Shortlisted for The Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize 2018
'Eye-opening,informative and very funny!'- Chris Packham
History is full of strange animal stories invented by the brightest and most influential,from Aristotle to DS. But when it comes to understanding animals,we've got a long way to go.
Whether we're watching a viral video of romping baby pandas or looking at a picture of penguins `holding hands',we often project our own values - innocence,abstinence,hard work - onto animals. So you've probably never considered that moose get drunk and that penguins are notorious cheats.
In The Unexpected Truth About Animals Zoologist Lucy Cooke unravels many such myths - that eels are born from sand,that swallows hibernate under water,and that bears gave birth to formless lumps that are licked into shape by their mothers - to show that the stories we create reveal as much about us as they do about the animals.
An astonishing,illuminating and laugh-out-loud funny book that will ensure you never look at the animal kingdom in the same way again.
Publisher: Transworld Publishers LtdISBN: 9781784161903Number of pages: 480Weight: 379 gDimensions: 197 x 128 x 31 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'A riot of facts....Cooke scores a series of goals with style and panache.'- James Marriott,The Times
'Beautifully written,meticulously researched,with the science often couched in outrageous asides,this is a splendid read. In fact,I cannot remember when I last enjoyed a non-fiction work so much.'- William Hartston,The Daily Express
'Lucy Cooke's The Unexpected Truth About Animals was a joy from beginning to end. Who could resist a writer who argues that penguins have been pulling the wool over our eyes for years,and that,far from being cute and gregarious,they are actually pathologically unpleasant necrophiliacs'- John Crace,The Guardian
'Packed with knowledge and eye-opening animal history... almost every page contains something startling. In bringing us all this information,Cooke has clearly done her homework - travelling the world to see the animals for herself,and consulting many obscure books... a winning combination of thorough knowledge,lots of good jokes and a passionate love of animals that means Cooke can even mount convincing defences of such despised creatures as vultures. An often eye-popping,occasionally hair-raising,but ultimately joyous reminder of just how strange our world is.'- The Daily Mail
'Endlessly fascinating.'- Bill Bryson
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