Abigail Tucker's work has been featured in the Best American Science and Nature Writing series. She is the New York Times bestselling author of The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World, named a Best Science Book of 2016 by Library Journal and Forbes, now translated into thirteen languages. A correspondent for Smithsonian magazine, she lives in New Haven, Connecticut, with her husband and four (equally amazing) children.
***A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*** "In The Lion in the Living Room,
three things come together with exquisite, delightful effect: a
natural history of cats, replete with ecological issues as well as
contemporary cultural memes; evolutionary science as it pertains to
the origins and consequences of our fascination with felines; and
an unusually deft way with words by author Abigail Tucker. The net
result is a deep and illuminating perspective on our favorite
household companion... One hesitates to use the word genius, but
Tucker's book borders on that quality."
--Huffington Post "Whatever your personal feelings [are] about our
feline friends, this is a fascinating story about how cats not only
conquered the world but our hearts."
--Catster "If you know a cat person who likes science, this is the
book you need right meow."
--Smithsonian.com, "The Best Books about Science of 2016"
"Fascinating... If you have relatives or friends who are mad about
cats--and the strong statistical probability is that you
do--consider putting this book under their Christmas tree."
--National Review "With informative first-person excursions to
different places and topics, Tucker reviews all aspects of our
favorite pet as well as the spell it has cast on us."
--New York Times Book Review "Eminently readable and gently funny,
Tucker's blend of pop science and social commentary will appeal to
cat lovers as well as a broad general audience with an interest in
natural history."
--Library Journal, starred review "A thoughtful look at the
illogical human love of felines."
--Publishers Weekly "Dig deep into the history, biology, and
science of house cats in this charming, highly informative read
that explains how cats came to rule."
--B&N Reads "[An] intriguing history... Read this entertaining
book and you will be convinced that house cats are 'the most
transformative invaders the world has ever seen.'"
--Kirkus Reviews "Fascinating... Cat lovers, keep watching those
cute cat videos online, but back it up with this very serious look
at what makes Tabby tick."
--Booklist "[A]n alluring, funny and informative romp through the
domestication and history of the cat."
--Shelf Awareness "[Tucker] is an engaging writer and a sucker for
the felines...her brief, lighthearted book takes us on a
fascinating journey...Will this book change your opinion on cats?
Probably not. Will you enjoy reading it? Absolutely, particularly
with your own tiny lion close by."
--Seattle Times "Fascinating...[Tucker's] book answers her own
question, one that all cat owners no doubt ask themselves: 'How
exactly had these crafty little creatures gotten their claws into
me?'"
--Richmond Times-Dispatch "If you own a cat (or a cat owns you) and
you think you know it, take a read through Tucker's book to find a
host of surprising facts, history and characteristics of your
inscrutable pet."
--Columbus Dispatch "A lively read that pounces back and forth
between evolutionary science and popular culture, between a
parasite spread by cats to humans that has been linked to
schizophrenia and cat cafes, where people pay to be snubbed by the
resident felines."
--Baltimore Sun "Many best-selling science books are by scientists
who have taught themselves to write. Tucker is a writer who has
informed herself on the science, and her book is full of funny
observations and wordplay. She skips through academic landscapes
that could be dull in less clever hands and hops into the next
chapter before anyone can get bored."
--Glen Falls Post-Star "By pulling us into the deep history of
cats, Tucker demonstrates her prowess as a researcher, but she also
demonstrates her ability to take concepts that would be clumsy or
difficult to follow in the hands of another author and make them
palatable for the layperson... Tucker has given us plenty to enjoy
in this book and we should look forward to whatever topic she next
takes up as that exploration will undoubtedly be as much an
enjoyable read as The Lion in the Living Room."
--Spectrum Culture Blog "While the title of this book suggests a
bit of a fluffy story, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that
it's more of a story about evolution... This book explores how cats
went from creatures we feared and conquered to animals that we
cuddle and bring into our homes. It makes you think about what's
really going on inside your own cat's head -- because the house cat
is still an animal built to kill."
--Erica Murphy, SEO Editor, The Cut (NYMag.com) "By turns funny and
disturbing, The Lion in the Living Room is full of surprises. Like
all the best nonfiction, it will make you think twice about the
world around you."
--Elizabeth Kolbert, bestselling author of THE SIXTH EXTINCTION: An
Unnatural History "A delightful and warmhearted romp through the
history of the world's most puzzling creature: The domesticated
cat. A must-read for anyone who has ever owned--or been owned--by
felis catus."
--Virginia Morell, bestselling author of ANIMAL WISE: How We Know
Animals Think and Feel "A fresh look at the sphinx-like creature
that defies the normal rules of domestication. Abigail Tucker does
a humorous, intelligent, and insightful investigation into the
genius of cats. A truly wonderful book--and a must read for anyone
with a lion in their living room."
--Dr. Brian Hare, bestselling author of THE GENIUS OF DOGS, and
Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University "Abigail
Tucker provides a clear and detailed view of the facts surrounding
the furry felines that share our world. She engages her reader,
whether she is discussing the history of the possible ways that
cats entered our lives to sounding a warning about the types of
selective breeding programs that could endanger the health and
well-being of feline companion animals. After reading this book, no
one will ever look at a cat the same way."
--Irene Pepperberg, bestselling author of ALEX AND ME: How a
Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal
Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process "From
mummification to catification, from cat cafes to feline etiquette
manuals to the earliest cat shows at the Crystal Palace, Abigail
Tucker's enlightening Lion in the Living Room explores the deep
history of the connection between cats of all sizes and colors and
the humans who adore them."
--Wendy Williams, bestselling author of THE HORSE: The Epic History
of Our Noble Companion "The Lion in the Living Room is a remarkable
and hilarious journey that tracks cats from solitary, prehistoric
carnivores to undisputed world champions of Internet memes. (Sorry,
dogs and human babies.) Tucker has written a big-hearted book
that's also a deep science dive into our most inscrutable furry
companions. You can't help but LOL."
--David Epstein, bestselling author of THE SPORTS GENE: Inside the
Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance "Science fiction
writers fantasize about aliens taking over our world. Too late.
House cats have already occupied our homes and our hearts and
hunted their way through ecosystems everywhere. The Lion in the
Living Room delivers a rich and balanced account of feline world
dominion, from their role as agents of species extinction to their
'I Can Haz Cheeseburger' triumph on the Internet. You will never
look at the beast in your living room the same way again."
--Richard Conniff, author of HOUSE OF LOST WORLDS: Dinosaurs,
Dynasties, and the Story of Life on Earth "I recommend this book
for cat lovers, cat haters, and anyone curious to learn how these
inscrutable creatures crept out of the Fertile Crescent and clawed
their way into our hearts. I'll never look at my own fluffy little
killing machine in quite the same way again."
--Mara Grunbaum, author of WTF, EVOLUTION?!: A Theory of
Unintelligible Design "This book confirmed something I always knew
about cats: they're the ones in charge of our relationship. And
that's not the toxoplasmosis talking."
--Jim Tews, author of FELINES OF NEW YORK: A Glimpse into the Lives
of New York's Feline Inhabitants
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