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A rat will go out of its way to help astranger in need.Lions have adopted the calves of their prey. Ants farm fungus in cooperatives. Why do we continue to believe that life in the animal kingdom is ruled by competitionInThe Social Lives ofAnimals,biologistAshley Wardtakes uson a wild touracross the globeas he searches for a more accuratepicture of how animals build societies. Warddrops in on a termite mating ritual (while his guides snack on the subjects) ,visits freelance baboon goatherds, and swims with amixed family of whales and dolphins.Along the way, Ward shows thatthe social impulses we've long thought separatedhumansfrom other animals mightactually beour strongest connection to them.Insightful,engaging, and often hilarious,The Social Lives of Animalsdemonstratesthat youcanlearn more about animals by studying how they work together than byhow theycompete.