What does it mean to be human? And what, if anything, does it have to do with being a member of the animal species Homo sapiens? This dazzling book gets to the very heart of our (rather unscientific) motivations and prejudices about humanity, showing how, by understanding them, we can go some way to resolving the world’s biggest problems. From beasts to aliens, widespread but often problematic links with six other beings are explored. Deep philosophical questions are tackled, including humanity’s common purpose, life’s meaning and what it means to be accepted as part of a community. Global in its outlook and illustrated by stunning pictures, Human is a powerful, funny and iconoclastic antidote to post-humanism.

"From beasts to aliens, this quirkily written and 'iconoclastic' book explores our links with six other beings, tackling such philosophical questions as humanity's common purpose, life's meaning, and what it means to be part of a community."-- "Bookseller"

Charlotte Sleigh (Author)
Charlotte Sleigh is Professor of Science Humanities at the University of Kent. She has published several books on the history, culture and representation of animals including Ant (2003) and Frog (2012) for Reaktion, as well as The Paper Zoo (2016).

Amanda Rees (Author)
Amanda Rees is Reader in Sociology at the University of York. She is author of The Infanticide Controversy: Primatology and the Art of Field Science (2009) and editor of Presenting Futures Past: Science Fiction and the History of Science (2019).