This book is a delightful stroll through the author's museum, and in the process we learn a lot about evolution, science, and taxonomy. It is packed with interesting specimens and knowledge, yet is very readable and interesting. I love science, and have read many books, but this pulls it all together because of its approach through history and evolution. Adults and my older students would enjoy it (as did I).

In his book, Animal Kingdom: A History in 100 Objects, Jack Ashby, the manager of the Grant Museum in London, chose 100 objects from the museum to illustrate evolution and diversity as well as loss of species. He also discusses the history of museums, their beginnings, how they acquire objects, how they decide which get displayed for the public and how they are prepared for display including mistakes made about what an animal would have looked like in life. He explains how and why museums are an important window into the natural world not only to the past but to the present. And he does it with beautiful illustrations of those 100 objects including Dodo bones.

I won’t say I liked every picture – there was one object in particular that, admittedly, I found somewhat shocking, a reaction I apparently share with most people and his explanation of why we react this way was both insightful and somewhat disheartening for the protection of many species who we don’t have a close relationship with. I can also say that, despite, its importance as shown by Ashby, I will probably never applaud leeches.

Overall, though, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. He explains things in ways that nonscientific people like me can easily understand and the illustrations (even the leeches) are not only beautiful but help to enhance and clarify many of the scientific terms. An excellent book for anyone who loves museums or is interested to understand the amazing diversity of life that exists or existed on our planet.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Trafalgar Square Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in echange for an honest review<i>

This book is fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story of natural history told in 100 objects. All of these objects are museum specimens from the animal kingdom. Everything from invertebrates to dinosaur bones are found here. Can the story of the animal kingdom by told in only 100 objects? Read it and you will see.

The author, Jack Ashby, is a zoologist at the Grant Museum of Zoology at the University College London. He selected 100 objects found in the museum’s collection to tell this story. Through these objects, he tells the reader a really detailed and thorough history of the animal kingdom. He begins with invertebrates, which tend to be left behind when it comes to selecting things to display in museums, in favor of bigger or furrier animals. The next section deals more with the mammals and their place on the tree of life. In the third part of the book, the author looks at some of the mechanisms of evolution. The last section deals with how and why certain specimens are selected for museum display while others are kept in the storeroom. This was a pretty interesting section because I had no idea that display specimens were selected with such care and thought about public perceptions, but it makes sense.

Throughout the book, the author exhibits a wonderful sense of humor. It is not over the top, but it is very entertaining. I think the author’s humor really makes this story so much more enjoyable. His writing style is not as formal as that of a textbook. It’s more personable and easy to read. It is certainly educational and full of scientific information, but I think it’s readable for most all audiences. It will be especially interesting to those of us who studied the biological sciences although it is not a textbook.

The objects the author features range from preserved worms to hair from a mastodon to dinosaur bones. Who knew that most of the dinosaur bones you see in museums are actually well-made painted plaster replicas? I had no idea. As most of us do, I just assumed those bones were the real thing. But, apparently the real thing is much too heavy to be held up by the floor of most museums, so replicas have to be made for the displays. It is interesting tidbits like this that made this such a fun book to read. I learned a lot about how museums operate and how they select displays. This is sort of an insider’s view of museum operations as well as a tremendous natural history lesson, all in one book.

Some of these objects could be featured in art galleries, like the beautiful glass replicas. These were made because soft-tissued animals do not preserve well in fluid-filled jars. Their color tends to leach out and they look nothing like the real animal. Several of the glass replicas pictured in the book could be considered works of art themselves. Finely detailed and colorful, they are both delicate and beautiful.

There are some objects that could be disturbing, like the preserved cat that was pregnant. Or the half head of a red panda. Other objects are things that would provoke various reactions from museum visitors like the “penis worms” displayed in jars, or human skulls or skeletons.

When I think of museums, I think of all the displays I’ve seen, but I rarely think about what sort of thought and planning went into selecting and placing those objects for the public to see. Nor do we really see the whole picture of the story of the entire animal kingdom because many objects are sitting in storerooms. Museums simply don’t have enough space to display every single object they own, so most things are not seen by the public, although they are available to researchers.

Interestingly, museum objects can help in the study of our changing climate. Objects collected 200 years ago may differ from specimens of the same species collected in modern times. Changes in species over time can be tracked in this way.

Overall, I give this book my highest recommendation. It was a joy to read and I learned a ton of new information. The author writes very well and his style is inviting to the reader. The book covers a vast amount of detail and does it very well. You will learn plenty about natural history, and also about the objects themselves and the museums that house them. This is quite an entertaining and educational book and I can’t recommend it enough. You will enjoy it.

Animal Kingdom: A Natural History in 100 Objects​ is a fascinating read for anyone interested in ​nature and the evolution of species. On almost every page, the author presented me with something new to think about and over and over, I felt a sense of wonder at the amazing diversity of life that surrounds us. I also enjoyed the many illustrations.

This is not a book to be read cover to cover in a few sittings; rather, it is one to be savoured and enjoyed and referred back to. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair review.

I was very disappointed in this book. I love books of natural history and I've long been fascinated by the classification of animals and the relationships between them. Unhappily this book has many faults.

First, there is the writing style, which is very pedestrian. Compounding this fault is the author's tendency to slip into technical language that the general reader won't understand.

Second, the author has very decided ideas about taxonomy and evolution, ones he's happy to impart to us as factual in virtually every chapter. Unhappily while these ideas might be widespread, they ar by no means anything more than theories and are not universally accepted.

He doesn't like the man as "crown of creation" theory and this is fine, but he passes off without any explanation ideas like parallel development of eyes, expecting somehow that the reader will accept his word for it. I'm just not that gullible

He could have presented us an engaging look at the animal world and even of classification without beating us over the. head with his opinion and without resorting to the crown of creation idea. The book would have been better if he had.

I loved this book! I would put it along the lines of the British Museums "History or the World in 100 Objects" it truly is a wonderful read and the amount of detail and insight is just amazing!!

This book is so much fun! It is a very approachable look at the evolution of life, from the lowly sponge to the mighty rhino. Really though I think the section on sponges was probably my favorite because they are such strange animals, even compared to more 'simple' creatures like jellies and anemones, sponges just baffle me.

If you have an interest in Phylogeny or just animals in general, give this book a read. You will get to learn things (great weird trivia to share at parties) and you can enjoy some awesome photos, which I imagine are even better on print compared to the ARC version.

This is an exquisite book, like a miniature cabinet of curiosities between two covers. Ashby takes a look at 100 different organisms and explains why they are the way they are, Bringing in evolution, the human factor, climate change and more, this book is fascinating on so may levels. Ashby doesn’t talk down to his readers, instead he uses layman’s language to explain natural selection and accompanies it with gorgeous, whimsical photographs

This book is pretty fascinating. It's also written at a level that anyone could understand. Adults and students will enjoy it. The variety of specimens goes beyond the typical animal book. In some ways, I found the book an organized chaos. If you poke around, picking and choosing interesting animals, it's fun, and you'll certainly learn, but you'll miss out on the organized part -- the sections and the introductions.