The best 47 Animals books

Other Minds (2016) is an exploration of the evolution of the octopus. Once a limpet-like creature that crawled along the bottom of the ocean, the octopus is now an intelligent and unique predator. Peter Godfrey-Smith guides the reader through billions of years of evolutionary history to explain the development of complex life, while shedding light on one of the world’s most intriguing animals.

The Origin Of Species (1859) is Charles Darwin’s magnum opus. These blinks outline a theory of how traits are selected by nature, where the tremendous diversity of life on earth came from and how animals and plants came to be distributed across the planet.

The Book of Humans (2018) is an accessible tour of evolutionary history. It illuminates both the many qualities we share with animals and the many others that set us apart. Incorporating the latest scientific discoveries from genetics and archaeology, it provides a thrilling compendium of the rich variety of life on Earth.

The Eight Master Lessons of Nature (2019) is a reflective treatise on what nature can teach us about living well. Carefully observing many forms of life, from forest mushrooms to mighty elephants, the guide reveals valuable lessons they may hold for us. In doing so, it invites us to look again at the wild world around us with a renewed sense of awe and wonder.

An Immense World (2022) explores the sensory worlds of animals, highlighting how they differ from the human experience. Tracing sight, sound, touch, and more, it shares the various ways animals sense our world – and the extra information they glean with the help of their specialized senses.

In The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs (2018), leading young paleontologist Steve Brusatte takes us on a journey through time and space, detailing the history of the different dinosaurs and the worlds in which they lived. He is guided by his deep knowledge of fossils and geological evidence, and is thus able to bring the fascinating stories of dinosaurs into clear focus.

In a Sunburned Country (2000) is Bill Bryson’s personal account of his time traveling around Australia. With stopovers in major cities, out-of-the-way mining towns and treks through the vast wilderness, it’s a travelogue packed with insights into the history, culture and wildlife of this unique nation.

The Genius of Dogs (2013) uncovers the remarkable intelligence of man’s best four-legged friend. By first examining human intelligence, the authors go on to explain exactly what makes dogs so smart, which talents they have in common with humans and other animals, and what sets them apart.

If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal (2022) takes a playful yet profoundly meaningful look at what makes humans so different from the other animals on the planet. In doing so, it makes a strong case for why the human mind may be dangerously unsuccessful from an evolutionary standpoint.

In The Inner Life of Animals (2017) Peter Wohlleben discusses the latest research on animal feelings and emotion. He draws insights from multiple studies as well as from his personal experiences of the woodland where he has lived and worked for decades. The book argues that animals’ inner lives are really not so different from our own.

The Mosquito (2019) provides a sweeping tour of human history with a novel twist. As it follows the course of the pivotal events that shaped the world in which we live today, it draws attention to some of the most important but under-appreciated factors that have influenced those events: the mosquito and the deadly diseases it carries.

The Sixth Extinction (2014) chronicles the history of species extinction and shows how humans have had more than a hand in the rapidly decreasing numbers of animal species on earth. Through industrialization and deforestation, not to mention climate change, humans have damaged the environment and disrupted habitats, leading to a massive reduction in biodiversity.

For thousands of years, we humans have been struggling against nature. Under a White Sky (2021) explores the problems that come about when we win that fight –⁠ and how scientists, engineers, and others are trying to fix them. From the quaint to the grandiose, from the quirky to the terrifying, it’s our responsibility to explore all available remedies for the deep damage we’ve wrought.

The Elephant in the Brain (2018) explores the selfish motives that drive much of human behavior but which we’d much rather remain unaware of.

Cod (1997) charts the rise and fall of the codfish. A major commodity in the European market during the discovery of the New World, cod went on to cause national conflicts and, due to overfishing, eventually became vulnerable to extinction. Find out how this fish changed the world only to end up on the verge of oblivion.

Eating Animals (2009) offers a comprehensive view of the modern meat industry and demonstrates how the entire production process has been so completely perverted that it is unrecognizable as farming anymore.

The book explains the moral and environmental costs incurred to achieve today‘s incredibly low meat prices.

A Life on Our Planet (2020) is celebrated naturalist David Attenborough’s account of the incredible wonders he’s seen in his 94 years on Earth – and a vivid warning of what will happen if we continue on our current path. It’s accompanied by a Netflix documentary of the same name.

The Tangled Tree (2018) provides curious readers with a vital recap of the many scientific twists and turns that have taken place in our understanding of evolution since the days of Charles Darwin. Author David Quammen’s lucid explanations will bring you up to speed on all we know and don’t know about how life developed on planet Earth.

Human beings are just as closely related to the gentle bonobos as they are to the aggressive chimpanzees. Frans de Waal compares the lifestyle of these two species of apes, in whose groups opposing characteristics such as sympathy and violence, fairness and greed, and dominance and community spirit clash with one another. Their sexual behavior tells us that we need to rethink the origins of our morality.

Beyond Words (2015) is an explanation of the animal world’s propensity for thought and feeling. These blinks walk you through the complex societies of the natural world and explain how animals think, experience real emotion and learn.

Feral (2013) is both an analysis and a manifesto. Author George Monbiot addresses what people are lacking in their day-to-day lives: nature and true wilderness. The book argues that certain areas should be left to nature and rewilded, and that the benefits of doing so – to both the planet and people – will soon follow.

Our Wild Calling (2020) examines how humans and other animals can enjoy mutually beneficial relationships. It explores stories and philosophy from the ecological movement, and outlines how we can move toward a more hopeful future for all Earthlings. 

Farmageddon (2014) is an in-depth guide to the dark reality of cheap meat. These blinks explain how industrial farming has replaced traditional methods and how it’s draining our resources, poisoning the environment and making us unhealthy.

Cat (2006) offers a lovingly detailed look at the biological, historical and cultural history of our furry feline friends. Each blink looks at a different stage of development, chronicling how the relationship between humans and cats has evolved from horrific superstitious misunderstandings to domesticated bliss. Meow!

The Secret World of Weather (2021) teaches you how to speak the forgotten language of local climates. Clouds, winds, plants, and other features of our environment all give us clues about the weather as we actually experience it versus what we’ve heard on the daily forecast. With just a little practice, you’ll find it easy to tune into their secret messages and start making your own weather forecasts.

Power, Sex, Suicide (2005) reveals the incredible role that mitochondria play in the evolution of complex life forms. The book looks at various functions of multicellular organisms, including energy generation, cellular relationships and life cycles, and demonstrates the influence of mitochondria in each of these areas.

Alex & Me (2008) is the heartfelt memoir of Dr. Irene Pepperberg, who reveals the amazing story of how she, along with her parrot Alex, smashed scientific boundaries with their experiments and research on avian learning, speech and cognition. Their work has forever changed the way we think about animals, as well as how we understand human nature.

Animal Madness (2014) is all about the emotional disorders from which animals suffer and the way these problems resemble psychiatric illnesses in humans. These blinks demonstrate how similar we are to our furry friends and how we can improve the mental well-being of all animals.

Cannibalism (2017) offers a scientific, historical and cultural approach to the understanding of, well, cannibalism. These blinks explain why animals eat their own, why it’s become so taboo among humans, and why it could come back.

Oxygen (2002) is a guide to the element that is so essential to our very existence that we sometimes forget it even exists. These blinks explain how oxygen enables and boosts life on earth while simultaneously threatening it.

The Meat Racket (2014) tells the bleak story of how a few giant corporations managed to monopolize the entire meat market in the United States. Through cunning business strategy, massive loans and a fair amount of bullying, companies like Tyson Foods rule the meat industry virtually unchallenged.

The New Breed (2021) offers new insights into the ongoing debate surrounding robots and artificial intelligence. Instead of looking at robots as a human replacement or threat, the author sees a more accurate comparison in the long relationship we’ve had with autonomous animals, which have helped us feel better and get work done.

The Book of Eels (2020) takes the reader on a zoological odyssey spanning thousands of years. It’s the story of the eel – a creature that has enthralled humanity with its strange and complex life cycle. Countless scientists have dedicated their careers to the enigma of this fish, which has evolved to undergo several metamorphoses over the course of its life and to endure a grueling migration across the Atlantic to breed. But the eel has proven to be an elusive creature, and there are still many secrets about its life that it seems intent on keeping to itself.

Honeybee Democracy (2010) traces the fascinating story of how bees decide where to build their new hive. Using highly evolved skills, like independent research and community debate, the bees’ deeply democratic decision-making process is a model we can all learn from. 

The Bird Way (2020) is a study of birds that harnesses both the expertise of the scientist and the joy of the birdwatcher. A celebration of the mind-boggling diversity of birds and their behavior, it explores the globe in pursuit of the inner workings of the avian mind. From Costa Rica’s teeming rainforests to the magpie-menaced suburbs of Australian cities, it explores how birds as different as ant followers, parrots, raptors, and ravens play, parent, and hunt.

Comfortably Unaware (2012) is about the impact our food choices are having on the planet. It explains how the animals that are raised for us to eat end up polluting our waters, soil and air, and why our natural resources are poorly managed.

The Genius of Birds (2016) is all about the incredible intellect of these winged creatures. These blinks explain the many ways birds display their intelligence, from tool making and navigation to memory and song.

The World Without Us (2007) outlines the fictional scenario where, all of a sudden, the whole of mankind disappears. With humanity missing, the process by which nature claims back what was once hers is described. Although most of the footprints left by humanity would be gone after a relatively short period, some would remain. Among these remnants would be some of the many toxic substances released by mankind, meaning that, even after we’ve gone, the damaging effects of human civilization would linger.

Underbug (2018) explores the fascinating world of a bug so unloved it might just beat cockroaches in an unpopularity contest – the termite. The result of years of research and interviews with biologists, entomologists, and geneticists, Lisa Margonelli’s study sets out to rescue the reputation of this underappreciated creature. Along the way she explores termites’ remarkable architectural powers, unpacks their strange relationship with a 250 million-year-old fungus, and shows how the microbes in their guts might just help us create a more sustainable future. 

Drawing on findings from paleontology, genetics and developmental biology, Your Inner Fish describes the evolutionary history of the human body, tracing it back to the fish. The author shows how studying fossils, genes and embryonic development can help us understand our complex evolutionary past.

Project Animal Farm (2015) is all about one of the most harmful industries of our time: the modern mass production of meat, eggs and milk. It delves into the horrible conditions farm animals are kept in and the dangerous effects of factory farming on humans, animals and the environment.

To simply explain the fascinating animal known as the fox in biological terms wouldn’t do it justice. This mysterious animal has long been the subject of countless stories and myths and cultures around the world have developed their own unique perception of the animal. Fox (2006) dives into these many myths and stories, and also shows how the fox continues to influence our language and culture.

Feathers (2011) is all about the evolution and significance of our quilled comrades, the birds. These blinks explain how feathers originated, why they’re unique and how they have affected everything from human culture to technology.

A Sky Full of Birds (2016) is a celebration of birdlife in Britain. These blinks offer fascinating insights into mating rituals and migration patterns and explain the cultural significance of murmurations, murders, swan songs, and more.

Lesser Beasts (2015) relates the long and fascinating history of the pig. Often considered an inferior creature, the pig is actually the sole animal that has stayed connected to us since the beginning of our existence. The pig’s reputation has taken plenty of blows over the years – and today, due to modern farming practices, its welfare may be suffering more than ever.

Zoobiquity describes the intimate similarities between humans and other animals by examining topics such as sexuality, health and psychological development. It illustrates how we, as humans, could have much to gain by increasing our understanding of the animals we share our planet with.

Dazzled and Deceived (2009) explores the fascinating phenomenon of camouflage and mimicry in nature, where animals act like leaves and harmless prey look like ferocious predators. These blinks examine how the science of camouflage has influenced not only artistic expression but also how humans fight and win wars.