BEAUTY OF THE BEASTS: RETHINKING NATURE'S LEAST LOVED ANIMALS

Wasps. Snakes. Cockroaches. Sharks. We fear them, loathe them and often kill them without question. But what if everything we think we know about these animals is wrong?

In an age of catastrophic biodiversity loss, Beauty of the Beasts is a celebration of nature's underdogs and a call to arms for greater coexistence with the natural world. Drawing on the latest research, Jo Wimpenny explores what shapes our beliefs about other animals, challenging our perceptions of 'good' species and setting the record straight about those we call 'pests' and 'villains'. Looking past these labels allows us to see that many of these animals are ecologically vital and live strikingly complex inner lives.
It may be tempting to imagine a more pleasant world without the animals that scare or repulse us, but such a purge would have devastating consequences. From wasps that provide free pest control and snakes whose venom may cure cancer to the deep social bonds of crocodiles and vultures, this book invites you to rethink our most misunderstood beasts.

A SPOTIFY BEST NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2026

Jo Wimpenny is an author and former academic researcher who writes about science, nature and the human-animal relationship. She has a DPhil from Oxford University on tool use in crows and is the author of Aesop's Animals: The Science Behind the Fables and co-author of Ten Thousand Birds: Ornithology Since Darwin, an award-winning book on the history of ornithology.