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What a Fish Knows : The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins by Jonathan Balcombe (2016, Hardcover)
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WHAT A FISH KNOWS: THE INNER LIVES OF OUR UNDERWATER COUSINS By Jonathan Balcombe - Hardcover **BRAND NEW**.
- Buy it nowWHAT A FISH KNOWS: THE INNER LIVES OF OUR UNDERWATER By Jonathan Balcombe *NEW*
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherFarrar, Straus & Giroux
ISBN-100374288216
ISBN-139780374288211
eBay Product ID (ePID)219152845
Product Key Features
Book TitleWhat a Fish Knows : the Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins
Number of Pages304 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication Year2016
TopicAnimals / Fish, Life Sciences / Anatomy & Physiology (See Also Life Sciences / Human Anatomy & Physiology), Life Sciences / Zoology / Ethology (Animal Behavior)
IllustratorYes
GenreNature, Science
AuthorJonathan Balcombe
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height1.2 in
Item Weight15.2 Oz
Item Length8.6 in
Item Width5.8 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2015-048629
Dewey Edition23
Reviews" What a Fish Knows will leave you humbled, thrilled, and floored. Jonathan Balcombe delivers a revelation on every page, presenting jaw-dropping studies and stories that should reshape our understanding of, and compassion for, some of the most diverse and successful animals who have ever lived. After reading this, you will never be able to deny that fishes love their lives as we love ours, and that they, too, are vividly emotional, intelligent, and conscious. Bravo!" --Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus , a National Book Award finalist "With the vivacious energy of a cracking good storyteller, Balcombe draws deeply from scientific studies and his own experience with fish to introduce readers to them as sentient creatures that live full lives governed by cognition and perception . . . Balcombe makes a convincing case that fish possess minds and memories, are capable of planning and organizing, and cooperate with one another in webs of social relationships." -- Publishers Weekly "I thought I knew a lot about fishes. Then I read What a Fish Knows . And now I know a lot about fishes! Stunning in the way it reveals so many astonishing things about the fishes who populate planet Earth in their trillions, this book is sure to 'deepen' your appreciation for our fin-bearing co-voyagers, the bright strangers whose world we share." -- Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words "Based on the latest scientific research, What a Fish Knows offers an eye-opening tour of the social, mental, and emotional lives of fishes. Who knew fishes use tools, appreciate music, fall for the same optical illusions we do, and engage in both cooperative hunting and some very kinky sex? Jonathan Balcombe's book is popular science writing at its best. It will spin your head around." --Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat "Fishes are greatly misunderstood and grievously maligned. Now, in What a Fish Knows , Jonathan Balcombe uses the latest science to provide a comprehensive picture of just who fishes are. You will learn that fishes have distinct personalities, experience a wide range of emotions, form intricate social relationships, and are wonderful parents. Indeed, this forward-looking and long-overdue book is an integral part of reconnecting with the fascinating animals with whom we share our magnificent planet." --Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and Rewilding Our Hearts " What a Fish Knows is the best book on fishes I have ever read. Brimming with engrossing anecdotes and humor, Jonathan Balcombe's inspiring treatise takes the reader on a fascinating and deeply moving journey into the lives of fishes. Balcombe's eloquent, persuasive, highly readable tour de force has a single, luminous message: Fishes deserve more respect, care, and protection." --Chris Palmer, author of Shooting in the Wild and Confessions of a Wildlife Filmmaker, "Based on the latest scientific research, What a Fish Knows offers an eye-opening tour of the social, mental, and emotional lives of fishes. Who knew fish use tools, appreciate music, fall for the same optical illusions we do, and engage in both cooperative hunting and some very kinky sex? Jonathan Balcombe's book is popular science writing at its best. It will spin your head around." --Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It's So Hard To Think Straight About Animals, " What a Fish Knows will leave you humbled, thrilled, and floored. Jonathan Balcombe delivers a revelation on every page, presenting jaw-dropping studies and stories that should reshape our understanding of, and compassion for, some of the most diverse and successful animals who have ever lived. After reading this, you will never be able to deny that fishes love their lives as we love ours, and that they, too, are vividly emotional, intelligent, and conscious. Bravo!" --Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus , a National Book Award finalist "With the vivacious energy of a cracking good storyteller, Balcombe draws deeply from scientific studies and his own experience with fish to introduce readers to them as sentient creatures that live full lives governed by cognition and perception . . . Balcombe makes a convincing case that fish possess minds and memories, are capable of planning and organizing, and cooperate with one another in webs of social relationships." -- Publishers Weekly "[A] sparkling exposition on 'our underwater cousins' . . . [and] a compelling pitch for greatly expanding fish conservation." --Ray Olson, Booklist "I thought I knew a lot about fishes. Then I read What a Fish Knows . And now I know a lot about fishes! Stunning in the way it reveals so many astonishing things about the fishes who populate planet Earth in their trillions, this book is sure to 'deepen' your appreciation for our fin-bearing co-voyagers, the bright strangers whose world we share." -- Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words "Based on the latest scientific research, What a Fish Knows offers an eye-opening tour of the social, mental, and emotional lives of fishes. Who knew fishes use tools, appreciate music, fall for the same optical illusions we do, and engage in both cooperative hunting and some very kinky sex? Jonathan Balcombe's book is popular science writing at its best. It will spin your head around." --Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat " What a Fish Knows is a delightful and fascinating book that should be read by all who have dismissed fishes, especially the smaller denizens of the ocean, as utterly simple, primitive creatures. Jonathan Balcombe's lively descriptions of fish behavior are backed by solid science. What Carl Safina's Beyond Words did for elephants, wolves, and orcas, Balcombe's book does for fishes. It is a terrific read." --Wendy Benchley, ocean conservationist and co-founder of the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards "Fishes are greatly misunderstood and grievously maligned. Now, in What a Fish Knows , Jonathan Balcombe uses the latest science to provide a comprehensive picture of just who fishes are. You will learn that fishes have distinct personalities, experience a wide range of emotions, form intricate social relationships, and are wonderful parents. Indeed, this forward-looking and long-overdue book is an integral part of reconnecting with the fascinating animals with whom we share our magnificent planet." --Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and Rewilding Our Hearts " What a Fish Knows is the best book on fishes I have ever read. Brimming with engrossing anecdotes and humor, Jonathan Balcombe's inspiring treatise takes the reader on a fascinating and deeply moving journey into the lives of fishes. Balcombe's eloquent, persuasive, highly readable tour de force has a single, luminous message: Fishes deserve more respect, care, and protection." --Chris Palmer, author of Shooting in the Wild and Confessions of a Wildlife Filmmaker, " What a Fish Knows will leave you humbled, thrilled, and floored. Jonathan Balcombe delivers a revelation on every page, presenting jaw-dropping studies and stories that should reshape our understanding of, and compassion for, some of the most diverse and successful animals who have ever lived. After reading this, you will never be able to deny that fishes love their lives, as we love ours, and that they, too, are vividly emotional, intelligent, and conscious. Bravo!" --Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness , a National Book Award Finalist "With the vivacious energy of a cracking good storyteller, Balcombe draws deeply from scientific studies and his own experience with fish to introduce readers to them as sentient creatures that live full lives governed by cognition and perception . . . Balcombe makes a convincing case that fish possess minds and memories, are capable of planning and organizing, and cooperate with one another in webs of social relationships." -- Publishers Weekly "I thought I knew a lot about fish. Then I read What a Fish Knows . And now I know a lot about fish! Stunning in the way it reveals so many astonishing things about the fish who populate planet Earth in their trillions, this book is sure to 'deepen' your appreciation for our fin-bearing co-voyagers, the bright strangers whose world we share." --Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel "Based on the latest scientific research, What a Fish Knows offers an eye-opening tour of the social, mental, and emotional lives of fishes. Who knew fish use tools, appreciate music, fall for the same optical illusions we do, and engage in both cooperative hunting and some very kinky sex? Jonathan Balcombe's book is popular science writing at its best. It will spin your head around." --Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It's So Hard To Think Straight About Animals "Fishes are greatly misunderstood and grievously maligned. Now, in What a Fish Knows , Jonathan Balcombe uses the latest science to provide a comprehensive picture of just who fishes are. You will learn that fishes have distinct personalities, experience a wide range of emotions, form intricate social relationships, and are wonderful parents. Indeed, this forward-looking and long overdue book is an integral part of reconnecting with the fascinating animals with whom we share our magnificent planet." --Marc Bekoff, University of Colorado, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence " What a Fish Knows is the best book on fish I have ever read. Sprinkled throughout with engrossing anecdotes and humor, Jonathan Balcombe's inspiring treatise takes the reader on a fascinating and deeply moving journey into the lives of fish, showing them to be sentient individuals with personalities, minds, and relationships, not primitive, dimwitted, and unfeeling creatures who feel no pain when chased, caught, and killed. Balcombe's eloquent, persuasive, highly readable tour de force has a single, luminous message: fish deserve more respect, care, and protection." --Chris Palmer, author of Shooting in the Wild and Confessions of a Wildlife Filmmaker, Jonathan Balcombe is a rare being, a scientist who has escaped the narrow orthodoxies of institutional science, an intelligent human being who is more than ready to recognize intelligences of other kinds, an intuitive and empathetic observer who nevertheless does not abandon the highest standards of intellectual inquiry. - J. M. Coetzee, " What a Fish Knows will leave you humbled, thrilled, and floored. Jonathan Balcombe delivers a revelation on every page, presenting jaw-dropping studies and stories that should reshape our understanding of, and compassion for, some of the most diverse and successful animals who have ever lived. After reading this, you will never be able to deny that fishes love their lives as we love ours, and that they, too, are vividly emotional, intelligent, and conscious. Bravo!" --Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus , a National Book Award finalist "With the vivacious energy of a cracking good storyteller, Balcombe draws deeply from scientific studies and his own experience with fish to introduce readers to them as sentient creatures that live full lives governed by cognition and perception . . . Balcombe makes a convincing case that fish possess minds and memories, are capable of planning and organizing, and cooperate with one another in webs of social relationships." -- Publishers Weekly "[A] sparkling exposition on ''our underwater cousins'' . . . [and] a compelling pitch for greatly expanding fish conservation." --Ray Olson, Booklist "[Balcombe] offers an enjoyable, surprising and sometimes gruesome exploration of the world of fish, written with clarity and humor and grounded in many scientific studies . . . The breadth and depth of his research and his enthusiastic storytelling may permanently alter how [readers] look at a pet goldfish or a can of sardines." -- Sara Catterall, Shelf Awareness "I thought I knew a lot about fishes. Then I read What a Fish Knows . And now I know a lot about fishes! Stunning in the way it reveals so many astonishing things about the fishes who populate planet Earth in their trillions, this book is sure to ''deepen'' your appreciation for our fin-bearing co-voyagers, the bright strangers whose world we share." -- Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words "Based on the latest scientific research, What a Fish Knows offers an eye-opening tour of the social, mental, and emotional lives of fishes. Who knew fishes use tools, appreciate music, fall for the same optical illusions we do, and engage in both cooperative hunting and some very kinky sex? Jonathan Balcombe''s book is popular science writing at its best. It will spin your head around." --Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat " What a Fish Knows is a delightful and fascinating book that should be read by all who have dismissed fishes, especially the smaller denizens of the ocean, as utterly simple, primitive creatures. Jonathan Balcombe''s lively descriptions of fish behavior are backed by solid science. What Carl Safina''s Beyond Words did for elephants, wolves, and orcas, Balcombe''s book does for fishes. It is a terrific read." --Wendy Benchley, ocean conservationist and co-founder of the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards "Fishes are greatly misunderstood and grievously maligned. Now, in What a Fish Knows , Jonathan Balcombe uses the latest science to provide a comprehensive picture of just who fishes are. You will learn that fishes have distinct personalities, experience a wide range of emotions, form intricate social relationships, and are wonderful parents. Indeed, this forward-looking and long-overdue book is an integral part of reconnecting with the fascinating animals with whom we share our magnificent planet." --Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and Rewilding Our Hearts " What a Fish Knows is the best book on fishes I have ever read. Brimming with engrossing anecdotes and humor, Jonathan Balcombe''s inspiring treatise takes the reader on a fascinating and deeply moving journey into the lives of fishes. Balcombe''s eloquent, persuasive, highly readable tour de force has a single, luminous message: Fishes deserve more respect, care, and protection." --Chris Palmer, author of Shooting in the Wild and Confessions of a Wildlife Filmmaker, " What a Fish Knows will leave you humbled, thrilled, and floored. Jonathan Balcombe delivers a revelation on every page, presenting jaw-dropping studies and stories that should reshape our understanding of, and compassion for, some of the most diverse and successful animals who have ever lived. After reading this, you will never be able to deny that fishes love their lives, as we love ours, and that they, too, are vividly emotional, intelligent, and conscious. Bravo!" --Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness , a National Book Award Finalist "I thought I knew a lot about fish. Then I read What a Fish Knows . And now I know a lot about fish! Stunning in the way it reveals so many astonishing things about the fish who populate planet Earth in their trillions, this book is sure to 'deepen' your appreciation for our fin-bearing co-voyagers, the bright strangers whose world we share." --Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel "Based on the latest scientific research, What a Fish Knows offers an eye-opening tour of the social, mental, and emotional lives of fishes. Who knew fish use tools, appreciate music, fall for the same optical illusions we do, and engage in both cooperative hunting and some very kinky sex? Jonathan Balcombe's book is popular science writing at its best. It will spin your head around." --Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It's So Hard To Think Straight About Animals "Fishes are greatly misunderstood and grievously maligned. Now, in What a Fish Knows , Jonathan Balcombe uses the latest science to provide a comprehensive picture of just who fishes are. You will learn that fishes have distinct personalities, experience a wide range of emotions, form intricate social relationships, and are wonderful parents. Indeed, this forward-looking and long overdue book is an integral part of reconnecting with the fascinating animals with whom we share our magnificent planet." --Marc Bekoff, University of Colorado, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence " What a Fish Knows is the best book on fish I have ever read. Sprinkled throughout with engrossing anecdotes and humor, Jonathan Balcombe's inspiring treatise takes the reader on a fascinating and deeply moving journey into the lives of fish, showing them to be sentient individuals with personalities, minds, and relationships, not primitive, dimwitted, and unfeeling creatures who feel no pain when chased, caught, and killed. Balcombe's eloquent, persuasive, highly readable tour de force has a single, luminous message: fish deserve more respect, care, and protection." --Chris Palmer, author of Shooting in the Wild and Confessions of a Wildlife Filmmaker
Dewey Decimal597.15
SynopsisAn underwater exploration that overturns myths about fishes and reveals their complex lives, from tool use to social behavior, A New York Times Bestseller Do fishes think? Do they really have three-second memories? And can they recognize the humans who peer back at them from above the surface of the water? In What a Fish Knows , the myth-busting ethologist Jonathan Balcombe addresses these questions and more, taking us under the sea, through streams and estuaries, and to the other side of the aquarium glass to reveal the surprising capabilities of fishes. Although there are more than thirty thousand species of fish--more than all mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians combined--we rarely consider how individual fishes think, feel, and behave. Balcombe upends our assumptions about fishes, portraying them not as unfeeling, dead-eyed feeding machines but as sentient, aware, social, and even Machiavellian--in other words, much like us. What a Fish Knows draws on the latest science to present a fresh look at these remarkable creatures in all their breathtaking diversity and beauty. Fishes conduct elaborate courtship rituals and develop lifelong bonds with shoalmates. They also plan, hunt cooperatively, use tools, curry favor, deceive one another, and punish wrongdoers. We may imagine that fishes lead simple, fleeting lives--a mode of existence that boils down to a place on the food chain, rote spawning, and lots of aimless swimming. But, as Balcombe demonstrates, the truth is far richer and more complex, worthy of the grandest social novel. Highlighting breakthrough discoveries from fish enthusiasts and scientists around the world and pondering his own encounters with fishes, Balcombe examines the fascinating means by which fishes gain knowledge of the places they inhabit, from shallow tide pools to the deepest reaches of the ocean. Teeming with insights and exciting discoveries, What a Fish Knows offers a thoughtful appraisal of our relationships with fishes and inspires us to take a more enlightened view of the planet's increasingly imperiled marine life. What a Fish Knows will forever change how we see our aquatic cousins--the pet goldfish included.
LC Classification NumberQL639.3.B35 2016
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- 07 Sep, 2016
Long overdue and much needed book!
Finally, a layperson's incontrovertible, definitive answer to the (really stupid) question: "Do fish feel?"...yes, pain, sorrow, all of it. Well done!!Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
- 03 Aug, 2016
interesting to scientists/biologists
This book is being read in our book group--primarily retired professors and scientists, who find the book very interesting.Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
