I found this read fascinating. It's so interesting to see how animals and humans develop in so many of the same ways. I think it will be particularly interesting for those with adolescent humans currently in their lives.

A version of this review previously appeared in Shelf Awareness and is republished here with permission.

Advice on "how to ask out a whale" may not seem a typical means to teach about adolescence, but evolutionary biologist and physician Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and science journalist Kathryn Bowers make such compelling and scientific connections between humans and animals that readers will come to believe that one can learn a trick or two from our fluked friends. In Wildhood, a follow-up to their acclaimed Zoobiquity, the authors explore the crucial stage between childhood and adulthood across the animal kingdom.

Safety, status, sex and self-reliance are the four universal challenges adolescents must navigate while transforming successfully into adulthood. Each is illustrated through one of the following points of view: Ursula, a king penguin who risks death from a voracious Antarctic predator she has never seen before on her first trip away from her parents; Shrink, a socially adept hyena pup born on the bottom of the ladder who rises through the hierarchy; Salt, a humpback whale who learns the complicated dating rituals of her species; and Slavc, a young wolf who sets out on a solitary journey to find his forever home.

Having identified the "core four" competencies to be mastered by every adolescent on earth, the team presents their cross-species theories in a highly entertaining yet skillfully informative format that will engross animal lovers and parents alike. Without anthropomorphizing, one still can't help but fall in love with these animals and, by association, hopefully gain some understanding and empathy for human adolescents. Wildhood is a roller-coaster ride through nature's wonders.

STREET SENSE: A cool cross between the human and animal worlds, I fell in love with each of these creatures (some more than others, not always in direct correlation with how interesting the point of the arc was) and also did come out with more empathy for human adolescents. Who can be such a true pain in the ass (Not talking about you, KRK!) I dug this one and it was apparently recently highlighted on NPR, so I'm going to check that out and also will be reading Zoobiquity.

COVER NERD SAYS: Fuckin' baby lions. Pretty much says it all.

WILDHOOD by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers is subtitled "The Epic Journey from Adolescence to Adulthood in Humans and Other Animals." And what an intriguing read it is! Readers can explore peer-pressure in salmon (who knew?) and courtship behavior in humpback whales, plus many more examples from the animal kingdom. The authors (Natterson-Horowitz is a visiting professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard and Bowers is a science journalist) previously collaborated on the New York Times bestseller Zoobiquity. In WILDHOOD, they use chapters divided into four parts representing key life skills (Safety, Status, Sex, and Self-reliance) in order to discuss parallels with our own species. Natterson-Horowitz and Bowers write about impulsivity and the "teenage brain" as well as social hierarchies and "association with high status animals." Truly fascinating, their writing is scientific, but accessible and of interest across disciplines like Psych, Science, and Kinetic Wellness classes. The authors also raise issues that some Junior Theme students are already exploring, too, like the impact for humans of having to learn these life skills both in a real world and a virtual one. Natterson-Horowitz and Bowers recently published an essay, called "Adolescents Go Wild – And Not Just Humans" in The Wall Street Journal (available online at school) which gives a brief overview of their research.

The text itself includes a glossary of terms, almost fifty pages of detailed notes and a helpful index. WILDHOOD received starred reviews from Booklist ("Teens might like reading about their counterparts in the animal kingdom") and Publishers Weekly. Find it on our shelves soon!

The authors compare the turbulent teenage and young adult years of various animal species, including human. They call this age "wildhood" (although I must admit I did not click with this created word at all throughout the book -- it does make a great title). The sections of the book are based on what they consider the core competencies learned during these years: staying safe, living with others, sexual communications and taking care of oneself.

The first two sections were excellent -- the comparison to the lives of various animals give insight into how normal some parts of the teenage/young adult experience actually are across species and gave me a lot of food for thought on how I could parent my own kids as well.. The second two sections were not as impressive even while still enjoyable, overshadowed by how good the first two sections were I suppose-- overall the book was a worthwhile read and I expect I'll be reading it again in the future.