The Truth About Animals

Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife

By: Lucy Cooke

Narrated by: Lucy Cooke

Mary Roach meets Bill Bryson in this "surefire summer winner" (Janet Maslin, New York Times), an uproarious tour of the basest instincts and biggest mysteries of the animal world

Humans have gone to the Moon and discovered the Higgs boson, but when it comes to understanding animals, we've still got a long way to go. Whether we're seeing a viral video of romping baby pandas or a picture of penguins "holding hands," it's hard for us not to project our own values -- innocence, fidelity, temperance, hard work -- onto animals. So you've probably never considered if moose get drunk, penguins cheat on their mates, or worker ants lay about. They do -- and that's just for starters. In The Truth About Animals, Lucy Cooke takes us on a worldwide journey to meet everyone from a Colombian hippo castrator to a Chinese panda porn peddler, all to lay bare the secret -- and often hilarious -- habits of the animal kingdom. Charming and at times downright weird, this modern bestiary is perfect for anyone who has ever suspected that virtue might be unnatural.

Critic reviews

On the New York Times Book Review's Paperback Row

One of the New York Times Book Review's "17 Refreshing Books to Read This Summer"

"Her pace is quick, her touch is light, and through her wealth of research we can reach new heights of wonder."—New York Times Book Review

"Funny and fascinating, this book will change the way you see wildlife."—Bustle

"A surefire summer winner...even Cooke's simple facts are funny."—New York Times Book Review

"Endlessly fascinating."—Bill Bryson, author of A Walk in the Woods, A Short History of Nearly Everything, and In a Sunburned Country

"Lucy Cooke's modern bestiary is as well-informed as you'd expect from an Oxford zoologist. It's also downright funny."—Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, The Selfish Gene, and The Ancestor's Tale, and emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford

"Cooke, founder of the Sloth Appreciation Society, raises the profile of many poorly understood animals, revealing surprising, and often hilarious, truths that are much better than the fictions."—Scientific American

"[A] deeply researched, sassily written history of 'the biggest misconceptions, mistakes and myths we've concocted about the animal kingdom,' spread by figures from Aristotle to Walt Disney." —Nature

"Cooke's extensive travels, research and delightful sense of humor make The Truth about Animals a fascinating modern bestiary."—Seattle Times

"In the end, the history of zoology reveals as much about our human foibles as about the animals we study. And this book will leave readers more enlightened about both."—Science News

"Lucy Cooke's new book makes Playboy seem as tedious and tame as a phone book...In her delightful reading of natural history, [Cooke] is both scientist and standup comic...Trained as an academic, Cooke's writing style is anything but--rather, it's bawdy, irreverent, guiltless, sometimes locker-room-ish and comedic. She makes you feel she's having fun as she pounds out the words...The Truth About Animals is a great read and fascinating fun."—Winnipeg Free Press

"Lucy Cooke takes equal delight in natural oddities and in people's long struggles to understand them. Part history, part biology, and wholly entertaining, The Truth About Animals is a quirky and edifying romp."—Thor Hanson, author of Buzz, Feathers, and The Triumph of Seeds

"[An] intriguing and amusing survey of some unusual facets of animal behavior...Cooke puts scientific errors, some of them hilarious, into historical context."—Booklist

"[A] lighthearted but scientifically rigorous exploration...A pleasure for the budding naturalist in the family--or fans of Gerald Durrell and other animals."—Kirkus Reviews

Great summarized story of myths about wildlife

I enjoyed this rarity of the myths about wildlife and the truths of their origin. The authors accent is enjoyable too!

Fascinating and Obscure Facts about Animals.

I really enjoyed this book. It's full of those odd useless but fascinating facts some of us love. Wait till you hear about the hyena's genitalia. Historical asides abound which are very entertaining. It also addresses research and how wrong headed some of it has been over the centuries.

My only (mild) complaint is with the author's narration. She reads VERY fast and blasts right by some witty and funny anecdotes. You don't have time to appreciate them as you're racing to catch up with her. This would have benefited from a professional narrator. That said, Ms. Cooke is obviously well-educated and enunciates clearly, so there's no problem there. I look forward to listening or reading more of her works.

AWSOME listen

This book is both funny and very informative, Lucy Cooke did an amazing job at both collecting all the research as well as writing this book in a nob-boring way. I love it and I highly recommend!

It's ok but a bit corny

I like where the book comes from and agree with many of her points. Unfortunately, it feels like it provides only a handful of interesting content which it stretches out to cover the entire book using not so funny puns and gimmicky entertainments. it doesn't help that the voice performance itself isn't the greatest, switching between wacky to represent the author and an over stuffy parody of authoritative voice to represent direct quotes from source material.

Amazing

I could not stop listening!!!
Amazing
Amazing
Amazing
Simply just amazing,
a thrilling adventure.
truly special