The most recommended books on Ethology

Who picked these books? Meet our 50 experts.

50 authors created a book list connected to Ethology, and here are their favorite Ethology books.
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Book cover of Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior

Warren Gill Author Of Princess of Horses

From my list on featuring animals for readers who are love animals.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been passionate about animals all my life. I was raised on and currently help operate the family farm near Petersburg, Tennessee. I have a doctorate in animal science and joined Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) as a Professor of Animal Science and Department Chair on August 1, 2007, after retiring from a 25-year career with the Extension Service (University of Tennessee and University of Kentucky). I enjoy participating in community activities such as the Petersburg Community Cultural Coalition, Petersburg Lion’s Club, and serving as President of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture Retiree’s Association. I have written two books, Cane Creek Days and Princess of Horses.

Warren's book list on featuring animals for readers who are love animals

Warren Gill Why did Warren love this book?

Dr. Grandin’s personal struggle with autism and her love of animals have combined to revolutionize our current understanding of animal behavior and human interactions with our animal partners.

Her body of work is not only impressive but has informed both my career as an animal scientist and my fiction. This book is exemplary of her profound impact on people who love animals.

By Temple Grandin, Catherine Johnson,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Animals in Translation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER

“Inspiring…Crammed with facts and anecdotes about Temple Grandin’s favorite subject: the senses, brains, emotions, and amazing talents of animals.”—New York Times Book Review

A groundbreaking look at the emotional lives of animals, from beloved animal scientist Temple Grandin.

Why would a cow lick a tractor? Why are collies getting dumber? Why do dolphins sometimes kill for fun? How can a parrot learn to spell? How did wolves teach man to evolve? Temple Grandin draws upon a long, distinguished career as an animal scientist and her own experiences with autism to deliver an extraordinary message about how animals…


Book cover of Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death

Paco Calvo Author Of Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Plant Intelligence

From my list on we, humans, are not that special.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm just a curious person. I have always been fascinated by literally everything. Everything is jaw-dropping: whether it's lying under a dark sky and marveling at the fact that what you see is the past (the time it takes for light from distant stars to reach your retina) or that your feelings for loved ones boil down to biochemistry, or thinking that intelligence is everywhere—from bacteria to plants and fungi, to Homo sapiens. As a university professor, I only understood later in life that I needed to leave that “ivory tower,” listen to non-academics, and read popular books that, in their apparent simplicity, can reach further and deeper.

Paco's book list on we, humans, are not that special

Paco Calvo Why did Paco love this book?

This book gave me the dose of reality I needed: a big slap in the face! Our way of feeling, suffering, and worrying about death is just one among many ways of facing it.

Put bluntly, we don’t have an exclusivity agreement with life or death; we are simply another form of life on planet Earth—a much-needed blow.

By Susana Monsó,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Playing Possum as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How animals conceive of death and dying-and what it can teach us about our own relationships with mortality

When the opossum feels threatened, she becomes paralyzed. Her body temperature plummets, her breathing and heart rates drop to a minimum, and her glands simulate the smell of a putrefying corpse. Playing Possum explores what the opossum and other creatures can teach us about how we and other species understand mortality, and demonstrates that the concept of death, far from being a uniquely human attribute, is widespread in the animal kingdom.

With humor and empathy, Susana Monso tells the stories of ants…


Book cover of False Knees

Jimmy Craig Author Of Are You Gonna Eat That? The Essential Collection of They Can Talk Comics

From my list on webcomics that are even better in print.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a comic fan first, then a comic creator. I grew up on the classics—Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side and excitedly watched as new comics popped up online. I love comic strips and have rows of collections lining my bookshelves. The coolest part of starting my own series has been becoming a member of a cartoonist community that I have always been a huge fan of.  

Jimmy's book list on webcomics that are even better in print

Jimmy Craig Why did Jimmy love this book?

Joshua has a really unique sense of humor that’s accompanied by absolutely stunning art.

The comics are really worth admiring in print, not to get lost amongst the sea of online ‘content’.

Both Joshua and I write comics that give readers a glimpse into the animal kingdom and I love seeing how our interpretations of the same world can differ, through our comedic voices and art… and yes, his work is art.

By Joshua Barkman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked False Knees as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Based on Joshua Barkman's popular webcomic by the same name, False Knees is animal humor taken to a very absurd, darkly delightful place.

In Barkman's debut print collection, False Knees fans will find old favorites along with an abundance of all-new material. Featuring creatures found in the author's native Ontario, this always sharp, sometimes head-scratchingly bizarre collection of comics offers a view into the secret, surprisingly insightful world of blue jays, squirrels, geese, wolves, and rabbits.


Book cover of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel

Maddalena Bearzi Author Of Stranded: Finding Nature in Uncertain Times

From my list on what animals feel and think.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been passionate about nature since childhood. In my youth, I spent many summers on a pristine shore in Sardinia, snorkeling in a sea full of life. Later on, I became a scientist, conservationist, and author. My research on dolphins in California represents one of the longest studies worldwide. I co-wrote Beautiful Minds: The Parallel Lives of Great Apes and Dolphins, authored Dolphin Confidential, and Stranded, and written for many media, including National Geographic. My goal is to share my love for nature and what I have learned from it, with the hope to instill a deeper appreciation for wildlife and involve others in the protection of our planet.

Maddalena's book list on what animals feel and think

Maddalena Bearzi Why did Maddalena love this book?

This is another amazing nonfiction book by ecologist and New York Times bestselling author Carl Safina.

With his usual exquisite prose, the author delves deep into the lives and feelings of other beings, from elephants to dolphins. And once again, Safina does an outstanding job in uncovering the secrets of the natural world that surrounds us using many of his personal experiences in the wild and his wonderful ability to tell stories to the general public.

By Carl Safina,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Beyond Words as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

I wanted to know what they were experiencing, and why to us they feel so compelling, and so close. This time I allowed myself to ask them the question that for a scientist was forbidden fruit: Who are you?

Weaving decades of field observations with exciting new discoveries about the brain, Carl Safina's landmark book offers an intimate view of animal behavior to challenge the fixed boundary between humans and animals. Travelling to the threatened landscape of Kenya to witness struggling elephant families work out how to survive poaching and drought, then on to Yellowstone…


Book cover of The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats: A Journey Into the Feline Heart

Belinda Alexandra Author Of The Divine Feline: A Chic Cat Lady's Guide to Woman's Best Friend

From my list on for cat lovers.

Why am I passionate about this?

Belinda Alexandra is the author of nine bestselling novels and a non-fiction book on the relationship between women and cats, The Divine Feline: A chic cat lady’s guide to woman’s best friend. An ardent cat-lover and rescuer, she is a patron of the World League for the Protection of Animals in Australia and lives in Sydney with her three black cats – Valentino, Versace, and Gucci.

Belinda's book list on for cat lovers

Belinda Alexandra Why did Belinda love this book?

This is a favorite of mine. Masson’s keen observations into what we emotionally need from cats and what they need from us are not only heart-warming but insightful: ‘We need cats to need us,’ he writes. ‘It unnerves us that they do not. However, if they do not need us, they nonetheless seem to love us.’ Beautifully written and drawing from both literature and scientific research, the book brings to life the delights and mysteries of the feline heart.

By Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Many people believe that cats do not have an emotional life, that they are cold and indifferent. Jeffrey Masson, author of several bestselling books about animal emotions, including When Elephants Weep and Dogs Never Lie About Love, is convinced that, on the contrary, cats are almost pure emotion. Masson lives by the sea in New Zealand with five cats, and in this fascinating, immensely readable book he reports on his close observations of their emotional lives. These he divides into nine categories - Narcissism, Love, Contentment, Attachment, Jealousy, Fear, Anger, Curiosity and Playfulness - and to each of which he…


Book cover of Animals at Night: A Glow-In-The-Dark Book

Anita Sanchez Author Of Wait Till It Gets Dark: A Kid's Guide to Exploring the Night

From my list on for exploring nature at night with kids.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a writer, I’m especially fascinated by plants and animals that no one loves. My books are intended to get kids excited about science and help them appreciate the wonders of the natural world. Many years of fieldwork, leading children on nature walks, have given me firsthand experience in introducing students to the terrors and joys of nature. I especially enjoy the beauties of the night, from fireflies to coyote howls to star-gazing!

Anita's book list on for exploring nature at night with kids

Anita Sanchez Why did Anita love this book?

I admit it, I’m a sucker for glow-in-the-dark books. I still have the glow-in-the-dark stars on the bedroom ceiling from when my own kids were small. This book has gorgeous glow-in-the-dark illustrations (it works best if you happen to have a blacklight bulb) but also has a lot of great information, facts, and thought-provoking questions about the lifestyles of nocturnal wildlife of all shapes and sizes. A fun reading experience for parents as well as kids!

By Anne Jankéliowitch, Delphine Chedru (illustrator), Eve Bodeux (translator)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Animals at Night as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

What creatures hide in the darkness under the starry sky? Easy: they are nocturnal animals, and now you can spot them too! Once the lights go out, the fun begins as glow-in-the-dark images appear on highly-illustrated, fact-filled pages. Travel between different habitats, from fields to deserts to mountains and more, as you learn all about different animals and what makes them nocturnal in this beautiful nonfiction picture book.


Book cover of From Darwin to Behaviourism: Psychology and the Minds of Animals

Chauncey Maher Author Of Plant Minds: A Philosophical Defense

From my list on get you thinking about nonhuman minds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I used to think that most nonhuman animals do not have minds in any rich sense of that word. After publishing a book about some influential philosophers who articulate and defend that view, I was pushed by a very good friend to get curious about what nonhuman creatures do. That led to years of reading, reflecting, teaching college courses, and eventually admitting that I had been profoundly wrong. My change of mind culminated in the publication of a book that explores the idea that plants have minds. The books on this list helped me tremendously along the way, and my students have also learned much from them. 

Chauncey's book list on get you thinking about nonhuman minds

Chauncey Maher Why did Chauncey love this book?

Psychology wasn’t always an empirical science; it became one; this book showed me how. What is an instinct? What is a reflex? What is an idea? How do we know what an animal is thinking? What is learning? What would be good evidence one way or another? Starting in the nineteenth century, Boakes tells the stories of several people who offered compelling answers to those questions, which continue to shape current discussions.

Although the book might appear to be a textbook, I experienced it more like a Netflix series with cliffhangers. Boakes portrays most of the people in the book—such as C. L. Morgan, Ivan Pavlov, and J.B. Watson—as explorers intrigued and perplexed by these questions, following up observations and experiments made by predecessors, raising further questions and challenges that made me want to turn to the next chapter. 

By Robert Boakes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked From Darwin to Behaviourism as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This volume surveys the way that understanding of the minds of animals and ideas about the relationship between animal and human behaviour developed from around 1870 to 1930. In describing the research and theories which contributed to these developments, this book looks at the people who undertook such studies and the reasons why they did so. Its main purpose is to examine the different ways in which the outcome of this work affected their ideas about the human mind and exerted such a formative influence on psychology in general. This book will be used by first and second year undergraduates…


Book cover of An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us

Dan Levitt Author Of What's Gotten Into You: The Story of Your Body's Atoms, from the Big Bang Through Last Night's Dinner

From my list on science that feeds your soul with awe and wonder.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always loved how science deepens my appreciation of nature and fills me with awe and wonder. I’ve been a science teacher, a documentary producer for National Geographic and Discovery, and the author of What's Gotten Into You: The Story of Your Body's Atoms, from the Big Bang Through Last Night's Dinner. I’m astounded by how much scientists have been able to learn about how our world works and how they have revealed surprising and strange beauty. Their stories of wrestling with the unknown, marked by unexpected twists and great perseverance, captivate and inspire me. 

Dan's book list on science that feeds your soul with awe and wonder

Dan Levitt Why did Dan love this book?

Any book that makes me think about the radical differences between the experiences of an elephant, robin, owl, spider, rattlesnake, and a bat is a surefire win for me. At times, I felt a shiver in my spine as I realized how other creatures see and feel the world so differently.

Yong spent time with researchers and came back with stories that I savored. Really, how any animals, including us, sense the world is a marvel. The book opened my eyes to how “alien” senses like ultrasound, electric fields, magnetism, and vibrations create other creatures’ versions of reality.

By Ed Yong,

Why should I read it?

20 authors picked An Immense World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Wonderful, mind-broadening... a journey to alternative realities as extraordinary as any you'll find in science fiction' The Times, Book of the Week

'Magnificent' Guardian

Enter a new dimension - the world as it is truly perceived by other animals.

The Earth teems with sights and textures, sounds and vibrations, smells and tastes, electric and magnetic fields. But every animal is enclosed within its own unique sensory bubble, perceiving only a tiny sliver of an immense world. This book welcomes us into previously unfathomable dimensions - the world as it is truly perceived by other animals.

We encounter beetles that are…


Book cover of Locked in Time: Animal Behavior Unearthed in 50 Extraordinary Fossils

Michael J. Benton Author Of Dinosaurs: New Visions of a Lost World

From my list on dinosaurs from a paleontologist.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been mad about dinosaurs and ancient life since I was seven. I have been amazingly lucky to be able to develop a career as a professional palaeontologist and to be able to research and talk about the subject. We were first to show the original colours of dinosaur feathers, and this discovery provides a perfect way to open the discussion about how palaeontologists know what they say they know. In my books, I seek to amaze, amuse and inform. I have written many books, including pop science, textbooks, technical-scientific works, and books for children, and every year brings new discoveries to be transmitted to the world.

Michael's book list on dinosaurs from a paleontologist

Michael J. Benton Why did Michael love this book?

This is about dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts, but it’s unique and unusual.

Author Dean Lomax has run to ground some of the most extraordinary fossils ever found, and artist Bob Nicholls turns them into stunning reconstructions. Here you can read about a beetle within a lizard within a snake, a giant beaver that made huge corkscrew burrows 3 meters deep, the mammal that ate dinosaurs, insects caught in the act of mating, and dinosaurs with cancer.

What I like is that, weird and wonderful as each story may be, each is based strictly on the fossils and reasonable interpretations of those fossils. Dinosaurs may spark the imagination, but as scientists, it’s important to show people how we come to our conclusions, and that needs evidence and reason in a discussion.

By Dean R. Lomax, Robert Nicholls,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Locked in Time as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Fossils allow us to picture the forms of life that inhabited the earth eons ago. But we long to know more: how did these animals actually behave? We are fascinated by the daily lives of our fellow creatures-how they reproduce and raise their young, how they hunt their prey or elude their predators, and more. What would it be like to see prehistoric animals as they lived and breathed?

From dinosaurs fighting to their deaths to elephant-sized burrowing ground sloths, this book takes readers on a global journey deep into the earth's past. Locked in Time showcases fifty of the…


Book cover of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law

Chris Hepler Author Of Civil Blood: The Vampire Rights Case that Changed a Nation

From Chris' 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author TTRPG gamer Martial artist Dad Reptile enthusiast Worldbuilding nerd

Chris' 3 favorite reads in 2023

Chris Hepler Why did Chris love this book?

I love how Mary Roach travels the world finding out the history of unusual things – whether sex research, deployed soldiers, or what happens to corpses. In Fuzz, she chronicles the hassles of people who have to deal with dangerous animals…often in encounters that are ridiculous, deadly, or both.

Bears that roam onto median strips dotted with crabapple trees, elephants that squash people (or worse, de-limb them like a tree), and dumb ocean birds that are unafraid to nest at airports are all unique hazards, and Mary Roach writes with humor about all of them.

As a video game writer constantly having to come up with fresh human-versus-beast conflicts, I found this book informative as well as hilarious. Definitely staying on my shelf.

By Mary Roach,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Fuzz as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What's to be done about a jaywalking moose? A bear caught breaking and entering? A murderous tree? Three hundred years ago, animals that broke the law would be assigned legal representation and put on trial. These days, as New York Times best-selling author Mary Roach discovers, the answers are best found not in jurisprudence but in science: the curious science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology.

Roach tags along with animal-attack forensics investigators, human-elephant conflict specialists, bear managers, and "danger tree" faller blasters. Intrepid as ever, she travels from leopard-terrorized hamlets in…


Book cover of Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior
Book cover of Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death
Book cover of False Knees

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