The Secret Language of Life: How Animals and Plants Feel and Communicate

Humans are taught–wrongly–that dreams are unique to themselves. But not only do other animals dream, but they have done so long before Homo sapiens existed as a species. Do animals feel pain? The weight of scientific evidence shows they do. Mammals have languages of their own to transmit inner feelings—aggression, affection, fear—to their fellows, from dolphins’ aquatic chirping to elephants’ subsonic trumpeting. Birds show astounding cognitive ability, conducting elaborate courting rituals and displaying great passion and devotion to lifelong partners. Even protozoa carry out surprisingly complicated tasks such as navigating obstacles. The Secret Language of Life also sheds light on many intriguing wonders of biology, including the purpose of the beautiful shapes of pollen grains, how protozoa hibernate in winter, and the reason trees shed their autumn leaves.