We tend to think of culture as being exclusively human, but do animals have it too?

A New York Times Notable Book of 2020

‘Bracing and enlightening’ Science

Culture is something exclusive to human beings, isn’t it?

Not so, says intrepid researcher Carl Safina.

Becoming Wild reveals the rich cultures that survive in some of Earth’s remaining wild places. By showing how sperm whales, scarlet macaws and chimpanzees teach and learn, Safina offers a fresh understanding of what is constantly going on beyond humanity, and how we’re all connected.

‘Becoming Wild demands that we wake up’ Telegraph

"

‘Safina, the ecologist and author of many books about animal behavior, here delves into the world of chimpanzees, sperm whales and macaws to make a convincing argument that animals learn from one another and pass down culture in a way that will feel very familiar to us.’

"

‘A smorgasbord of compelling details . . . Becoming Wild could easily become a television series.’

"

‘Fascinating… [Becoming Wild] 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.’

"

‘[Safina] turns the human view of animal cultures on its head… Becoming Wild demands that we wake up and realise that we are intrinsically linked to our other-than-human neighbours.’

"

‘Dr. Safina is a terrific writer, majestic and puckish in equal measure.’

"

‘[Safina] is a font of research, his wonder contagious.’

"

‘Safina puts forward several eye-opening and previously-overlooked implications of animal culture… a pleasure to read… another jewel in the crown of Safina’s work that packs fascinating field studies, interesting theoretical ideas, soul-searching questions, and probing reflections on human and animal nature into a book that is as profound as it is moving.’