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

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.

wonderful

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

excellent well sequenced and relevant

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

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!

Respecting animals for who they are

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Safina is my hero/role model for taking scientific research, and distilling it in such a way that it’s appealing to non-scientists/non-academics, infusing his writing with wonder and humor. A must-listen for any curious about non-human animals, and how much we share with them.

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!

So inspirational!!

Not only does the author describe such amazing behaviors and cultures among our wild companions, but he does so with such grace and poetry. I was spellbound from beginning to the fantastic epilogue.