Why Pandas Do Handstands: And Other Curious Truths About Animals [Hardcover]

Augustus Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 14, 2006

South American rats settle arguments by boxing. Tuna fish sunbathe and herring communicate with each other by breaking wind. Llamas hum to each other, elephants impersonate traffic sounds and whales sing ballads. Some kangaroos grow on trees. Strange new, scientifically-proven facts about the animal kingdom emerge seemingly every day. Here, gathered together in one book, are hundreds of the funniest, most fascinating and plain bizarre things we have discovered about the non-human world. All animal life is here: from the only dog that can develop gout to the wren whose song sounds just like Beethoven, from the cattle that generate electricity to the worm that has the power to brainwash. It is a book full of surprises. Who would have thought giraffes can't trot, reindeer 'fly' after taking magic mushrooms or that elk turn nasty when drunk? Who would have known that shark embryos attack, that caterpillars tap dance or that - out of our earshot - male mice are serenading their girlfriends with high-pitched love songs? And who on earth would have guessed that male pandas court potential partners by performing handstands?

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Many people are endlessly fascinated with animals--their methods of communication, mating rituals, how they build their homes and nurture (or not) their offspring. Augustus Brown panders to this near obsession in this delightful book, offering snippets of information such as "armadillos are the only animals other than humans who can suffer from leprosy," "snakes indulge in heavy petting," and "an elephant's trunk contains 40,000 muscles." He then goes one step beyond most books of this type, offering a comprehensive reference section for anyone wanting to check his facts or ferret out even more information on animal behavior. Brown entertains while he educates his audience on such subjects as animal intelligence, how animals live together in peace or wage war, which animals use tools, and what species eats their siblings. But readers beware if read in public, the title arouses so much curiosity they will be accosted by strangers asking, "Why do pandas stand on their hands?" The answer? "Read the book." Pamela Crossland
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Augustus Brown's fascination with the strange side of animal life began on the Welsh farm where he grew up surrounded by cows that could sense rain, highly-combustible sheep and chickens that could easily be hypnotised. As a journalist and author, he has since written and contributed to numerous books, many on animal behaviour. In researching this book, he drew on scientific archives, books and studies, scores of zoological and biological websites and consulted leading experts in the animal science world. The most surprising thing he learned was that many animals frequently get drunk. The least surprising thing he learned was they get into trouble when they do so. Augustus Brown lives in London with his wife and two children, overlooking a park filled with creatures whose innocent appearance no longer fools him. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (November 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416531904
• ISBN-13: 978-1416531906
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,316,174 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!!, March 12, 2009

By 

Hardgrave "science teacher" (TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why Pandas Do Handstands: And Other Curious Truths About Animals (Hardcover)

This book is perfect! I would like many more books just like this! I use a lot of the facts with my students at school. It is fun to read over and over again! I love it!

5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME!!!, March 9, 2007

By 

C. Bigley "Halo" (Durham, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why Pandas Do Handstands: And Other Curious Truths About Animals (Hardcover)

For so long I've been looking for a book that is an easy to read guide about all the interesting, weird, and hilarious facts about animals. THIS IS IT! I loved it.

1 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not a coffee table book, January 9, 2007

By 

C. Arnold (Irving, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Why Pandas Do Handstands: And Other Curious Truths About Animals (Hardcover)

The book contains interesting trivia about animals but was much smaller in size than expected. Coffee table books are generally fairly large & have pictures for browsing but this had neither. It isn't really that appealing just from looking at the front cover.