The Book of Barely Imagined Beings

The Book of Barely Imagined Beings
Author :
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Total Pages : 448
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780226044705
ISBN-13 : 022604470X
Rating : 4/5 (70X Downloads)

Book Synopsis The Book of Barely Imagined Beings by : Caspar Henderson

Download or read book The Book of Barely Imagined Beings written by Caspar Henderson and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2013-04-10 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From medieval bestiaries to Borges’s Book of Imaginary Beings, we’ve long been enchanted by extraordinary animals, be they terrifying three-headed dogs or asps impervious to a snake charmer’s song. But bestiaries are more than just zany zoology—they are artful attempts to convey broader beliefs about human beings and the natural order. Today, we no longer fear sea monsters or banshees. But from the infamous honey badger to the giant squid, animals continue to captivate us with the things they can do and the things they cannot, what we know about them and what we don’t. With The Book of Barely Imagined Beings, Caspar Henderson offers readers a fascinating, beautifully produced modern-day menagerie. But whereas medieval bestiaries were often based on folklore and myth, the creatures that abound in Henderson’s book—from the axolotl to the zebrafish—are, with one exception, very much with us, albeit sometimes in depleted numbers. The Book of Barely Imagined Beings transports readers to a world of real creatures that seem as if they should be made up—that are somehow more astonishing than anything we might have imagined. The yeti crab, for example, uses its furry claws to farm the bacteria on which it feeds. The waterbear, meanwhile, is among nature’s “extreme survivors,” able to withstand a week unprotected in outer space. These and other strange and surprising species invite readers to reflect on what we value—or fail to value—and what we might change. A powerful combination of wit, cutting-edge natural history, and philosophical meditation, The Book of Barely Imagined Beings is an infectious and inspiring celebration of the sheer ingenuity and variety of life in a time of crisis and change.


The Book of Barely Imagined Beings Related Books

The Book of Barely Imagined Beings
Language: en
Pages: 448
Authors: Caspar Henderson
Categories: Nature
Type: BOOK - Published: 2013-04-10 - Publisher: University of Chicago Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

From medieval bestiaries to Borges’s Book of Imaginary Beings, we’ve long been enchanted by extraordinary animals, be they terrifying three-headed dogs or a
The Book of Barely Imagined Beings
Language: en
Pages: 448
Authors: Caspar Henderson
Categories: Nature
Type: BOOK - Published: 2013-05-02 - Publisher: University of Chicago Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

“Caspar Henderson takes us on an eye-opening tour of real animals that no sane human could ever have invented.” —Frans de Waal, New York Times–bestselli
The Book of Barely Imagined Beings
Language: en
Pages: 349
Authors: Caspar Henderson
Categories: Nature
Type: BOOK - Published: 2012-10-11 - Publisher: Granta Books

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

From Axolotl to Zebrafish, discover a host of barely imagined beings: real creatures that are often more astonishing than anything dreamt in the pages of a medi
Animal, Mineral, Radical
Language: en
Pages: 221
Authors: BK Loren
Categories: Nature
Type: BOOK - Published: 2013-02-12 - Publisher: Catapult

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"Radical, before it meant a person who advocates strong political reform, meant getting to the root of things, the origin. It comes from the Latin radix, radici
A New Map of Wonders
Language: en
Pages: 348
Authors: Caspar Henderson
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2017-10-26 - Publisher: Granta Books

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A New Map of Wonders charts a course through the realm of the fascinating and awe-inspiring. With the curiosity and enthusiasm of a great explorer, the award-wi