A shelter cat teaches us that our damaged parts, too, are worthy of love… a captive orca shows us that inconvenience and difficulties are the blessing of a full life… a gorilla teaches the universal language of grief… a group of oysters who prove that magic and science can and do coexist… In How to Be a Living Thing, Mari Andrew reflects on the ways animals mirror, challenge, and deepen our experiences as living creatures in the world. Through her personal stories & explorations into the inner world of other creatures, Mari illuminates the opportunities and wonders of being a living thing. Highly-sensitive horses, overly-cautious donkeys, and silly social rats are just a few of the animal teachers who offer us glimpses of the glories and shortcomings of humanity. Heartwarming, funny, and insightful, How to Be a Living Thing reminds us that we are perfectly imperfect beings, capable of profound connection with each other and with all other species of the remarkable natural world that surrounds us.
