{"product_id":"melanie-challanger-how-to-be-animal-book","title":"How to be Animal by Melanie Challenger","description":"\u003cp\u003eHumans are the most inquisitive, emotional, imaginative, and baffling creatures on the planet, but how well do we really know ourselves? In \u003ci\u003eHow to Be Animal\u003c\/i\u003e, Melanie Challenger rewrites the remarkable human story, arguing that at the heart of our psychology lies a profound, ongoing struggle with accepting our own animality. Blending natural history, environmental history, and philosophy, this thought-provoking book explores how denial of our true nature shapes everything from our political systems to our detachment from the natural world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy This Book?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eExamines Human Denial: \u003c\/strong\u003eUnpacks the psychological dilemma of being an animal species that continually seeks to distance itself from nature.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eExpansive Historical Scope: \u003c\/strong\u003eJourneys from the origins of \u003ci\u003eHomo sapiens\u003c\/i\u003e through the agrarian and industrial revolutions to AI and bioengineered futures.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDeep Ecological Reflection:\u003c\/strong\u003e Offers a fresh, philosophical perspective to help readers rethink the meaning of human existence and species equality.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTimely \u0026amp; Relevant:\u003c\/strong\u003e Essential reading for an era facing rapid technological advancement, AI expansion, and global biodiversity crisis.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"The best critique of the myth of human exceptionalism I have read... Read and digest this book, and you will not only be wiser but also happier.\"\u003c\/em\u003e – John Gray, author of \u003ci\u003eStraw Dogs\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"This is a brilliant book that... explores what it means to be human. The difference here is that the author answers this by highlighting one central human dilemma: we are an animal in denial that we are actually an animal\" \u003c\/em\u003e– Matt Haig, \u003ci\u003eObserver\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMelanie Challenger is a writer, researcher, and host of \u003ci\u003eThe Psychosphere\u003c\/i\u003e podcast, specialising in the philosophy of science and human-nature relationships. She is an award-winning poet, librettist, National Geographic Explorer, and Vice President of the RSPCA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback, 272 pages.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bookspeed","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":64517587665273,"sku":"BK2105","price":11.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0807\/2098\/6398\/files\/BK2105_MelanieChallanger_HowtoBeAnimal_PB__Cover.jpg?v=1790273240","url":"https:\/\/shop.rspca.org.uk\/products\/melanie-challanger-how-to-be-animal-book","provider":"RSPCA Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}