The study of animal intelligence has developed enormously over the last decade. Herons 'fish' using twigs as bait, monkeys add and subtract, ravens solve complex puzzles. Stephen Budiansky steers clear of sentimental attempts to equate animals with humans, showing us how superbly well adapted animal `intelligence' is for the survival of animals – large and small, wild and domestic – in the evolutionary contest. We can thus learn a true respect for their remarkable evolutionary heritage on Earth.
Stephen Budiansky is a military historian and the author of several books about military history, intelligence and espionage, science, and the natural world, including Battle of Wits, The Bloody Shirt, and Her Majesty's Spymaster.