If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals About Human Stupidity

Gregg (Are Dolphins Really Smart), a senior research associate with the Dolphin Communication Project, examines the “puzzling gulf between the way humans understand and experience the world, and the way all other animals do” in this entertaining work of pop science. He begins with a brief account of Friedrich Nietzsche’s mental health decline, arguing that superior intelligence might not always be a good thing, because if the philosopher’s mind had been more like that of a narwhal’s, he wouldn’t have suffered such despair. It’s a lighthearted conceit, and it leads to an enlightening tour of animal behavior: a chapter on deception contrasts the human tendency to lie with the “tactical deception” of the male cuttlefish, which disguises itself as a female when rivals are nearby. Meanwhile, Gregg’s experience as a beekeeper leads him to consider questions about whether bugs experience something similar to consciousness (they very well may, he posits), and a look at alcohol’s effects on the brain gives way to the revelation that elephants can get drunk. Wonderfully accessible and charmingly narrated, this is a fascinating investigation of intellect and cognition. Budding animal scientists—or those just looking to better understand what makes humans’ wild companions tick—are in for a treat. Agent: Lisa DiMona, Writers House. (Aug.)