Why read What the Chicken Knows?

Book cover of What the Chicken Knows

Book description

A charming and eye-opening exploration of the special relationship between humans and chickens from Sy Montgomery, "one of our finest chroniclers of the natural world" (The New York Times).

For more than two decades, Sy Montgomery-whose The Soul of an Octopus was a National Book Award finalist-has kept a flock…

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Why read it?

1 author picked What the Chicken Knows as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Meredith Walters

Author

Chickens are ubiquitous—they outnumber humans by a ratio of more than 3-to-1—yet they’re one of the world’s most underestimated and misunderstood creatures.

Did you know that hens communicate with at least twenty-four distinct calls that convey specific information, like what type of predator is approaching and how quickly? Or that they will choose not to peck a button that rewards them with food if it means they'll get more food later?

Through personal stories and scientific studies, Sy Montgomery pieces together a new picture of the world’s most common birds as surprisingly complex and intelligent—and, one might argue, quite lovable.…

From Meredith's 3 favorite reads in 2024.