Jonathan Balcombe Books

Do fishes think? Do they have three-second memories? Can they recognize humans? In this thought-provoking exploration, ethologist Jonathan Balcombe delves into the surprising capabilities of fishes, revealing their complex lives beneath the water's surface. With over thirty thousand species, fishes are often overlooked in terms of their individual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Balcombe challenges the notion of fishes as mere feeding machines, presenting them as sentient, aware, and social beings, much like humans. Drawing on the latest scientific research, he showcases the remarkable diversity and beauty of these creatures. Fishes engage in elaborate courtship rituals, form lifelong bonds, plan hunts, use tools, and even deceive one another. Contrary to the belief that their lives are simple and aimless, Balcombe illustrates a richer, more intricate existence that reflects a grand social narrative. By highlighting groundbreaking discoveries and sharing personal encounters, he examines how fishes navigate their environments, from tide pools to the ocean's depths. This insightful work offers a fresh perspective on our relationship with marine life and encourages a deeper appreciation for the planet's increasingly threatened aquatic ecosystems. It promises to transform how we view our aquatic cousins, including the humble pet goldfish.

The book presents a compelling argument against the notion that animals act solely on instinct, highlighting their capacity for feelings, pain, and emotions. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing animals as sentient beings and calls for a shift in how humans interact with them. Through eloquent prose and scientific insights, it challenges preconceived notions about animal behavior and advocates for a more compassionate approach to our relationship with the animal kingdom.

"For most of us, the only thing we know about flies is that they're annoying, and our usual reaction is to try to kill them. In Super Fly, the myth-busting biologist Jonathan Balcombe shows the order Diptera in all of its diversity, illustrating the essential role that flies play in every ecosystem in the world as pollinators, waste-disposers, predators, and food source; and how flies continue to reshape our understanding of evolution. Along the way, he reintroduces us to familiar foes like the fruit fly and mosquito, and gives us the chance to meet their lesser-known cousins like the Petroleum Fly (the only animal in the world that breeds in crude oil) and the Chocolate Midge (the sole pollinator of the Cacao tree). No matter your outlook on our tiny buzzing neighbors, Super Fly will change the way you look at flies forever. Jonathan Balcombe is the author of four books on animal sentience, including the New York Times bestselling What A Fish Knows, which was nominated for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Award for Science Writing. He has worked for years as a researcher and educator with the Humane Society to show us the consciousness of other creatures, and here he takes us to the farthest reaches of the animal kingdom"-- Provided by publisher

Pleasurable Kingdom presents new evidence that animals--like humans--enjoy themselves. From birds to baboons, insects to iguanas, animals feel good thanks to play, sex, touch, food, anticipation, comfort, aesthetics, and more. Combining rigorous evidence, elegant argument and amusing anecdotes, leading animal behavior researcher Jonathan Balcombe shows that the possibility of positive feelings in creatures other than humans has important ethical ramifications for both science and society.