Becoming Wild

How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty, and Achieve Peace

By: Carl Safina

Narrated by: Carl Safina

Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Some people insist that culture is strictly a human feat. What are they afraid of? This book looks into three cultures of other-than-human beings in some of Earth's remaining wild places. It shows how if you're a sperm whale, a scarlet macaw, or a chimpanzee, you too experience your life with the understanding that you are an individual in a particular community. 

You too are who you are not by genes alone; your culture is a second form of inheritance. You receive it from thousands of individuals, from pools of knowledge passing through generations like an eternal torch. You too may raise young, know beauty, or struggle to negotiate a peace. And your culture, too, changes and evolves. The light of knowledge needs adjusting as situations change, so a capacity for learning, especially social learning, allows behaviors to adjust, to change much faster than genes alone could adapt.

Becoming Wild offers a glimpse into cultures among non-human animals through looks at the lives of individuals in different present-day animal societies. By showing how others teach and learn, Carl Safina offers a fresh understanding of what is constantly going on beyond humanity.

©2020 Carl Safina (P)2020 Tantor

wonderful

The author's natation was excellent and the information was presented in a captivating storyline. Truly enjoyable

Oh, Boy! Another Carl Safina book!

I just cannot get enough of thus guy! The whole world should have access to his thoughts and ideas: maybe, just maybe- then some dimwit humans would get the idea that everything on the planet has value in itself, not just for the buying or selling. His stories are always totally engrossing, and always leave me wanting more: more knowledge, more experiences, more understanding. He just is great... and unlike some authors who narrate their own books, he is also a great narrator. Kudos, Mr Safina!

Well researched insight into animal cultures!

Mostly enjoyable, although at times I felt like the points were made over and over again to the point of my own exhaustion with the subject.

Beautiful prose when he is descriptive.

A must read for an ailing species!

First of all, listening to the author read this book was pure joy. Knowing he was there to personally experience what was written here lent the book great import and authenticity. This book is an important look at who we live amongst and how we alone can make it or break it. Too bad the right people will most likely never read it. If you know who they are, please gift them a copy and incentivize the read if necessary! Thank you Carl!

Beyond words, literally

This is a remarkable book and one that everyone should read. I have always been involved with Animals, and I always knew that animals deserved enriched lives, but this book brings a paradigm shift in the way we perceive animals.

"Who are you?" That is the question we should be asking creatures with whom we stingily share our planet.

There are a few painful passages when Safina points out the truth about human selfishness. But by sharing research and facts about the way these animals interact with the world, I hope that all but the most selfish with rethink the world in which we live. A note the selfish: Creatures on this world enrich our lives too. And without them, our existence will be bland and unrewarding.

Finally, I would say that this book seems like a translator, from the language and culture of non-human creatures, to humans.

Simply amazing.

It all sinks in over the story—highly recommend

I wasn’t sure I was going to end up loving this book as much as I ended up loving it as I read the first section. By the time I got to the end, I didn’t want it to end. The book made me think about things in a different way, think about things that perhaps I haven’t considered as I’ve moved through years as an inhabitant of the planet. The narration was mostly very good and appropriate for the stories, a little “glitchy” at times , but I appreciated Safina’s methods of emphasis.

Changed my view of the world

This is a game-changer book. Made me appreciate and respect animals in a whole new way, and also made me feel embarrassed about how human-centric my understanding of the world is.

lovely and engrossing

I loved this book.

All through the first section on whales I kept pausing it and telling people all about their culture and families - something about the knowledge felt exciting and I wanted to share it. The book as a whole was lovely and engrossing. The author reads the book and is very able with conveying emotion when appropriate. There were some things in this book I already knew and alot I didn't, but it was structured very well and I highly recommend it.

Makes you stop think

Well written. So much time and research went in to writing this book. There are a few funny stories especially about the chimpanzees but on the whole this is a very serious book that really makes you stop and think what are we doing to the world we live in…Why does the majority of mankind not care and put humans before all else?
Maybe Carl should think about condensing this book so the non believers might take a little time to read or listen.

excellent well sequenced and relevant

deeply appreciated authors narrative, compelling and beautifully written, could have been made into 3 books