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Man, the crown of creation, has set himself
above and apart from other life-forms, regarding animals and
plants as dumb and insentient. Now a pioneering scientist
tells us how wrong we have been. In an engrossing tour of the
many species we share our planet with, Brian J. Ford reveals
how all living things feel and communicate in ways that,
though mysterious to us, are very real. He cites a growing
body of research to show that we are surrounded not by brute
beasts we can use at will, but by sensitive souls with
emotions and responses we must respect.
We are taught -- wrongly -- that dreams are
unique to humans. Our animal relatives dream, too, and have,
long before we as a species existed. Do animals feel pain? The
weight of scientific evidence shows they do. Mammals have
languages of their own to transmit inner feelings --
aggression, affection, fear -- to their fellows, from
dolphins' aquatic chirping to elephants' subsonic trumpeting.
Birds show astounding cognitive ability, conducting elaborate
courting rituals and displaying great passion and devotion to
lifelong partners. Even protozoa carry out surprisingly
complicated tasks such as navigating obstacles. The Secret
Language of Life also sheds light on many intriguing
wonders of biology, including the purpose of the beautiful
shapes of pollen grains, how protozoa hibernate in winter, and
the reason trees shed their autumn leaves.
Ford's fascinating and entertaining
examination of life's many forms shows that within each
species, whether insects, fishes, plants, or even microbes,
life exists in glorious and surprising variety, rich in
sensation and creating a marvelously complex web of
interaction with its surroundings. In an era when animal
rights are widely debated and discussed, this timely,
thought-provoking book offers a revolution in popular
science.
Brian J. Ford is a biologist teaching at
the University of Wales, and the author of over eighty books,
including Images of Science, The First Encyclopedia
of Science, and Microbe Power -- Tomorrow's
Revolution. He is also a contributor to the BBC, the London
Times, Nature, New Scientist, the
British Medical Journal, and the Encyclopedia
Britannica.
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