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The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy
The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy
Oct 10, 2024 8:21 AM

Author:Arik Kershenbaum

The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy

A Times/Sunday Times Book of the Year

DISCOVER HOW LIFE REALLY WORKS - ON EARTH AND IN SPACE

'A wonderfully insightful sidelong look at Earthly biology' Richard Dawkins

'Crawls with curious facts' Sunday Times

_________________________

We are unprepared for the greatest discovery of modern science. Scientists are confident that there is alien life across the universe yet we have not moved beyond our perception of 'aliens' as Hollywood stereotypes. The time has come to abandon our fixation on alien monsters and place our expectations on solid scientific footing.

Using his own expert understanding of life on Earth and Darwin's theory of evolution - which applies throughout the universe - Cambridge zoologist Dr Arik Kershenbaum explains what alien life must be like. This is the story of how life really works, on Earth and in space.

_________________________

'An entertaining,eye-opening and, above all, a hopeful view of what - or who - might be out there in the cosmos' Philip Ball, author of Nature's Patterns

'A fascinating insight into the deepest of questions: what might an alien actually look like' Lewis Dartnell, author of Origins

'If you don't want to be surprised by extraterrestrial life, look no further than this lively overview of the laws of evolution that have produced life on earth' Frans de Waal, author of Mama's Last Hug

Reviews

I love The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy by Arik Kershenbaum. Although it sets out to be (and is) about alien life, what emerges is a wonderfully insightful sidelong look at Earthly biology

—— Richard Dawkins, via Twitter

If you don't want to be surprised by extraterrestrial life, look no further than this lively overview of the laws of evolution that have produced life on earth.

—— Frans de Waal, author of Mama’s Last Hug

A fun, and thoroughly biological, exploration of possible and impossible alien beings. If you'd love to know what real aliens from other planets might really be like, this is the book for you

—— Susan Blackmore, author of Seeing Myself

Surveying the deep-time of evolution on Earth and his own cutting-edge research into animal communication, Kershenbaum provides a fascinating insight into the deepest of questions: what might an alien actually look like

—— Lewis Dartnell, author of Origins

When we search for aliens, what are we searching for? If life exists on other worlds, it might look very different to life 'as we know it', but Arik Kershenbaum makes a persuasive and entertaining case that we needn't be completely in the dark. There are some rules that all beings with a claim to be alive must observe, and for which life on our planet can serve as a guide. This is an eye-opening and, above all, a hopeful view of what - or who - might be out there in the cosmos

—— Philip Ball, author of Nature's Patterns

Evolutionary theory helps us explain patterns in the past, and combined with a rich understanding of natural history and biodiversity, predict what might be discovered in the future. Arik Kershenbaum takes us on a joyous voyage of animal diversity and illustrates the singular importance of natural selection in explaining life - here on Earth - and what will likely be discovered throughout the galaxy. A stimulating read!

—— Daniel T. Blumstein, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles

This is no mere frivolous exercise in arm-waving (or tentacle-waving) and baseless speculation. Instead, what emerges is a fascinating plunge into the deep-time history of life on Earth and animal evolution in all its glorious diversity . . . To comprehend the alien is to know thyself

—— Lewis Dartnell , The Times

The book crawls with curious facts . . . [Kershenbaum] is fascinating on how aliens might communicate

—— James McConnachie , The Sunday Times

A wonderful mix of science-based speculation and entertaining whimsy

—— David P. Barash , Wall Street Journal

Psychotherapist superstar helps with energy

—— Zestology

Living While Black, with its radical foundations and extensive content, is groundbreaking in nature. It's not about merely surviving racism, it's about thriving in spite of it ... [it is] like validation for all that I have felt, reassurance that racial trauma is not only real but incredibly harmful, and also hope for the future.

—— Bad Form Review

I'm blown away by her ability to communicate difficult ideas with ease, simplicity and practicality. Amazing. Go and buy it now!

—— Jay Shetty

This book is a goldmine. I truly treat it like a handbook now - when I feel an unpleasant feeling brewing or come up against a tricky moment at work or in my relationships, my first thought is to wonder what Smith might suggest

—— Stylist

A guide for optimal mental wellbeing that you can dip into whenever you need

—— Women's Health

Wise words and compassionate tone . . . Smith's work is hugely important in bringing applied psychology into the public realm

—— The Psychologist

So much advice on such a wide variety of things: it's brilliant. So helpful

—— Katie Piper

Smith . . . is especially adept at addressing the insecurities afflicting a younger generation raised on social media

—— Financial Times

If you have never read a self-help book before, this is the book to read

—— Ireland AM

Such a brilliant book

—— Steven Bartlett , Diary of a CEO podcast

Very helpful

—— BBC Radio 2 , Michael Ball

Take care of your mental health with these bite-size tips on everything from how to manage anxiety to coping with grief

—— Woman & Home

[She] is a sort of human oxytocin

—— The Times
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