The focus is on animal intelligence and learning, but it’s more about why they have culture in their different population groups, than about how that information is actually passed down from older animals to younger ones (although there are plenty examples of that). It gets very detailed in parts, and philosophical in others, and sometimes meanders into related side topics, which in this case I didn’t at all mind. There are three sections, about three very different animals, though each also has some examples and anecdotes from other species. The first part is about sperm whales, how they stay together in family groups via communication and how the young are protected and supported by the group. It’s also a lot about how humans previously hunted whales to near extinction, and how that changed some of their behavior, and what things are shifting back (in different ways) now that we’ve mostly stopped. This all includes personal close encounters as the author went out on a boat with research scientists who were tagging and listening in on sperm whales off the coast of Dominica in the Caribbean. So there’s a bit of science-in-the-field writing (which I really like), and also the author’s personal responses to being so close to such huge, wild and yet very gentle creatures.

The next part of the book is about parrots, specifically macaws. Again, the author traveled to the Amazon to observe macaws in the wild with researchers, marveled at their striking colors, learned some things about their behavior, nesting site choices, chick-rearing strategies, interactions with humans (some were rescued and people are attempting to rehabilitate them back into the wild) and so on. But mostly, this part is about beauty. Why are some birds so beautiful, in ways that we appreciate? What purpose does flamboyant display serve in nature and evolution. Well, his conclusion is simply that female birds like males that are gorgeous, that stand out. He makes the argument that beauty makes the world go round just as much as any other drive- that birds do have motivation to sing because they feel good about it (not just because they’re yelling to warn rivals away, or to call potential mates near). It doesn’t have to be: birds sing because they are happy, or contrariwise: birds sing because they are just communicating something, pushed by evolutionary goals. It can be both. That made me sit back and think.

The last section gave me the same reaction, but in a totally different vein. This part is about chimpanzee behavior, namely how their society is ordered. The males are driven by aggression, but a good high-ranking male can quell that among others and more or less keep the peace. They wage war on rival chimpanzee groups, like humans and ants do. Other ape relatives don’t- bonobos solve things -ahem- by making love, orangutans are mostly solitary, etc. But they way Safina writes about chimpanzee conflicts and communication and the male need for power and control, makes you look very uncomfortably at the same aspects of human behavior. Especially if you compare it to how well other animal societies manage to get along without waging war or killing their own kind. This is another book sure to stay on my shelf, definitely worth a re-read to facilitate some more thinking. ( )

This fascinating natural history gives listeners a dive deep into the cultures of non-human animals. For generations, scientists rejected the idea that non-human animals lived in societies with their own cultures that they transmitted through their generations. Becoming Wild presents authoritative science disproving that notion through stories of non-human animals living and raising their young. The stories focusing on the family groups that transmit their cultures making this a lively, personal experience. The author, who also narrates this audio version of his book, focuses on members of three vastly different non-human animals living in three vastly different habitats—whales, macaws, and chimpanzees. He uses each to demonstrate not just that these animals have and transmit culture within their groups but further to show how these animals use their cultures to, in his words, “raise families, create beauty, and achieve peace”. ( )

The question of animal culture is fascinating (and full disclosure: I'm a believer), so I was eager to read this book exploring it. But I just couldn't get very far with it. I abandoned it part way through the "Beauty" section on parrots and macaws, even though I'm a birder and was entranced by Richard Prum's important 2017 book [b: The Evolution of Beauty|31624963|The Evolution of Beauty How Darwin's Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World—And Us|Richard O. Prum|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474521170l/31624963._SY75_.jpg|52306798] (which didn't make the "Selected Bibliography" though other Prum articles are cited in footnotes). Why? Because I just couldn't take any more of Safina's breathless, repetitive, "look-at-my-glorious-prose" writing. Carl: once you have established that sperm whales hunt in deep water, we do not need your endless permutations of "frigid depths," "profound deepness," "black depths," et al. Nor the labored efforts to describe every possible appearance of the ocean: "I gaze at the slaty sea. It's hazy, glary, breezy, choppy. Bleak." "...dazzling chop... shimmering shards of brightness... pure glitter. - in just two adjacent pages. Safina's constant insertion of himself, his musings, and his writerly theatrics distract from and pad the story he's supposed to be telling. Which is indeed filled with wonders. Thomas Beale's 19th century observations on sperm whales are detailed and appreciative, noting their caution, family closeness, and generally gentle behavior - all the more poignant in light of the ongoing decades of butchery. I learned a lot about sperm whales in these chapters, a little bit about the researcher who has devoted years to studying and listening to them, and just way too much about Carl Safina. Disappointing. ( )

I received this audiobook from LTER. I listen to lots of audiobooks since I’m in the car frequently. Unfortunately this one didn’t consistently hold my interest. The section on whales was way too long and too detailed. My favorite section was the last one with monkeys. Generally the book seemed like editing might have helped. I definitely learned a lot about the various species and The research done was phenomenal. Lastly, as several other reviewers indicated, the narration was a distraction. ( )

I am going to restrain from reviewing this until I've had a chance to read it, as the audiobook sent me, read by the author, is deplorable. I have great respect for Safina, and hope to better understand his argument via print.