Raised by Animals

When it comes to family matters, do humans know best? Leading animal behaviorist Dr. Jennifer Verdolin argues otherwise in this eye-opening book. Welcome to the wild world of raising a family in the animal kingdom . . . sometimes shocking, often ingenious!

Every species can surprise us: Chimps have a knack for minimizing temper tantrums, and owl chicks have a remarkable gift for sharing. A prairie vole knows exactly when his stressed-out partner needs a massage. And anyone who considers reptiles “cold-blooded” should consider the caecilian, a snakelike animal from Kenya: After laying eggs, the mother grows a fatty layer of skin, which her babies eat after hatching (not one of the book’s many lessons from the wild to be tried at home!).

Along the way Verdolin challenges our often counterproductive beliefs about what families ought to be like and how we should feel. By finding common ground with our furry, feathered, and even slimy cousins, we can gain new insight on what “natural” parenting really means—and perhaps do a better job of forgiving ourselves for those days when we’re “only human”!

Jennifer L. Verdolin, PhD, is an animal behavior researcher specializing in social and mating behavior and a scholar in residence at Duke University. Her work has been featured on NPR and in Wired, Scientific American, and many other media outlets. Her weekly radio segment, “Think Like a Human, Act Like an Animal” is a regular feature on the nationally syndicated D.L. Hughley Show (broadcast on 43 stations in 17 states). Dr. Verdolin also writes a Psychology Today blog. Her first book, Wild Connection, explores what animal mating can teach us about human relationships.