Humanish: How Anthropomorphism Makes Us Smart, Weird and Delusional

by Justin Gregg

ISBN: 9780861549825

Published: 2025-10-02

Ever glanced at your cat and wondered if they were plotting something? Or passed a car and thought it seemed 'friendly', 'surprised' or 'angry' depending on the shape of its headlights? Anthropomorphism - the irresistible desire to apply human characteristics to animals, natural phenomena and even inanimate objects - is as natural as breathing. And it gets weirder... Million-dollar industries have sprung up to provide 'cosmetic enhancements' for dogs who've had the snip - their (inevitably male) owners wracked with guilt that their pets might be missing out on... something. Similarly, Justin Gregg, a researcher with the Dolphin Communication Project, regularly receives emails from mothers-to-be convinced that dolphins would make excellent midwives (spoiler alert: they definitely wouldn't). Diving into the strange way anthropomorphism shapes our understanding of the world, Gregg offers an eye-opening, humorous journey through human perception. From cinema's obsession with talking...