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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. |
