Liars, cheats and copycats: Trickery and deception in nature

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Liars, cheats and copycats: Trickery and deception in nature Author: Format: Paperback / softback First Published: Published By: NewSouth Publishing
string(3) "240"
Pages: 240 Language: English ISBN: 9781761170171 Categories: , , ,

Meet some of the world’s most dastardly creatures, who lie, cheat and deceive for a living. There’s the deadly praying mantis that looks like an innocent pink flower. The assassin bug that strums spider webs to lure in a tasty snack. The cuttlefish that changes colour to hide its romantic intentions. To understand how these creatures swindle their way to the top, Liars, Cheats and Copycats reveals the science behind camouflage, mimicry and masquerade. Taking readers on a journey from tropical rainforests to the darkness of deep ocean trenches, James O’Hanlon explores how animals and plants use deception to avoid predators, lure in prey and even reproduce. From creatures that disappear in front of your eyes to ones that misdirect their foes like masterful magicians, there are endless ways that animals can swindle their way to survival.

Weight0.35721 kg
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O’Hanlon is a gifted science communicator, able to explain complex scientific ideas without confusing the non-specialist reader; he writes in a conversational, engaging manner. The pages turn easily, and the reader feels smarter."" – Simon Caterson, The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age ""A well-written, enormously interesting and engaging book."" – Heidi Maier, The Saturday Paper ""James’ light, style, simple descriptions, fun stories and facts make this an entertaining book to read and an amazing introduction to the world of nature."" – Blue Wolf Reviews ""The author’s voice is delightfully strong and engaging. The regular and humorous asides, anecdotes, and notes help to reframe the sensible, scientific information with a light, irreverent and entertaining tone."" – Mark Parry, Good Reading Magazine ""The best popular science books not only reveal marvellous things about our world, and surprise us with the latest findings, but also ask questions we can’t answer yet. James O’Hanlon’s Liars, Cheats and Copycats manages all three in a relaxed, good-humoured and unpretentious style that makes the book an engaging and thoroughly entertaining read."" – B.P Marshall, The Tasmanian Times

Author Biography

James O’Hanlon has travelled around Australia and the globe uncovering the secret lives of insects and spiders. If it is small, mysterious and lacks a backbone, James has an insatiable desire to find out what it is and what it does. He has published over 30 academic papers and his popular science writing has appeared in ABC News, Australian Geographic, The Conversation and Biosphere Magazine. He is an award-winning science communicator and was the 2021 recipient of the Varuna–New England Writers’ Centre fellowship.