Togetherness
Symbiosis and the Hidden Story of the World's Greatest Collaborations
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Togetherness
Pre-order Now for £16.85
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Narrated by:
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By:
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Rowan Hooper
About this listen
"Absolutely enthralling. I was hooked from the first sentence." —Bill Bryson, author of A Short History of Nearly Everything and The Body
Everything on earth hinges on relationships: animals and bacteria, the soil and its microbes, plants and the molecules floating in the air. Though many of these partnerships are subtle, life as we know it wouldn’t exist without them.
In Togetherness, evolutionary biologist Rowan Hooper leads us into the fascinating, otherworldly spaces where these relationships, known as symbiosis, occur—the earth’s rich underbrush, murky ocean depths, the human body’s complex architecture—to uncover the poetry of life’s greatest collaborations. Moths rely on sloths for reproduction, orchids partner with fungi, and humans negotiate our own relationships with the biosphere, all illustrating William Blake’s claim that “Every thing that lives / Lives not alone.”
Dazzling, immensely clever, and suffused with wonder, Togetherness illuminates ideas about evolution, agriculture, climate change, sustainability, and humanity, explaining why symbiosis is such an important key to understanding ourselves and the world beyond.
Critic reviews
"Absolutely enthralling. I was hooked from the first sentence." —Bill Bryson, author of A Short History of Nearly Everything and The Body
"I think this may be one of those rare books that's a classic upon its publication. It calmly and comprehensively helps you see the world in a very new and hopeful way, and I think the insights apply to our social and political life. We were, all of us, built for contact." —Bill McKibben, author Here Comes the Sun
"A clarion call for cooperation, at a time when competition, chaos, and cruelty seem to rule the day. In the symbiotic relationships of lichens, orchids and fig wasps, Rowan Hooper provides an antidote for division and distrust. Written by one of our finest science communicators, this is a joyful book, of hope and wonder, which celebrates community as the true key to success in nature." —Steve Brusatte, author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs
“Togetherness is the most important book I’ve read for years. Richly layered, thrilling, intellectually wide-ranging and so fascinating with evocative imagery and warm prose which brings the science and the world to vivid life and offers a crucial and urgent intervention on our mistaken and inadequate understanding of life and its entangled, enmeshed, webby, netty, symbiotic togetherness. A book that could solve the problem of ecological illiteracy in Western capitalist society and its catastrophic impacts. Utterly stunning and awe-inspiring. Everyone needs to read this book, now!” —Lucy Jones, author of Losing Eden
“By weaving scientific evidence with personal experiences from around the world, Rowan Hooper takes us on an awe-inspiring journey that challenges long-held assumptions about individual competition as the single dominant force in nature. Recognising the interconnectedness among all organisms, including ourselves, is not a question of curiosity but survival. This book should herald the end of individualism: it is an exposé of our unbreakable connections with all life on Earth." —Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
“Clever and compelling. From fascinating micro details to massive, big picture thinking, Togetherness reshapes our ideas about science, nature and ourselves. The revelations in this book made me re-think the world.” —Chris Packham, broadcaster and naturalist
"I think this may be one of those rare books that's a classic upon its publication. It calmly and comprehensively helps you see the world in a very new and hopeful way, and I think the insights apply to our social and political life. We were, all of us, built for contact." —Bill McKibben, author Here Comes the Sun
"A clarion call for cooperation, at a time when competition, chaos, and cruelty seem to rule the day. In the symbiotic relationships of lichens, orchids and fig wasps, Rowan Hooper provides an antidote for division and distrust. Written by one of our finest science communicators, this is a joyful book, of hope and wonder, which celebrates community as the true key to success in nature." —Steve Brusatte, author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs
“Togetherness is the most important book I’ve read for years. Richly layered, thrilling, intellectually wide-ranging and so fascinating with evocative imagery and warm prose which brings the science and the world to vivid life and offers a crucial and urgent intervention on our mistaken and inadequate understanding of life and its entangled, enmeshed, webby, netty, symbiotic togetherness. A book that could solve the problem of ecological illiteracy in Western capitalist society and its catastrophic impacts. Utterly stunning and awe-inspiring. Everyone needs to read this book, now!” —Lucy Jones, author of Losing Eden
“By weaving scientific evidence with personal experiences from around the world, Rowan Hooper takes us on an awe-inspiring journey that challenges long-held assumptions about individual competition as the single dominant force in nature. Recognising the interconnectedness among all organisms, including ourselves, is not a question of curiosity but survival. This book should herald the end of individualism: it is an exposé of our unbreakable connections with all life on Earth." —Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
“Clever and compelling. From fascinating micro details to massive, big picture thinking, Togetherness reshapes our ideas about science, nature and ourselves. The revelations in this book made me re-think the world.” —Chris Packham, broadcaster and naturalist
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