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From medieval bestiaries to Borgesrsquos Book of Imaginary Beings wersquove long been enchanted by extraordinary animals be they terrifying three-headed dogs or asps impervious to a snake charmerrsquos song But bestiaries are more than just zany zoologymdashthey are artful attempts to convey broader beliefs about human beings and the natural order Today we no longer fear sea monsters or banshees But from the infamous honey badger to the giant squid animals continue to captivate us with the things they can do and the things they cannot what we know about them and what we donrsquotWith The Book of Barely Imagined Beings Caspar Henderson offers readers a fascinating beautifully produced modern-day menagerie But whereas medieval bestiaries were often based on folklore and myth the creatures that abound in Hendersonrsquos bookmdashfrom the axolotl to the zebrafishmdashare with one exception very much with us albeit sometimes in depleted numbers The Book of Barely Imagined Beings transports readers to a world of real creatures that seem as if they should be made upmdashthat are somehow more astonishing than anything we might have imagined The yeti crab for example uses its furry claws to farm the bacteria on which it feeds The waterbear meanwhile is among naturersquos ldquoextreme survivorsrdquo able to withstand a week unprotected in outer space These and other strange and surprising species invite readers to reflect on what we valuemdashor fail to valuemdashand what we might changeA powerful combination of wit cutting-edge natural history and philosophical meditation The Book of Barely Imagined Beings is an infectious and inspiring celebration of the sheer ingenuity and variety of life in a time of crisis and change.