I’m drawn to behavior study in general, and particularly interested in the progressive findings in animal behavior. I love learning about animal/human similarities and differences.

This book has a perfect balance of science and interesting anecdotes. The language used was entirely approachable and content easily understandable.

I already have quite a few patrons in mind who will love this recommendation. I’m looking forward to discussing it with them!

Thank you to NetGalley and Cambridge University Press for granting access to an ARC upon my request

As with any other technology, the science of animal behavior has advanced much in recent years. The author works at the Department of Behavioral Biology in the University of Münster, and his team actually discovered a new species of guinea pigs! He makes the driest scientific principles, including genetics (which usually bore me to tears), approachable and easy to grasp. I read anything I can find about animals. Some books are fun, even if they rely too much on anecdotes (which, according to serious scientists, are not real science). Others are so “scientific” that go way over my head. Sachser finds the sweet spot in between both outlooks, using fascinating anecdotes to explain serious science. He includes many different species in the wild and captivity. Based on this, the book explores the differences and similarities between humans and the rest of the animals. But the content is not anthropocentric at all, which is nice. I learned a lot from this book, even if I still want to believe that animals are just like us, but better.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Cambridge University Press!