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318 reviews for:
Die erstaunliche Wahrheit über Tiere: Was Mythen und Irrtümer über uns verraten
Lucy Cooke
4.23 AVERAGE
318 reviews for:
Die erstaunliche Wahrheit über Tiere: Was Mythen und Irrtümer über uns verraten
Lucy Cooke
4.23 AVERAGE
Animals are glorious - there is such variety among us all, and yet sometimes, that variety is not seen as a positive. As Lucy Cooke points out in her book - creatures like the sloth and the bat, and even the panda are not what we assume them to be. And in every case, they are better.
This book is a wild ride. Cooke gets into the past studies of these animals, and includes drawings that are...hideous? Weird? Crazy? In most cases, all of the above. So little understanding, and so much myth has accompanied the hippo and the penguin. There are crazy sex tales (penguins are not generally monogamous), strange facts (the hippo's closest relative is...the whale), and bizarre stories of competitions between early scientists (who would be the first to create a humanzee). Yet Cooke also gives us plenty of actual facts about these amazing creatures, and shows how each is special and unique and deserves its place. She makes a valid point that we cannot afford to continue making mistakes with our wildlife - or we will no longer have them.
Overall, this was simply a fascinating book. There were parts that had me laughing, and others where I'm pretty sure my eyes about popped out of my sockets. Parts where I wanted to slap some of those old scientists, and others where I was just in awe about the amazing creatures we have on this earth. Those same creatures that we take for granted or ridicule based on our own perspective - without realizing just how perfect they are for *what* they are. Cooke has shown them for what they are - amazing, bizarre, and special - and worthy of our time and our respect.
This book is a wild ride. Cooke gets into the past studies of these animals, and includes drawings that are...hideous? Weird? Crazy? In most cases, all of the above. So little understanding, and so much myth has accompanied the hippo and the penguin. There are crazy sex tales (penguins are not generally monogamous), strange facts (the hippo's closest relative is...the whale), and bizarre stories of competitions between early scientists (who would be the first to create a humanzee). Yet Cooke also gives us plenty of actual facts about these amazing creatures, and shows how each is special and unique and deserves its place. She makes a valid point that we cannot afford to continue making mistakes with our wildlife - or we will no longer have them.
Overall, this was simply a fascinating book. There were parts that had me laughing, and others where I'm pretty sure my eyes about popped out of my sockets. Parts where I wanted to slap some of those old scientists, and others where I was just in awe about the amazing creatures we have on this earth. Those same creatures that we take for granted or ridicule based on our own perspective - without realizing just how perfect they are for *what* they are. Cooke has shown them for what they are - amazing, bizarre, and special - and worthy of our time and our respect.
Animals are some of the most beloved and misunderstood beings on our planet. Zoologist, TV producer, and author Lucy Cooke takes readers on mini-journeys into the histories of animals including sloths, pandas, vultures, bats, and chimps.
Cooke, with her vibrant and witty writing style, explores the idiosyncrasies of a different animal in each chapter of this entertaining and informative nonfiction read. I dare you to read this book and not go around spouting random animal fun-facts to all of our friends and family.
I’ve been an animal lover since I was very little (Animal Planet was my favorite TV channel for many years), so this book was a treat for me. Not only did I learn a lot about animals that I never thought to research before, but I did so in an incredibly fun way. Cooke knows how to impart knowledge without making it feel like a chore for the reader. Her writing is funny, engaging, and full of clever puns and chuckle-inducing, “dad”-like humor.
Cooke clearly takes her zoological work very seriously, but she has the power to make light of the more humorous facts about animals in a lighthearted way. Animals are multifaceted, and not all of those facets need to be treated with the same level of brow-furrowing seriousness.
I only wish that this book was longer! If you’re at all curious about animals, I implore you to pick up Cooke’s book.
Cooke, with her vibrant and witty writing style, explores the idiosyncrasies of a different animal in each chapter of this entertaining and informative nonfiction read. I dare you to read this book and not go around spouting random animal fun-facts to all of our friends and family.
I’ve been an animal lover since I was very little (Animal Planet was my favorite TV channel for many years), so this book was a treat for me. Not only did I learn a lot about animals that I never thought to research before, but I did so in an incredibly fun way. Cooke knows how to impart knowledge without making it feel like a chore for the reader. Her writing is funny, engaging, and full of clever puns and chuckle-inducing, “dad”-like humor.
Cooke clearly takes her zoological work very seriously, but she has the power to make light of the more humorous facts about animals in a lighthearted way. Animals are multifaceted, and not all of those facets need to be treated with the same level of brow-furrowing seriousness.
I only wish that this book was longer! If you’re at all curious about animals, I implore you to pick up Cooke’s book.
What a wonderfully weird find! I had no idea what I was getting into, so this cheeky author was a delightful surprise.
Wow ... this was amazing. I thought I knew a lot about animals, BUT apparently I still had a lot to learn. Reading about early scientific theories regarding each animal was interesting to say the least. It's difficult to imagine that these highly educated people actually believed what they were saying. They thought beavers chewed off their own naughty bits to avoid being captured by hunters for crying out loud! Maybe scientists will feel the same way about us 300 years from now. I also have to say that I love Lucy Cooke's sense of humor. I was laughing so hard I was crying at times which is nice every now and again with a book as serious as this one. I hope she continues to write books such as these. People should really spend more time learning about the life around them rather than destroying it or pretending it doesn't exist at all.
This book gave me the giggles more than once. I put this up there with Get Well Soon as one of my favorite Nonfiction reads. Lots of interesting trivia that kept me reading well past my bedtime.
funny
informative
lighthearted
funny
informative
fast-paced
"The Truth About Animals" is a non-fiction book about the various misunderstandings naturalists and scientists have made about a variety of animals which has often led to public misunderstandings about these animals.
Some examples include: the laziness of sloths (actually they are very adept at conserving energy and surviving their environments; the general evilness of hyenas, vultures and bats - they all have their own special way of surviving their environments and communicating with their species.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading every chapter which was centred on a specific animal. At times it was tough to read about scientific experimentation that took place back in the day but those experiments did happen so it is important to read about. However, the author did not focus on that for the most part. She mostly focussed on how our understanding of animals has changed through the ages.
It was, indeed, fascinating to read about.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Mary Roach (the author infuses a similar sense of humour as Roach to this book) and/or is interested in the animal world.
I'd like to thank the publishers who sent me a digital review copy of this book on net galley in exchange for an honest review.
Some examples include: the laziness of sloths (actually they are very adept at conserving energy and surviving their environments; the general evilness of hyenas, vultures and bats - they all have their own special way of surviving their environments and communicating with their species.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading every chapter which was centred on a specific animal. At times it was tough to read about scientific experimentation that took place back in the day but those experiments did happen so it is important to read about. However, the author did not focus on that for the most part. She mostly focussed on how our understanding of animals has changed through the ages.
It was, indeed, fascinating to read about.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Mary Roach (the author infuses a similar sense of humour as Roach to this book) and/or is interested in the animal world.
I'd like to thank the publishers who sent me a digital review copy of this book on net galley in exchange for an honest review.
This is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read - full stop. Whether you’re an animal lover, have a passing interest in sociology, or just like to learn new things, there will be something to captivate you in these pages. As someone who has read her fair share of animal encyclopedias, there were still things for me to discover in each chapter. With an accessible, yet polished, style and insightful commentary, I would recommend this to nearly anyone who loves to read. What a total gem of a book.
challenging
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced