exactly what they were thinking. Based on what? If she hadn't been trying to prove scientists wrong I'd have given the author creative freedom. But she DID try to make scientific arguments. So then she needs to follow the science.
Speaking of the science: one of the major complaints of the author is that scientists are too slow and uncreative to allow the possibility that animals minds are much more similar to ours. I mostly agree. However, the way some sentences are phrased becomes a bit grating. Too often it sounds like the author is mocking scientists for being less intelligent than her and other animal lovers. She insists on the importance of letting creativity guide us into new territory. And then she herself proves very limited in her interpretation of anecdotes. She insists so much on finding a human equivalent for an observation, that at one point a bird-scientist pushes back--and argues that anthropomorphizing animals too much may blind us to phenomena that are unique to the species/group of animals we are studying.
Overall the book had some interesting points but was too brash and at times too disorganized. I am still not clear why we spent so much time on parthenogenesis in a book about creativity. Why would a species ability to switch sex or reproduce asexually matter so much for a cognition study? If there was a reason, it wasn't clear. And there were also scientific inaccuracies so take everything with a grain of salt and verify any of the stories you may want to repeat. For example the author talks at length about the morality of wolves and their alfa to omega organization. Repeat after me: THE ALFA WOLF DOESN'T EXIST, HE IS AN INVENTION OF BAD SCIENCE. That study has been invalidated and dismantled in common press for so long it was not funny to find it taken as fact in this book. In reality wolf packs are more like family, and the alfas are practically mom and dad. So all of a sudden, a discussion on the morality of allowing a low-ranking omega to influence the decision of the pack becomes the morality of the youngest family member to influence mom and dad. It's still an interesting discussion, but different.
2.5 stars, rounded up because I feel generous today.
January 10, 2023
This fascinating read is filled to the brim with unique examples of creative behaviors throughout the animal kingdom. Connections between animal behavior, ecology, sexuality, and sociology abound. Narrative writing style is not what I’m used to in such an academic read. I can’t say I am wholly convinced by Carol Gigliotti’s argument, but intrigued all the same. Citations and references provide for plenty of further reading related to animal behavior.
February 5, 2023
It has a promising title but doesn’t really deliver.
March 27, 2023
Thia is the first time I've read a nonfiction book and been so slapped in the face by the clear agenda of the author, though in this instance I mostly agreed with their stance I wasnt too bothered? Theres a lot of good info in here but the author loves to ask questions like "who was the first (animal) to (x interesting thing we just learned animal does)??" as if animals have tabloids and celebrities or something. While the enthusiasm for the discovery is what she's trying to get across, its such a pointless question to repeatedly ask that it made me roll my eyes. The book itself is an effort to "humanize" animals -- to extend some of the traits we veiw as exclusively human to animals, and to back that effort with research. She does this mostly through the expansion of the definition of creativity to include the well trodden association of intelligence, but also through empathy, communication, morality, and even mate selection. I don't know if I agree with her expansion of the definition of creativity on the whole, but I do agree with her main point about animal intelligence and the need for humans to knock themselves down a peg or three, so this book is definitiely worth it.
December 3, 2022
This is a delightful audiobook that is both accessible and refreshing.
I consume a lot of pop science writing on nature, in book and audiobook form, so these days I often find myself hearing/reading the same facts over and over. There are some things in 'The Creative Lives of Animals' that weren't new to me, but plenty of things that were.
Gigliotti arguably stretches the definition of "creativity" as far as it can possibly go, in order to cover pretty much every aspect of the inner and outer lives of other animals (e.g. "emotional creativity") but her case studies and examples are well-chosen and fascinating. I also appreciated the snippets of personal experience she throws in. This book is one of those "medley" ones that covers an enormous amount of ground in terms of topic and species, but she lingers long enough with enough animals to provide more than just a quick surface analysis.
I'd recommend this to anyone with an interest in the natural world.
(With thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review)
I consume a lot of pop science writing on nature, in book and audiobook form, so these days I often find myself hearing/reading the same facts over and over. There are some things in 'The Creative Lives of Animals' that weren't new to me, but plenty of things that were.
Gigliotti arguably stretches the definition of "creativity" as far as it can possibly go, in order to cover pretty much every aspect of the inner and outer lives of other animals (e.g. "emotional creativity") but her case studies and examples are well-chosen and fascinating. I also appreciated the snippets of personal experience she throws in. This book is one of those "medley" ones that covers an enormous amount of ground in terms of topic and species, but she lingers long enough with enough animals to provide more than just a quick surface analysis.
I'd recommend this to anyone with an interest in the natural world.
(With thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review)
November 4, 2022
This is an original take on animal behavior. The author examines the work of established Ethologists and asks how their findings apply to creativity. Along with language, this has been seen as exclusively human but, as Gigliotti explains, there are many examples of creativity in animals. There is music and architecture created by mammals and birds, but also insects and fish. Much of the content was familiar to me, since I read everything I can find on animal behavior, but its innovative approach makes it stand out. I enjoyed the anecdotes and specific examples and only wish that there were illustrations. Thankfully, the internet allowed me to look these up (the nests of Corolla spiders or the mating dance of the bird of paradise are magnificent). The more scientific parts were a little dry and hard to understand for me. Animal lovers will enjoy this read.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#NYU Press!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#NYU Press!
May 27, 2023
The title is misleading. The book is mostly rather flat accounts of animal intelligence and potential animal emotions without much detail. If you added up all the times the author explains that when she says, "creative lives"; she doesn't mean creative or creativity as humans understand those words or processes, that's a hefty portion of the word count right there. I suggest when you have to explain repeatedly that when you use a certain word you're using it to mean something completely different from what people think you mean, and no one but you EVER gets it, it would serve your readers better if you selected a different word that actually means what you want it to mean or you could invent a new word or phrase. (2 stars for the story about the chicken who comforted a woman.)
January 28, 2023
I hadn't heard of this book or the author before reading, but I had a feeling we were going to get along well. It was the sad story about the pigeons at the end of chapter 1 though, that had me thoroughly convinced.
The author's acknowledgement and awareness of how the pigeons were feeling and what they were communicating to one another. I thought, "By golly, this human gets it!".
It is profoundly rare. She doesn't just have a love for and a connection with animals - she has a mutual understanding and respect. It is honestly magnificent.
Thank you, kind human, for writing this book 🐦
*Free e-copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The author's acknowledgement and awareness of how the pigeons were feeling and what they were communicating to one another. I thought, "By golly, this human gets it!".
It is profoundly rare. She doesn't just have a love for and a connection with animals - she has a mutual understanding and respect. It is honestly magnificent.
Thank you, kind human, for writing this book 🐦
*Free e-copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 1, 2023
3.5. Interesting theses giving good food for thought, but I found it kind of slog to get through. 20-25 pages was the most I could do in one sitting before being compelled to switch to something else. I see it took me five weeks. That's a long time for me, especially considering the text is only 232 pages.
July 5, 2023
This was an excellent book to learn and rediscover the spectacularness of the animal world. Yes, indeed, animals live creative lives and display intelligence, play, etc. Their many ways of communication was definitely the best chapter of the book. I was fascinated!
A must read book for any animal lover.
A must read book for any animal lover.
Read
January 29, 2025Most of the content seemed only speculation about the creativity of animals, while there were only a few interesting observations of animal behavior sprinkled throughout, which was what I was mostly interested in.
January 10, 2023
I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
This book discusses what creativity is and how animals display it in their lives. The author goes into great trouble to make sure that they stay very scientific throughout the book. I had expected more examples of creativity, however, the book was more science and fact-based with a short example or two per chapter and the rest of it giving scientific backup. This left the book being more dry than I anticipated.
This is a good book for anyone who is interested in the scientific, creative lives of animals.
This book discusses what creativity is and how animals display it in their lives. The author goes into great trouble to make sure that they stay very scientific throughout the book. I had expected more examples of creativity, however, the book was more science and fact-based with a short example or two per chapter and the rest of it giving scientific backup. This left the book being more dry than I anticipated.
This is a good book for anyone who is interested in the scientific, creative lives of animals.
July 24, 2024
I thought this was more unoriginal than I hoped it would — rehashing of known information. It doesn't help that I dislike the author, but I wanted to like the book anyway.
October 14, 2024
Interesting.
Read
June 8, 2025Dnf 32%
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