The Illustrated Life of Animals by Kat Menschik and Biologist Doctor Rerum Medicinalium Mark Benecke

• SPIEGEL Bestseller
• Sample translation by Alexandra Roesch available

Dr. Mark Benecke is a member of the Ig Nobel Prize Committee for Improbable Research, chairman of the Transylvanian Society of Dracula, and the most famous forensic biologist in the world. He loves animals of all kinds – with possibly a slight predilection for insects since he can’t imagine a better collaborator than the red-legged ham beetle when it comes to gathering clues to get to the bottom of an obscure death. He’s even the godfather of the St. Mark’s fly. And, when it comes to low-maintenance pets, the hissing cockroach is pretty high up on his list. 

For Mark Benecke, there is no doubt that animals are on a par with humans. They have many impressive, endearing, and amusing characteristics. As a result, for years, every Saturday on his science podcast, he has been drawing attention to the uniqueness of animals, among many other topics. Here, he portrays his personal selection of different types of animals in short essays. Take the octopus, for example: exceptionally intelligent, it prefers things laid back and often goofs around. Or bees, which aren’t just good at flying but also reasonably good surfers! Or the cichlid, which gets depressed if you pair it off with the wrong partner.