This was such a fascinating book to listen too. I have always felt a strange affinity with animals and had the upmost respect for them and so this was a trasure to listen too. It was funny and was really well researched so I felt that I was learning so much at the same time. I would love to get a physical copy of this book and read it over and over. A wonderfully insightful and fascinating book.

I wanted something positive and inspiration to listen to in March 2022. This audiobook certainly fulfilled that need - plus gave hope for the future.

There are always going to be those who believe that we anthropomorphize (give human characteristics) to animals instead of giving any credence to proof of animal feelings or logical thought. Well, this book provides insightful & compelling researched-based evidence to the contrary. Lots and lots of stories about research that, at least to me, demonstrates there is so much more to the animal kingdom then mankind wants to admit.

It's fascinating to learn more about why humans maybe more animal then animals are human. Gives Darwinism a really good spin. If you don't believe in Darwinism and feel anthropomorphism is really what's going on, you should really read this book. If for nothing else to lexamine the research told in it.

I am completely in awe of how researchers come up with these studies. It's intriguing to hear what they come up with and what they learn from these studies. As someone who has had to conduct her own research, it just blows my mind!

The examples of animal behavior take on a wide range from altruism to understanding death. This is another book that makes me firmly believe mankind needs to step up how we behave towards the other creatures on our spaceship Earth.

I didn't think the narrator added anything to the book but she certainly didn't take anything away. I would honestly recommend the book because it's easier to look up the information being referred to online if you are curious about a particular animal or story. I believe I heard a reference to pictures are well. However, it's a good book for commutes since each story isn't very long.

I received an ARC audiobook from Netgalley to help me prepare my honest review.

I really liked this book because it is fun, interesting, and light. With the world embroiled in the war in Ukraine, this book was exactly what I needed to forget, at least for a little while, that the world can be a cruel place.

This book is uplifting and fascinating. It is a great insight into our animal cousins, who are more intelligent and emotional than we often give them credit for. If you are an animal lover, then this book is definitely for you. If you aren’t an animal lover (yet), then this book is essential for you–hopefully it can change your mind!

This is an interesting account of all things animals. Perfect to listen to with my animal loving daughter.

Interesting and fun stories. Nice way to spend some time. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

A short, light, feel good read. While it was interesting, it was very simplistic (no scientific knowledge needed) and essentially consisted of previously known research in a collection of stories about the behaviour of a variety of animals. I did feel it was a biased view, as the book only included positive animal encounters. I listen to the audiobook version of this book, which was enjoyable. I will certainly look at the animal world differently now!
Thank you to NetGalley.

This was a very interesting audiobook and I really enjoyed it. My only fault is that I wish it was longer.

Delightful! I mean that in every sense of the word. If you're one of those people who can't resist those "unlikely animal friends" videos but also like science, you'll love "Inside Animal Hearts and Minds."

From giggling rats to crows who bring presents to people, you won't be surprised by some of these stories, but others are really enlightening. Dolphins that get high, spiders that play, monkeys that throw a fit when their friends are undercompensated, parrots with a dark sense of humor, chimps that play with baby dolls, eavesdropping owls that can understand prairie dog language - it's all there.

If you prefer to read academic texts, you'll probably be bored by these short summaries. But if you're just looking for a dose of dopamine and a heartstring-tugging collection of research findings told by a great narrator, this soul balm is for you.

It's not saccharine -- it's just science that will make you smile.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A light read, briefly covering the different stories and research around animals and their emotions and intelligence.

Each story is briefly covered. Any research used is explained by mentioning the researchers names and telling a brief version of what they found as if its another story.

All in all, it's the perfect book for animal lovers who are new to factual evidence of these ideas. I like to read a lot on the subject, usually directly from the scientific papers, so the ideas in the book wasn't anything I hadn't heard before. But to listen to it as an audiobook whilst tidying it was a lovely light listen! 😊

[Audiobook provided for free by Net Gallery in return for an honest review]

This is a fascinating book on animals and they way they think, act, and behave. Some people think that animals don't have emotions or can't think like humans do. This book proves that false. Full of stories that will make you smile, this is a treasure trove of stories to make you reconsider your thinking about animals. I absolutely LOVED this book!

I thought this was such a good book. I laughed a lot and teared up a bit. I love learning about the ways animals are "tested" and the outcomes. Loved the narrator.

This is such a great book! So many interesting insights on animals' amazing brains and ways of thinking. From sense of humour to empathy, the book finally debunks the myth that animals don't have the same scope of feelings and personalities that humans do. I really appreciated the point the author makes about human bias and the 'intelligence tests' created with human standards in mind. Animals are fellow beings, as much as humans are animals. All animals deserve the same level of respect.

The tagline" Bears That Count, Goats That Surf, and Other True Stories of Animal Intelligence and Emotion" says it all - the book is full of interesting and often humorous episodes animals showing evidence of intelligence and emotional range, which are obvious to animal lovers in us all. I enjoyed this book immensely. The audiobook narrator has a soothing and compassionate voice, and it was fun to uncover many episodes described here. I would recommend this book to other nature and animal lovers!

A copy of audiobook edition was provided in exchange of honest opinion and review, thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial Audio for letting us encounter with this fun new book!

If you are an animal lover, like me, this is a must-read! I was smiling throughout the whole book learning about things animals do that may surprise you! So much fun to read and there are several animals that I will look differently at going forward.

A fascinating account of social behaviors both within and cross species from several different species of animals. Clearly narrated and eloquently written. A great listen for anyone upper elementary and above. Easy to understand for the layman. A heart-warming listen for anyone needing a dose of positivity with their learning.

I love books that confirm that animals are smart and have feelings just like us. And this audiobook describe acts that animals aren't suppose to do, but low and behold they do. Its unfortunate that people based intelligence, on other being using our communication as justice to say whose intelligence. Considering a lot of different animals understand what we want and yet we don't have a clue what animals are communicating to us makes me wonder how intelligent we are.
For anyone who loves a good story about what animals can do these stories will make you smile and brighten you day. The narrator is excellent and will help you decompress from a busy day.
Also, there is a companion audiobook, "When Animals Rescue," from the same author that you will love too.

I want to thank BooksGoSocial Audio and NetGalley for this informative book

Are we the only intelligible life in the universe? We are not…

In her book, Inside Animal Hearts and Minds, Belinda Recio explores the incredible scientific findings of animal intelligence. From dung beetles who take a photograph of the sky to navigate to breaking the code of prairie dogs sounds, this incredible book defies what we thought we knew about animals and opens the door to a new understanding that shifts how we look at God’s fabulous creatures. Of course, written from an evolutionary standpoint, I disagreed with the number of years or the belief that we evolved from apes; however, putting that aside, Belinda Recio fabulously revealed the secrets of the animal kingdom that humans are currently studying and beginning to understand. While we have seen animals do amazing things, they don’t begin to cover the truth of animal intelligence. If you love biology and learning unique facts about your favorite critters, Inside Animal Hearts and Minds is the book for you!

*Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing this pre-release copy. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own!*

This was such an enjoyable audiobook! Five stars for the book itself and also for the narrator. Hayden Panettiere did an excellent job!

The beginning of this book begs the reader to not only consider animal intelligence but to focus on animal EMOTION and feeling. I've always been an animal lover and, while the title and cover drew me in, I was unsure of whether or not I would enjoy this content in audio format ... but I really did.

I loved hearing the examples of how animals show friendship, love, mourning. It was so interesting to hear that some have color preferences and other quirks that have likely helped them to survive as a species for various reasons.

This was a fun one that I binged while deep cleaning my house and I forgot I was even cleaning, if that tells you anything! :)

This book was a delight to read. Full of research and stories, it captured the heart of the animal world and awakened a sympathy and empathy for those animals in captivity who are mistreated and abused. We have much to learn about the animal world, and this books gives us a good start.

Inside Animal Hearts and Minds, by Belinda Recio, is a bit like going on a magical mystery tour with science and some very fascinating animals. This is definitely not my usual genre in literature but I really enjoyed it. So much so that I had a very hard time putting it down, at night. Maybe constantly stopping to go watch the recommended and fascinating videos had something to do with it keeping me up so late? I received the audiobook version and Hayden Panettiere did an excellent job keeping me engaged and interested. I never realized what a sweet, engaging voice she has until I listened to this book.
Warning: Animal Hearts and Minds might cause one to change how they see animals and their impact on the world around us. I already knew that animals are intelligent and have all the feelings but now scientists are proving it to both themselves, as well as the wider world. This wonderful book is full of examples such as: magpies mourn as they cover the departed with greenery, female whales travel thousands of miles for annual reunions with their gal pals, seals navigate by the stars, bears hum when happy, and many, many more.