What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins

(Paperback)

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Endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama Balcombe vividly shows that fish have feelings and deserve consideration and protection like other sentient beings A Sunday Times must read A New York Times Bestseller A Forbes Best Pop Science Book of 2016 One of the Weeks Best Science Picks, Nature Whats the truth behind the old adage that goldfish have a three-second memory Do fishes think Can they recognize the humans who peer back at them from above the surface of the water Myth-busting biologist and animal behaviour expert Jonathan Balcombe takes us under the sea, through streams and estuaries to the other side of the aquarium glass to answer these questions and more. He upends our assumptions, revealing that fish are far from the unfeeling, dead-eyed feeding machines so many of us assume them to be. They are, in fact, sentient, aware, social and even Machiavellian in other words, rather 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. Teeming with insights and exciting discoveries, it offers a thoughtful appraisal of our relationships with fish and inspires us to take a more enlightened view of the planets increasingly imperilled marine life. What a Fish Knows will forever change how we see our aquatic cousins the pet goldfish included.

Reviews

Many of us have a soft spot for dolphins and whales, but Balcombe makes it embarrassingly clear how absolutely ignorant (and arrogant) we are when it comes to the vast world of our oceans and their inhabitants.

* Observer, Books of the Year *

As cogent, salutary and substantial a study of piscine behaviour as I have read in yearsThis is a book full of wonders.

* Literary Review *

Eye-openingWhat a Fish Knows is far more than a mass of would-you-believe-it facts, marvellously entertaining though they are...passionate and persuasive.

* Sunday Times *

Surprisingly, this compelling book is the first ever published that is devoted to fish behaviour.

* Forbes, 10 Best Popular Science Books of 2016 *

Remarkable.

* Spectator *

An extended exploration of the world from a piscine perspective...Balcombe makes a persuasive case that what fish know is quite a lot.

-- Elizabeth Kolbert, New York Review of Books

...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.

-- Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus, a National Book Award finalist

We Buddhists consider all animals, including fish, as sentient beings who have feelings of joy and pain just as we humans do. We also believe that they have all been kind to us as our mothers many times in the past, and are deserving of our compassion. Therefore, we try to help them in whatever way we can and at least avoid doing them harm. InWhat a Fish Knows, Jonathan Balcombe vividly shows that fish have feelings and deserve consideration and protection like other sentient beings. I hope reading it will help people become more aware of the benefits of vegetarianism and the need to treat animals with respect.

-- The Dalai Lama

[A] sparkling exposition on our underwater cousins[and] a compelling pitch for greatly expanding fish conservation.

* Booklist *

As ethologist Jonathan Balcombe notes in this engrossing study, breakthroughs are revealing sophisticated piscine behaviours. Balcombe glides from perception and cognition to tool use, pausing at marvels such as ocular migration in flounders and the capacity of the frillfin goby (Bathygobius soporator) to memorize the topography of the intertidal zone.

* Barbara Kiser, Nature *

Balcombe covers the waterfront, so to speak, from fish cognition and perception to their social structures and breeding practices, all the while drawing on a dizzying array of experiments and studies. In the hands of a lesser writer, the sheer weight of material could have overburdened the reader. But Balcombes prose is lively and clear, showcasing his gift for pithy sentences.

* Eugene Linden, American Scholar *

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 perceptionBalcombe 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 *

[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.

* Shelf Awareness *

I thought I knew a lot about fishes. Then I readWhat 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

Our fishy ancestors emerged from the watery depths around 400 million years ago, and this beautiful book connects us back tothat time.

-- David Gruber, Ideas.TED.com, What Should you read this summer

Based on the latest scientific research,What a Fish Knowsoffers 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 Balcombes 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

Balcombe...wants people to care about fish as individuals, to think of them much as we would a pet cat or dog...This might sound like a fools errand. To most people, it probably seems doubtful that a fish has any sort of inner life, much less a rich one. But Mr. Balcombe builds a persuasive argument...through a compendium of fascinating anecdotes and scientific findings that illustrate the complexity and creativity of fish behavior. Dozens of startling revelations emerge, including playful marine fish riding bubbles to the top of an aquarium, elephantfish singing courtship duets using electric pulses, and parasite-picking cleaner fish engaging in convoluted economic interactions with their clients.

* Alan de Quieroz, Wall Street Journal *

What a Fish Knowsis 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 Balcombes lively descriptions of fish behavior are backed by solid science. What Carl SafinasBeyond Wordsdid for elephants, wolves, and orcas, Balcombes 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, inWhat 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 Knowsis the best book on fishes I have ever read. Brimming with engrossing anecdotes and humor, Jonathan Balcombes inspiring treatise takes the reader on a fascinating and deeply moving journey into the lives of fishes. Balcombes 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

Author Bio

Jonathan Balcombe is a biologist and animal behaviour expert. He has written two bestselling books on nature, Pleasurable Kingdom and Second Nature: The Inner Lives of Animals. He is also department chair for Animal Studies at the Humane Society of the United States. He lives in Washington, DC.