Animal Minds

Dip below the ocean’s surface and you are soon confronted by forms of life that could not seem more foreign to our own: sea sponges, soft corals, and serpulid worms, whose rooted bodies, intricate geometry, and flower-like appendages are more reminiscent of plant life or even architecture than anything recognizably animal. Yet these creatures are our cousins. As fellow members of the animal kingdom — the Metazoa— they can teach us much about the evolutionary origins of not only our bodies, but also our minds.

As Charles Darwin suggested more than a century ago, the differences between animals and humans are of degree and not of kind. Not long ago, ethologists denied that animals had emotions or true intelligence. Now, we know that rats laugh when tickled, magpies mourn as they cover the departed with greenery, female whales travel thousands of miles for annual reunions with their gal pals, seals navigate by the stars, bears hum when happy, and crows slide down snowy rooftops for fun.

In this wide-ranging exploration of animals' inner lives, Keim takes us into courtrooms and wildlife hospitals, under backyard decks and into deserts, to meet anew the wild creatures who populate our communities and the philosophers, rogue pest controllers, ecologists, wildlife doctors, and others who are reimagining our relationships to them.

Listeners will be awestruck by the hive as superorganism and how the individual bee lives and behaves within it, perfectly suited to each specific job it performs. From their intricate dances and information-rich pheromones to how they sense and respond to their environment, learn, and remember, this immersive journey into the world of bees offers an entirely new perspective on the wisdom of nature and our relationship to it.

Renowned voice actor Jim Weiss brings young listeners delightful tellings of Aesop's Fables, plus lively tales from Grimm, Chaucer, and others. Also features Jim's famous performance of "The Tortoise and the Hare." Perfect for children who are ready to move beyond music to recordings of the spoken word.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★Amusing Facts For Adventurous Minds★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ Are you ready to become the ultimate trivia master? Look no further than "Amusing Facts For Adventurous Minds: 1608 Random Facts In the Realm of History, Human Body, Natural Disasters, Ancient Civilizations, Science and Unbelievable Facts Mashup." Do you want to impress your friends and family with an endless supply of fascinating facts? Discover the benefits of reading this book, including expanding your knowledge and entertaining your loved ones ...

Enjoy over 180 mind-blowing fun facts and 200 trivia questions about animals! Both kids and adults will be entertained for hours. We have discovered over two million species of animals on Earth! Each and every animal plays a crucial part in taking care of our planet. From the spiders in our homes to the blue whales in the ocean, every species is like a puzzle piece that fits together to create our home, planet Earth. Our trivia and fun facts will teach you everything you need to know. We share our planet with so many incredible creatures, and we still have so much more to discover!

The scuba-diving philosopher and best-selling author of Other Minds explores the origins of animal consciousness. Dip below the ocean’s surface and you are soon confronted by forms of life that could not seem more foreign to our own: sea sponges, soft corals and flower-like worms, whose rooted bodies and intricate geometry are more reminiscent of plant life than anything recognisably animal. Yet these creatures are our cousins.

Australia is home to some of the most unusual animals in the world. Did you know, millions of years ago, all the continents were clumped into one large landmass? When the continents began to break away, South America, Antarctica, and Australia were still stuck together. Later, South America connected to North America, but Australia separated. It kept evolving in isolation, which is why the animals of Australia can look very different from animals anywhere else in the world.

The Big Break investigates how Washington works, and how different kinds of people try to make it work for them. Ben Terris presents an inside history of this crucial moment in Washington, reporting from exclusive parties, poker nights, fundraisers, secluded farms outside town and the halls of Congress; among the oddballs and opportunists and true believers. This book is about the people who see this moment as an opportunity to bet big—on their country or maybe just on themselves.

Recent studies into the minds of canines show that they have a rich social intelligence and a physical and vocal language as complex and subtle as our own. In this fun and fascinating guide, world-renowned trainer Victoria Stilwell explores the inner world of dogs. This book is your guide to understanding your pooch, communicating effectively, strengthening your bond, and helping dogs learn in the most effective way possible so they feel confident navigating the human world with success.

In Africa there are over one million different species of animals, insects, and birds, not including the ones undiscovered by the human civilization. Of these million animals, include the tallest, heaviest, and strongest land animals in the world, and we are going to learn all about them and the vast environments in which they live in. From the Lion King to Black Panther, the continent has captured the popular imagination many times.

When Katie Underwood discovers a litter of abandoned mountain-lion cubs, the last person she expects the zoo to send over is Bowie Wilson, her former crush and high-school bully. And the worst part? He doesn't even remember her. So as soon as they rescue the cougars, Katie plans to permanently part ways with the infuriatingly attractive zookeeper. But a lovelorn camel, a matchmaking honey badger, and a nursemaid capybara have completely different plans.

Leading animal rights activist Gene Baur examines the real cost of the meat on our plates - for both humans and animals alike - in this provocative and thorough examination of the modern farm industry.

With vivid characters and an hysterically funny choice of words, Rudyard Kipling’s beloved stories “explain” how camels got humps, great whales got tiny throats, elephants got trunks, and more. These time-tested classics cause us to look at accepted qualities in new and creative ways, and even better, make us laugh out loud. With his menagerie of voices and warm, witty narrative presence, Jim Weiss brings Kipling’s own words to life.

With three hearts and blue blood, its gelatinous body unconstrained by jointed limbs or gravity, the octopus seems to be an alien, an inhabitant of another world. It’s baggy, boneless body sprouts eight arms covered with thousands of suckers—suckers that can taste as well as feel. The octopus also has the powers of a superhero: it can shape-shift, change color, squirt ink, pour itself through the tiniest of openings, or jet away through the sea faster than a swimmer can follow.

Are you looking for an educational and fun animal audiobook to dive into? One that shares the good, the bad, and normal life of each individual species, one that will be interactive with facts and questions? Well, you have finally found it! This audiobook is designed for a fun and rememberable experience for listers and of all ages. Perfect for car rides, or family night, with interesting random facts about life and the animals in the Arctic, you are sure to remember something fun that you can use to stand out in any conversation.

As cognitive psychologist Brian Butterworth shows us in Can Fish Count?, many “simple” animals - such as bees, which count trees and fence posts, and guppies, which can size up groups - have a sense of numbers. And unlike humans, they don’t need to be taught. In telling animals’ stories, Butterworth shines new light on one of our most ancient questions: Just where, exactly, do numbers come from?

Wiggily Longears is a rabbit and a gentleman who has brought joy to generations of readers. Better known as Uncle Wiggily, he is both kindhearted and resourceful. Howard R. Garris's charming modern classics offer gentle lessons amid laughter as the clever, courteous rabbit ingeniously helps his animal and human friends. Jim Weiss narrates an assortment of favorites adapted from the book for this "must have" audio-recording for the very young and the young at heart.

In modern Hindu societies, practices like nonviolence, cow protection, vegetarianism, and giving food to God are quite prevalent. These are vital to the Hindu worldview and are connected to one another. Intriguingly, Hindu vegetarianism has certain philosophical roots. After all, if the soul travels through many species of life and we are not our physical bodies and animals are not theirs, then who is to argue that a slain animal is not a past loved one or a relative? Or that a human who consumes animal byproducts won't pass through the afterlife as a sacrificial creature? Consequently, ...