Book cover of The Parrot in the Mirror: How evolving to be like birds made us human

Book description

How similar are your choices, behaviours, and lifestyle to those of a parrot?

We humans are not like other mammals. We look like them, but we don't act like them. In fact, many of our defining human traits: our longevity, intelligence, monogamy and childrearing, and learning and language, all deep…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Parrot in the Mirror as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Sometimes, a book comes along that simply surprises you, which is exactly what happened when I read The Parrot in the Mirror.

We (humans) don’t look much like birds, but this book’s evolutionary and behavioral argument is that we are much more similar to birds than you might possibly imagine. I was astonished and also convinced – but you really need to read this book to find out why!

If you love The Parrot in the Mirror...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Want books like The Parrot in the Mirror?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Parrot in the Mirror.

Browse books like The Parrot in the Mirror

Book cover of Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story
Book cover of Where Song Began: Australia's Birds and How They Changed the World
Book cover of Understanding Human Evolution

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,340

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Parrot in the Mirror, you might also like...

Book cover of Foxfire in the Snow

Foxfire in the Snow by J.S. Fields,

It's a time of change, between magic and alchemy.

Born the heir of a master woodcutter in a queendom defined by guilds and matrilineal inheritance, nonbinary Sorin can’t quite seem to find their place. At seventeen, an opportunity to attend an alchemical guild fair and secure an apprenticeship with the…

Book cover of The Main Gate

The Main Gate by Yvonne Kjorlien,

Dr. Elise Marquette has spent years burying the past—until the past refuses to stay buried.

Hired to join Earth’s first interstellar contact team, she hopes the vastness of space will finally offer distance from the ghosts of war and the wounds left by a mother who never let her be…

5 book lists we think you will like!