{"product_id":"9781250173331","title":"Becoming Wild : How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty, and Achieve Peace","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eBecoming Wild\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Carl Safina\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES \u003c\/i\u003eNOTABLE BOOK OF 2020\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"In this superbly articulate cri de coeur, Safina gives us a new way of looking at the natural world that is radically different.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ebestselling author Carl Safina brings readers close to three non-human cultures—what they do, why they do it, and how life is for them.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Notable Books of 2020\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSome believe that culture is strictly a human phenomenon. But this book reveals cultures of other-than-human beings in some of Earth’s remaining wild places. It shows how if you’re a sperm whale, a scarlet macaw, or a chimpanzee, you too come to understand yourself as an individual within a particular community that does things in specific ways, that has \u003ci\u003etraditions\u003c\/i\u003e. Alongside genes, culture is a second form of inheritance, passed through generations as pools of learned knowledge. As situations change, social learning—culture—allows behaviors to adjust much faster than genes can adapt.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBecoming Wild\u003c\/i\u003e brings readers into intimate proximity with various nonhuman individuals in their free-living communities. It presents a revelatory account of how animals function beyond our usual view. Safina shows that for non-humans and humans alike, \u003ci\u003eculture\u003c\/i\u003e comprises the answers to the question, “How do \u003ci\u003ewe\u003c\/i\u003e live here?” It unites individuals within a group identity. But cultural groups often seek to avoid, or even be hostile toward, other factions. By showing that this is true across species, Safina illuminates why human cultural tensions remain maddeningly intractable despite the arbitrariness of many of our differences. \u003ci\u003eBecoming Wild\u003c\/i\u003e takes readers behind the curtain of life on Earth, to witness from a new vantage point the most world-saving of perceptions: how we are all connected.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY \u003ci\u003eTHE NEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKIRKUS REVIEWS\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eAND \u003ci\u003eCHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Fascinating . . . [\u003ci\u003eBecoming Wild\u003c\/i\u003e] gives the reader a sense of being near these creatures and experiencing some of the most seductive environments on Earth. . . . Safina's prose achieves the elusive goal of being both informative and luminously evocative.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Combining the knowledge of a seasoned scientist with the skills of a good storyteller, Safina invites us to leave our cultural worlds and enter animals’ ones. . . . \u003ci\u003eBecoming Wild \u003c\/i\u003edeserves to be remembered.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—NPR\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[Safina] turns the human view of animal cultures on its head. . . . \u003ci\u003eBecoming Wild \u003c\/i\u003edemands that we wake up and realize that we are intrinsically linked to our other-than-human neighbors.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Telegraph \u003c\/i\u003e(UK)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[Safina] shows us something too often overlooked in research and in conservation: who animals are, and how they live. . . . [And] it’s the stories of Safina’s days with these animals that move us.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Engrossing. . . . In addition to fascinating dispatches from the ecological front lines [and] first-rate nature writing . . . Safina imparts a naturalist’s sense of unending wonder.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Christian Science Monitor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Engaging and eye-opening. . . . Safina’s enthusiasm for the animal kingdom is contagious, and his clear writing makes his wide-reaching subject both approachable and tangible.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Safina's lovely account of his travels with researchers . . . reveals majestic, closely knit communities. . . . And few readers will doubt that these magnificent creatures need urgent attention. Enthralling.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[A] bracing and enlightening book. . . . Safina’s writing on the watery depths and its denizens is sublime . . . [challenging] us to be more acutely aware of species whose social lives have much to teach us.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eScience\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Full of rich observations . . . \u003ci\u003eBecoming Wild \u003c\/i\u003eoffers readers a window into the complex and curious lives of the three species it depicts and invites [us] to observe the beauty and joy of each species’s nuances.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[A journey into] the wonder of life itself. . . . \u003ci\u003eBecoming Wild \u003c\/i\u003eis a warm and beckoning paean to our natural world.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe East Hampton Star\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Safina writes with passion and a sense of humor . . . reminding readers to contemplate the natural world as they think about their own points of vulnerability and resilience.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eWashington Monthly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"An immersion in nature.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eAARP The Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Seminal. . . . By drawing attention to the importance of regional variation and acculturated behavior, Safina raises important issues for environmentalists.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eNatural History\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Eloquent. . . . This revelatory work sheds as much light on what it means to be human as it does on the nature of other species.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003ePraise for Carl Safina\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Dr. Safina is a terrific writer, majestic and puckish in equal measure, with a contagious enthusiasm. . . . He draws out haunting resonances between animal lives and our own. . . . Captivating.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[Safina] felicitously combines lambent writing with dazzling facts . . . illuminating our knowledge of significant and engaging subjects.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Brilliant . . . Each of Safina’s beautifully limned animal portraits is the weight of human influence and a challenge to exercise the power of empathy. . . . [Safina] is a font of research, his wonder contagious.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eElle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Safina’s engaging writing takes readers along on his journey, so that we learn about these creatures as he does. . . . His adventures with researchers observing wild animals in the field are fascinating . . . entertaining, and informative.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eSlate\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLong-listed Christian Science Monitor Best Books of the Year (2020), Long-listed New York Times Book Review Notable Books of the Year (2020), Long-listed Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year (2020)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781250173331\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Henry Holt and Co.","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":40710622838990,"sku":"9781250173331","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_da11a747-17e7-4ac5-a794-8afcec87416c.jpg?v=1643196957","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781250173331","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}