Justin Gregg – författare

How intelligent are dolphins? Is their communication system really as complex as human language? And are they as friendly and peaceful as they are made out to be? The Western world has had an enduring love affair with dolphins since the early 1960s, with fanciful claims of their 'healing powers' and 'super intelligence'. Myths and pseudoscience abound on the subject. Justin Gregg weighs up the claims made about dolphin intelligence and separates scientific fact from fiction. He puts our knowledge about dolphin behaviour and intelligence into perspective, with comparisons to scientific studies of other animals, especially the crow family and great apes. He gives fascinating accounts of the challenges of testing what an animal with flippers and no facial expressions might be animal behaviour, Gregg challenges many of the widespread beliefs about dolphins, while also inspiring the reader with the remarkable abilities common to many of the less glamorized animals around us - such as chickens.

How intelligent are dolphins? Is their communication system really as complex as human language? And are they as friendly and peaceful as they are made out to be? The Western world has had an enduring love affair with dolphins since the early 1960s, with fanciful claims of their 'healing powers' and 'super intelligence'. Myths and pseudoscience abound on the subject. Justin Gregg weighs up the claims made about dolphin intelligence and separates scientific fact from fiction. He puts our knowledge about dolphin behaviour and intelligence into perspective, with comparisons to scientific studies of other animals, especially the crow family and great apes. He gives fascinating accounts of the challenges of testing what an animal with flippers and no facial expressions might be animal behaviour, Gregg challenges many of the widespread beliefs about dolphins, while also inspiring the reader with the remarkable abilities common to many of the less glamorized animals around us - such as chickens.

Ever glanced at your cat and wondered if they were plotting something? Or passed a car and thought it seemed ‘friendly’, ‘surprised’ or ‘angry’ depending on the shape of its headlights?A TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR‘Illuminating and lively.’ Guardian, Book of the DayAnthropomorphism – the irresistible desire to apply human characteristics to animals, natural phenomena and even inanimate objects – is as natural as breathing.And it gets weirder… Million-dollar industries have sprung up to provide ‘cosmetic enhancements’ for dogs who’ve had the snip – their (inevitably male) owners wracked with guilt that their pets might be missing out on… something. Similarly, Justin Gregg, a researcher with the Dolphin Communication Project, regularly receives emails from mothers-to-be convinced that dolphins would make excellent midwives (spoiler alert: they definitely wouldn’t).Diving into the strange way anthropomorphism shapes our understanding of the world, Gregg offers an eye-opening journey through human perception. From cinema’s obsession with talking animals to the way we interact with our soon-to-be robot overlords, Humanish takes a hilarious journey through the strange world of anthropomorphism and explores what it reveals about this weird and wonderful bias within us all.***'Everyone who is interested in both human and animal behaviour will love this book.' Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation'Hilarious, engaging, informative, timely, and astute, and truly addictive to read.' Alie Ward, host of Ologies podcast'Humanish taught me a lot. Thanks to the jokes, I barely even realized I was being educated. Neat trick.' Peter Watts, Hugo Award-winning author of Blindsight

Ever glanced at your cat and wondered if they were plotting something? Or passed a car and thought it seemed ‘friendly’, ‘surprised’ or ‘angry’ depending on the shape of its headlights?A TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR‘Illuminating and lively.’ Guardian, Book of the DayAnthropomorphism – the irresistible desire to apply human characteristics to animals, natural phenomena and even inanimate objects – is as natural as breathing.And it gets weirder… Million-dollar industries have sprung up to provide ‘cosmetic enhancements’ for dogs who’ve had the snip – their (inevitably male) owners wracked with guilt that their pets might be missing out on… something. Similarly, Justin Gregg, a researcher with the Dolphin Communication Project, regularly receives emails from mothers-to-be convinced that dolphins would make excellent midwives (spoiler alert: they definitely wouldn’t).Diving into the strange way anthropomorphism shapes our understanding of the world, Gregg offers an eye-opening journey through human perception. From cinema’s obsession with talking animals to the way we interact with our soon-to-be robot overlords, Humanish takes a hilarious journey through the strange world of anthropomorphism and explores what it reveals about this weird and wonderful bias within us all.***'Everyone who is interested in both human and animal behaviour will love this book.' Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation'Hilarious, engaging, informative, timely, and astute, and truly addictive to read.' Alie Ward, host of Ologies podcast'Humanish taught me a lot. Thanks to the jokes, I barely even realized I was being educated. Neat trick.' Peter Watts, Hugo Award-winning author of Blindsight

CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 BY WATERSTONES AND THE TIMES'Entertaining and original.' Guardian'Accessible and insightful, it's a thought-provoking read.' Observer' Highly readable.' The Times'Nothing less than brilliant.' Wall Street JournalWhat if human intelligence is actually more of a liability than a gift? After all, the animal kingdom, in all its diversity, gets by just fine without it. At first glance, human history is full of remarkable feats of intelligence, yet human exceptionalism can be a double-edged sword. With our unique cognitive prowess comes severe consequences, including existential angst, violence, discrimination, and the creation of a world teetering towards climate catastrophe. What if human exceptionalism is more of a curse than a blessing?As Justin Gregg puts it, there's an evolutionary reason why human intelligence isn't more prevalent in the animal kingdom. Simply put, non-human animals don't need it to be successful. And, miraculously, their success arrives without the added baggage of destroying themselves and the planet in the process.In seven mind-bending and hilarious chapters, Gregg highlights features seemingly unique to humans - our use of language, our rationality, our moral systems, our so-called sophisticated consciousness - and compares them to our animal brethren. What emerges is both demystifying and remarkable, and will change how you look at animals, humans, and the meaning of life itself.

A myth-busting fresh new look at the animal kingdom and our place on Earth - perfect for fans of Remarkably Bright Creatures'Entertaining and original.' Guardian'Accessible and insightful, it's a thought-provoking read.' Observer'Highly readable.' The Times'Nothing less than brilliant.' Wall Street Journal---------What if human intelligence is actually more of a liability than a gift? After all, the animal kingdom, in all its diversity, gets by just fine without it. At first glance, human history is full of remarkable feats of intelligence, yet human exceptionalism can be a double-edged sword. With our unique cognitive prowess comes severe consequences, including existential angst, violence, discrimination, and the creation of a world teetering towards climate catastrophe. What if human exceptionalism is more of a curse than a blessing?As Justin Gregg puts it, there's an evolutionary reason why human intelligence isn't more prevalent in the animal kingdom. Simply put, non-human animals don't need it to be successful. And, miraculously, their success arrives without the added baggage of destroying themselves and the planet in the process.In seven mind-bending and hilarious chapters, Gregg highlights features seemingly unique to humans - our use of language, our rationality, our moral systems, our so-called sophisticated consciousness - and compares them to our animal brethren. What emerges is both demystifying and remarkable, and will change how you look at animals, humans, and the meaning of life itself.--------WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:'Witty and informative' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is a great book - both for its message and its delivery' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I loved this book. The stories were insightful and the writing was light enough to keep you reading cover to cover' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐