42 Tales From Life: A Modern Bestiary

From the world’s greatest popular science writer, this wonderfully accessible new book takes us on a romp through a menagerie of ingenious tales about how animals have evolved into such intricately beautiful, intriguing forms. Dawkins delightedly talks us through the galloping of fish, the shape of the rhinoceros’ horn, the surprising similarities between horses and lizards, and why hummingbirds glow in such brilliant hues. This is popular science and incisive Darwinian analysis at its best.

Dawkins delights in the surreal and incredible moments that make up the fabric of our world, finding the extraordinary in every creature and revealing the fundamental truths behind even the most unfathomable animal behaviours. His tales are accompanied by the astonishingly beautiful art of the German scientist and artist Ernst Haeckel, whose colourful illustrations of plants, sea creatures and other animals have fascinated Dawkins all his life. This is a book to learn from, to delight in, and to treasure.