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The Unexpected Truth About Animals
The Unexpected Truth About Animals: Brilliant natural history, starring lovesick hippos, stoned sloths, exploding bats and frogs in taffeta trousers... | Lucy Cooke
22 posts | 21 read | 33 to read
'Endlessly fascinating.' - Bill Bryson 'Eye-opening, informative and very funny!' - Chris Packham 'Well-informed and downright funny' - Richard Dawkins History is full of strange animal stories invented by the brightest and most influential, from Aristotle to Disney. But when it comes to understanding animals, weve got a long way to go. Whether were watching a viral video of romping baby pandas or looking at a picture of penguins holding hands, we often project our own values innocence, abstinence, hard work onto animals. So youve probably never considered that moose get drunk and that penguins are notorious cheats. In The Unexpected Truth About Animals Zoologist Lucy unravels many such myths that eels are born from sand, that swallows hibernate under water, and that bears gave birth to formless lumps that are licked into shape by their mothers to show that the stories we create reveal as much about us as they do about the animals. Astonishing, illuminating and laugh-out-loud funny.
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BirdLaVie
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Pickpick

Lucy Cooke‘s sense of humor and approach to nonfiction storytelling brings me so much joy! Her narraration evokes “Nigel Thornberry” and I can hear the twinkle in her eye through her voice. I was delighted by the interesting animal facts, but the historical context was harder for me to latch onto. It was hard to hear about cruel animal experimentation. 3⭐️ 🎧

BirdLaVie Cooke‘s “Bitch on the Female Species” was my favorite book of 2022. While this one didn‘t quite captivate me on the same level, it was still a wild ride and I am better for having listened to it 🐼. 10mo
8 likes1 comment
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abostwick24
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Mehso-so

I really tried to like this book. It‘s about animals and I love animals. The messaging was wonderful and debunked a lot of myths I held. However, I listened to the audiobook and I found the readers voice very grating. It also felt like the prose within a chapter jumped from story to story with nothing connecting the messaging. Overall, I enjoyed the content and that‘s what got me through the book. (I had to check it out 3 times)
⭐️⭐️ (2/5 stars)

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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Help! 😊 Need non fiction recommendations! 😊

Here are a few of my favorite NF books over the last few years. I ❤️ a mystery/ puzzle, I really like nonviolent crime books (some of these have violence but it is not the focus), I want to learn something when I read, and a bit of humor is a big plus. Really looking for more Feather Thief or Bad Blood types, & Patrick Radden Keefe is my favorite author here.
Thanks!!

See All 48 Comments
GinaKButler This was so interesting. After reading it, be sure to watch the Expedition Unknown episode about it to see how truly remote that area is. 2y
GinaKButler If you liked Bad Blood and Catch and Kill, I think you‘d like this one. 2y
GinaKButler This is incredible on audio. My high schooler listened to it with me. 2y
GinaKButler We read this in our book club and it is so well-done and was one of my favorite books of 2019. Be sure to get a paper copy bc theres journal entries and maps included. 2y
jlhammar Yes, agreed, this is such a good audiobook! 2y
jlhammar If you go for Columbine, highly recommend pairing it with this one. Both excellent. 2y
marleed I was just having lunch with a friend and we both reminisced our love for the tagged. Which reminded us too how we both liked the unrelated The Boys in the Boat. 2y
tenar Thanks for making this post; I‘ve picked up a ton of titles! Not a crime story, but I loved learning from a lot of these books and also loved and learned so much from 2y
Chelsea.Poole I‘ve read and loved many of the titles in your photo and I love this post! I‘ve added so many to my TBR and the ones I‘ve read listed here are great! 📚 2y
tenar @ChaoticMissAdventures Stacked, thank you! Looks incredible! I read Jennifer Doudna‘s book on her own discovery, CRISPR, last year and realized I‘m fascinated by genes, too. 2y
tokorowilliamwallace I dabble in a lot of miscellaneous subjects and nonfiction, but I not many of them are memoirs, so I'm sure the nonfiction I'd recommend might be boring for most fiction readers. Nonfiction can be tricky because much of what we are into is personal and specific to ourselves. 2y
fredthemoose Oooh… I traditionally have read mostly nonfiction and really enjoyed several of those books. Here are a couple that are similar… (edited) 2y
fredthemoose Do you like memoirs, biographies, and/or essays? 2y
ChaoticMissAdventures So many books!! Thank you everyone I am going to go though these and make a long list, Some of these look a bit too dark for me but it looks like lots of people are looking for these types of books so I hope lots of people find lots of books! 2y
27 likes48 comments
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vlwelser
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Pickpick

This is a fun book about what was previously believed about a variety of animals. The author is very funny. She loves puns. And the thing she does best is make humans look really foolish.

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Jas16
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Pickpick

A book that sets the record straight on the many things humans have gotten wrong about animals from eel reproduction to the worthiness of the sloth. Entertaining even while teaching me tidbits that I am looking f forward to sharing with others.
#nonfictionsciencewrittenbyawoman #booked2021

Soubhiville I really enjoyed this one! 2y
64 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Soubhiville
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Pickpick

I love non-fiction with a sense of humor, especially when it has a focus on nature and animals. This book could have been written specifically with me in mind. I‘d definitely recommend it.

The truth about Igor and Venkman is that they love a good nap. Most of the day in fact. 😸

AmyG Awwwwww those two ❤️ 3y
Hooked_on_books I love their twin postures! 🐱🐱 3y
Chelsea.Poole Sounds right up my alley too! Stacked 3y
71 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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Sweettartlaura
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Curious: if you don‘t finish a book for your book club, how often do you still go to the meeting?
I tried to read/listen to this. I wasn‘t expecting to love it… but I also wasn‘t expecting a 40-minute chapter on eels. At that point I bailed.
And I was still going to go to our meeting tonight.
But other things have arisen, and I can‘t work up the energy to go talk about a book I barely read, and didn‘t enjoy for a second🤷🏻‍♀️
What do you do?

katy4peas Bail on the meeting if other things have come up. Otherwise I would still go to the meeting. 3y
Laughterhp I‘d probably still go if I had the time and just talk about how much I hated the book. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3y
Sweettartlaura @katy4peas I am. But if you go when you didn‘t read, what do you do for an hour or so as people talk about it? Especially if you didn‘t read because you hated it? I don‘t wanna be the person who says, “didn‘t read - but hated it”. So I usually force myself to finish, so at least I have something to stand on if I still hate it 😜. But I couldn‘t this time. And the thought of saying nothing for an hour+ lent itself to prioritizing other tasks 3y
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Sweettartlaura @Laughterhp 😂 😂 😂 3y
Laughterhp There was a reason I was kicked out of my book club 😂😂 3y
Sweettartlaura @Laughterhp 😮🤣🤣🤣 3y
katy4peas I have had to admit that I didn‘t like it before and that I didn‘t finish it. But I am also stuck leading it, so…. 🤷‍♀️ I have to sit for an hour and listen to everybody! 3y
31 likes7 comments
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aa_guer2021
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#wondrouswednesday @Eggs
Thank you for the tag @EadieB

1. The Truth About Animals - Lucy Cooke
2. 👍🏻👍🏻
3. Favorite genre probably sci-fi or mystery

Who else would like to play??

EadieB You're welcome! Thanks for playing! 3y
Eggs Thanks for joining in 🤩👏🏻🤗 3y
12 likes2 comments
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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#julyjourneys #tellthetruth
One of my absolute favorite nonfiction books about animals, Cooke is funny and filled with bizarre and fascinating facts about many animals we don't often think about - who knew eel breeding was a complete mystery to scientists??
@eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Ya gotta love “lovelorn hippos” 3y
ChaoticMissAdventures @Eggs that section is so fascinating! And helped me on trivia night once when the subject of hippos taking over Colombia came up! 3y
Eggs Then it paid for itself!!! Bonus🤗 @ChaoticMissAdventures (edited) 3y
23 likes1 stack add3 comments
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aa_guer2021
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Pickpick

Stoned sloths, rabid hyenas, scavenging vultures and cuddly pandas all get debunked in this wild, funny and educational romp of a book. Showing that science often got it **very** wrong, before it got it remotely right, this is educational and humorous in the most delightful way. Clever writing and a hefty works cited backs up the authors claims and leaves one 🙃🤔😱🤣. #recentlyread #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Great review!!! 3y
aa_guer2021 @TheAromaofBooks thank you. This was a fun read and I‘m glad I picked it up at the zoo! 3y
15 likes2 comments
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Tove_Reads
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“Aristotle was obsessed with eel genitals”. Did not expect that #firstsentence 😅😂😳🤷🏽‍♂️😱

MayJasper 😂 That line would surprise me! 3y
33 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Cosyreader
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Pickpick

I usually get fed up with reading challenges because I end up reading naff books just so I can tick them off a list. I thought this would be one of those. I was so so wrong. This is the best book I‘ve read this year. These animals have been seriously misunderstood and this book gives them the shout out they deserve.
Incredibly fascinating - I‘m so glad I found this ❤️ Trigger warning: animal cruelty in so-called “experiments” 😔#nonfiction2019

wanderinglynn Ooh, this looks like an interesting one. I‘m currently reading The Soul of an Octopus, which is fascinating. I love books about animals. 👍🏻 4y
Cosyreader @wanderinglynn stacked! Thank you 😊 4y
Bakingbookworm I loved this book. I giggled out loud a few times and learned some interesting facts along the way. 4y
Cosyreader @Bakingbookworm I was more than pleasantly surprised at how interesting this book was 😊 I love it when books surprise you 4y
Bakingbookworm @Cosyreader Me too! And it‘s amazing how many animal tidbit facts I still remember. 4y
33 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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AnneFindsJoy
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#nonfiction2019 #animals - Focuses on a handful of animals - sloths, pandas, penguins, eels, vultures, bats, hyenas etc, the author clears up misconceptions and gives interesting details, lots on animal sex organs and sex behaviors. Author uses good humorous details, but also an underlying commentary on humans treatment of animals , and a few passages on cruel science experiments were difficult to read about. #truth

Riveted_Reader_Melissa It sounds really good. 5y
32 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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TheBookStacker
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1. 🦍🐘
2. 🦕🦖
3. 🕷
4. 🦉
5. 🐱

wanderinglynn Thanks for playing! 😀 6y
25 likes1 comment
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Lea
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Pickpick

This was entertaining and enjoyable. Fun facts about animals. #readwomen

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Expandingbookshelf
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Pickpick

I spent my night texting my friends about how scientists still don‘t even KNOW how some eels fuck and that kind of misguided passion is a sign this was a good book (also, I‘m sorry to anyone I woke up).

aloslibrary It‘s probably electrifying. 🙈🐸 6y
Expandingbookshelf @aloslibrary I see what you did there 👀 6y
9 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Kelly
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I'm really enjoying this.

28 likes1 stack add
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Expandingbookshelf
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I have worked in news rooms and I can confirm this is true.

swynn I confess: I'd prefer actual sloths and literal eccentric pooping habits to the metaphorical ones that have filled our *fast* news days recently. 6y
Expandingbookshelf @swynn me too! It was a more innocent time. And I am so happy I don‘t still work in news considering there‘s so much going on all the time and it‘s always terrible 6y
6 likes2 comments
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Expandingbookshelf
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I am a million percent in on this conspiracy theory

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DogEaredBooks
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This book was really good. The author looks at different animals in each chapter and their odd behaviors and historical misunderstandings. It‘s very well researched and written with just the right amount of sass. I‘ll be recommending this to everyone for a while!

26 likes1 stack add
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Kristy_K
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Pickpick

I love reading books by people who are passionate about their work. It easily shows in their writing and makes you eager to learn more. Cooke‘s love of animals is clear and contagious in The Truth About animals.

There are 13 animals highlighted in this book. I‘d have to say that my favorites were the sloth, hyena, hippo, and panda, although all of them had interesting tidbits.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#netgalley #animals

Lea I want to read this. I keep hoping it comes out in audio. 6y
Kristy_K @Lea I hope you get to soon. It was very entertaining. :) 6y
62 likes3 stack adds2 comments