I, Mammal: The Story of What Makes Us Mammals

well done, liked it

Informative, humorous and deeply personal, I, Mammal stems from Liam Drew's reflections on the birth of his first daughter and what it means to be a mammal. Ranging from evolution to reproduction and lactation and to why we mammals are the way we are, the author provides insight and interesting trivia. I loved how the book is both educational and engaging with facts about both our daily life and animals that we may never see. Within days I found myself quoting it in random conversations about breastfeeding. I also really appreciated how Drew weaves events from his life into the narrative infusing it with stories about his daughters.

Liam Drew has written an absolutely fascinating book about mammals, from the duck-billed platypus to human beings. He fills us in on the evolution of mammals, telling us what earlier scientists assumed – correctly and incorrectly – and explains things like why some mammals – opossums, for instance - have gonads in front of their members instead of behind them. And elephants - theirs do not hang low, but are internal, as are several other mammals.’ And why are ours external? That’s a debate that continues to rage. And it’s fascinating.I Mammal is written with intelligence, wit, and humor. It informs us about the evolution of milk, teeth, and all the other things that make us mammals. We learn about our warm-bloodedness, the evolution of our senses, and how our brains work. We find out what we have in common with other mammals, from cetaceans to horses to wolves and everything in between. I was particularly intrigued by all the stories of mammalian oddities – and I finally know everything I’ve ever wanted to know about the platypus.This is a book that will appeal to anyone who has ever wondered about humans and other mammals and how we all evolved. I would also give this to any tween or teen in a heartbeat – because the gonadal tales are riveting, it’s going to hold a young person’s attention and that could result in careers being discovered.

“I, Mammal” is an informative, easy to read examination of the traits that define mammals and show where humans fit into that family tree. The chapters are organized generally by anatomical parts and traces their history through the eons. Author Liam Drew compares fossil remains with modern life forms to try to determine when certain species branched off from others and why. He frequently compares the animal types such as reptiles, birds and mammals to determine why some dominated the earth at sometimes and relinquished their dominion to others.Although science is not my main interest, I found this to enhance my understanding of the transition of life forms over millions of years and left questions as to the current and future relationships of fauna in the future. I was particularly interested in the comparison of the calory needs and energy levels of endotherms (warm-blooded) versus ectotherms (cold-blooded). The news that crocodiles may only feed once a year was surprising. The suggestion that some animals rely more on sound than sight made sense, although I had not thought of it before. It also follows that those same animals may be dull shades because they do not detect colors very well. It brought back memories of my high school biology class. It was a worthwhile read and will encourage me to pick up other scientifically oriented books in the future. It may do the same for you.

I really liked this book, but I also needed to pick it up and put it down a few times to get there. It's a rather niche book, but that's hardly a fault. In a world with (likely) millions of books, they have to be niche to stand out. This is a stand out book, but it's really only for the curious, those interested in mammalian biology, and fans of good writing. That's right, it's a witty and well crafted book.It helps you see all animals, especially mammals, in a new light. Yes that includes us--actually especially us. As an added bonus, the journey of discovery, in addition to what we discover, is enlightening. Thus this really appeals to me, a history grad who focused on the history of science, as you can not only grow your understanding of biology but also see how mankind's understanding of biology and anatomy grew over the years.I don't know many people in my life who I know will definitely love this book, but I don't think that's a knock on this book as much as a facet to what it is. I'd say give it a go.

This is a fun read if you like reading and learning about mammalian biology at a higher level accessible to most people. Starting with why human males might have external scrotums. I think a lot of people don't understand evolution via natural selection and also what makes mammals what they are, but this book addresses that in a fun to read format. It isn't a boring text book or scientific paper. It is a book you can pick up casually and read.One of the things I learned from the book was just how few species of mammals there are relative to other forms of life like insects. It is also fun to learn about the platypus. An animal that caused classification issues for ages. I recommend this read for someone who might not be an in depth biologist, but rather a casual enthusiast or someone considering the field as an option.

This was a well written and personal book, mixing science with entertainment and explaining what makes all sorts of mammals belong to that same class. There is some evolution, and history of the development of the scientific theories, showing how there are lots of confusing features between different mammals that had to be studied as a coherent theory was developed. As one might expect, there is a LOT of conversation on sexual development, and how various animals keep their testicles. A LOT of it, but frankly, fascinating to compare various animals in the mammal family to see how they differ.

Just finished this excellent book.Liam Drew takes us on an entertaining journey of how we became, and what it is to be, a mammal.His funny and charming prose will keep the layman entertained, whilst his deep knowledge and detailed explanations will satisfy those with a science background.Highly recommended.

Clever, well written and argumentative this book is a masterpiece, easy to read but scientifically rigorous and well documented. Definitely recommended

It may not be "The selfish gene" but the book is quite informative on mammals. Covered are their evolution, their quirks I didn't know about, etc.The author also provides a unique personal perspective on mammals as he is one of them, and shows it by sharing how he came to realise what it implied in his life. As a different take on the expression about forest and trees, imagine a tree realising it's part of a forest. This is what the author is writing about when he shows that he's part of a greater whole, the thousands of mammal species on Earth. Quite interesting.

This is really a very informative book ,, It will tell you about mammals, what makes us mammals, how mammals came to existence That book is not for child because it do not contain any picture but it contains a lot of information... I am sure after reading this you will feel that your brain becomes more valuable... Just go for it dude...

Excellent Book. I highly recommend it. It might take a light background in biology to fully grasp somme details, but the overall experience is great.