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The Inner Life of Animals

Surprising Observations of a Hidden World

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The Inner Life of Animals

By: Peter Wohlleben
Narrated by: Thomas Judd
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About this listen

Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Inner Life of Animals by Peter Wohlleben, read by Thomas Judd.

Mother deer that grieve?
Horses that feel shame?
Squirrels that adopt their grandchildren?

We humans tend to assume that we are the only living things able to experience feelings intensely and consciously. But have you ever wondered what’s going on in an animal’s head?

From the leafy forest floor to the inside of a bee hive, The Inner Life of Animals takes us microscopic levels of observation to the big philosophical, ethical and scientific questions. We hear the stories of a grateful humpback whale, of a hedgehog who has nightmares, and of a magpie who commits adultery; we meet bees that plan for the future, pigs who learn their own names and crows that go tobogganing for fun. And at last we find out why wasps exist.

As more and more researchers are discovering, animals experience a rich emotional life that is ready to be explored. The Inner Life of Animals will show you these living things in a new light and will open up the animal kingdom like never before.

 Animals Biological Sciences Botany & Plants Ecology Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science Natural History

Critic Reviews

Always fascinating… Wry, avuncular, careful and kind, Wohlleben guides us from one creature to the next (Richard Kerridge)
Wohlleben presents short chapter in bite-sized portions, so the reader has a constant sense of learning something new almost with every page ... The formula is provably winning. I still felt I was on a robust learning curve as subjects as diverse as motherly love, gratitude, deception, desire, shame and knowledge of good and evil were explored one by one ... fascinating (Katharine Norbury)
Wohlleben is connecting with something big here… He truffles up some wonderful animal facts, too… Wohlleben’s empathy with animals can be touching and illuminating (James McConnachie)
Entertaining and enthusiastic (Tim Smith-Laing)
The Inner Life of Animals will rock your world. Surprising, humbling, and filled with delight, this book shows us that animals think, feel, and know in much the same way as we do -- and that their lives are, to them, as precious as ours are to us. (Sy Montgomery, author of THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS)
[Wohlleben] neatly combines anecdotes and scientific evidence in his search for the answers to some basic questions, such as do animals feel things the way we do?... Wohlleben has no doubt that all animals have a rich inner life. By the end of this delightful, surprising book, most readers will be persuaded that he is right. (Nick Rennison)
The tone is friendly and informal and the prose largely free of scientific jargon… Entertaining and thought-provoking (Mark Cocker)
Wouldn’t it be fascinating to know what animals think? Here, Peter Wohlleben explores a range of bestial emotions we didn’t know existed… unveiling remarkable insights into their hidden lives in the process
A fascinating read (Sam Swannack, on COUNTRYFILE)
Peter Wohlleben’s convincing, highly readable stories about free-living and domestic animals show there’s much overlap between how humans and other animals experience bonding, loss, and the great, shared themes of life. (Carl Safina, author of BEYOND WORDS: WHAT ANIMALS THINK AND FEEL)
All stars
Most relevant
Perfect balance of scientific information and charisma, easy to digest on the commute to work.
Raises important questions about how we treat animals, leading to the logical conclusion that most of us should go vegan. The author does suggest that plants experience the world in their own way, but 80% of crops raised on this planet are fed to livestock who feel, think, and can experience suffering! I’d recommend people watch ‘Dominion’ on YouTube for more information :)
Enjoy.

Highly recommend

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Just like his other book, Peter Wohlleben has managed to create a work of beauty, subtlety, insight, and respect. a thoroughly enjoyable read and a must for those interested in revisiting our preconceptions of other living creatures.

A beautiful book with a beautiful message

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loved it! very fascinating! brilliant way to start my day. Easy to follow along to. Highly recommended.

Highly recommend for any animal lover!

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definitely not as compelling and as groundbreaking as "The secret life of trees" but peter has a thoughtful way of making the experiences of animals more accessible to humans.
wonderfully narrated

worth it

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I enjoyed every minute of this audio book. I learned so much and will definitely listen again.

Just lovely

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