People are a confusing, contradictory bunch. We're capable of kindness, generosity, and love — and just as capable of selfishness, pettiness, and cruelty, sometimes within the same afternoon. Waking Up From History is one man's fifteen-year attempt to make sense of that contradiction — the book he wishes he could hand to his younger self. Its premise is simple: to understand people, you first have to understand how they see — and how they see is shaped by the lens they're ...

**How a devastating outbreak of horse flu in the 1870s ground city life to a halt—but ultimately revolutionized animal rights, medicine, and transportation.From a veteran science writer, evolutionary biologist, historian of science, and the coauthor of the acclaimed How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog).**In the 1870s, horses were the lifeblood of North American cities. New York, Boston, Chicago, and Toronto relied on tens of thousands of workhorses to power daily li...

"Combines accessible prose with solid science."— Wall Street Journal • " Demonstrates that whatever creature you are—from a giraffe to a Tasmanian devil—life is all about who you know."— New Scientist • "Fascinating. . . . Easily the most intriguing, thorough explanation of animal behavior ever produced."— Library Journal (starred review) • "This book makes a fitting companion to Ed Yong's An Immense World. An entertaining tour o...

This true story of an amazing breeding experiment in Siberia is "part science, part Russian fairy tale, and part spy thriller" ( The New York Times Book Review).Tucked away in Siberia, there are furry, four-legged creatures with wagging tails and floppy ears that are as docile and friendly as any lapdog. But despite appearances, these are not dogs—they are foxes. They are the result of the most astonishing experiment in breeding ever undertaken—imagine spee...

In a world supposedly governed by ruthless survival of the fittest, why do we see acts of goodness in both animals and humans? This problem plagued Charles Darwin in the 1850s as he developed his theory of evolution through natural selection. Indeed, Darwin worried that the goodness he observed in nature could be the Achilles heel of his theory. Ever since then, scientists and other thinkers have engaged in a fierce debate about the origins of goodness that has dragged politics, philosophy...

Since the last edition of this definitive textbook was published in 2013, much has happened in the field of animal behavior. In this fourth edition, Lee Alan Dugatkin draws on cutting-edge new work not only to update and expand on the studies presented, but also to reinforce the previous editions’ focus on ultimate and proximate causation, as well as the book’s unique emphasis on natural selection, learning, and cultural transmission. The result is a state-of-the-art textbook on animal beh...

From the shell wars of hermit crabs to little blue penguins spying on potential rivals, power struggles in the animal kingdom are as diverse as they are fascinating, and this book illuminates their surprising range and connections.The quest for power in animals is so much richer, so much more nuanced than who wins what knock-down, drag-out fight. Indeed, power struggles among animals often look more like an opera than a boxing match. Tracing the path to power for o...

"Brilliant. . . . An absorbing read and a potent lesson in moral behavior—both of rodents and of humans."—Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Poison Squad • "A fascinating read about an immensely influential scientist."—Robert M. Sapolsky, author of the New York Times–bestseller Determined • "Stimulating scientific history. . . . Colorful accounts. . . . This fascinates."— Publishers WeeklyA bizarre and compelling biography ...

In the years after the Revolutionary War, the fledgling republic of America was viewed by many Europeans as a degenerate backwater, populated by subspecies weak and feeble. Chief among these naysayers was the French Count and world-renowned naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon, who wrote that the flora and fauna of America (humans included) were inferior to European specimens.Thomas Jefferson—author of the Declaration of Independence, U.S. president, and ardent naturalist—spe...

Incorporating essential revisions to reflect the latest scientific advancements, a celebrated author and scientist offers a leading textbook on animal behavior.So much has happened in the field of animal behavior since the last edition of this definitive textbook was published in 2020. In this fifth edition, Lee Alan Dugatkin continues to draw on cutting-edge new research not only to update and expand on the studies presented but also to reinforce the previous edit...

The quest for power in animals is so much richer, so much more nuanced than who wins what knock-down, drag-out fight. Indeed, power struggles among animals often look more like an opera than a boxing match. Tracing the path to power for over thirty different species on six continents, writer and behavioral ecologist Lee Alan Dugatkin takes us on a journey around the globe, shepherded by leading researchers who have discovered that in everything from hyenas to dolphins, bonobos to field mic...

An engaging exploration of the wondrous social webs that permeate life in animal societies around the world.It's all about who you know. Whether vampire bats sharing blood meals for survival, field crickets remembering champion fighters, macaque monkeys forming grooming pacts after a deadly hurricane, or great tit birds learning the best way to steal milk—it pays to be well connected.In this tour of the animal kingdom, evolutionary biologist Lee Alan Dugatk...