Nature author Marianne Taylor’s The Animal Mind is a fascinating exploration of animal intelligence and emotion, with thought-provoking essays, surprising insights, and breathtaking images by leading photographers Joel Sartore, Melissa Groo, Peter Delaney, and others.

We are only beginning to understand the ways in which the animal mind is as complex as our own. A prairie dog’s vocal language is now the most sophisticated ever decoded, but their unique jump-yip poses as many questions as answers. Gorillas use sign language to describe past events to researchers, so does this mean they ruminate and relive their lives? When an ant looks in a mirror to see a dab of blue paint on its head, they try to clean it off, proving the ant is self-aware like us.

The Animal Mind profiles 60 animals as it explores instances of remarkable cognition, communication, consciousness, and culture in the animal kingdom. Full of beautiful portraits and in-depth studies showing these behaviors in action, The Animal Mind offers an illuminating roadmap to animal intelligence.