Explorer, sustainable food systems specialist, author
Forthcoming book
Now available for preorder
Advance Praise
“By revealing the secret abundance that surrounds us, The Hidden Nations of Animals invites readers to see life through a richer, more vibrant lens. This is transformative travel writing at its finest.”
—Dan Buettner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Blue Zones, National Geographic Fellow, and Emmy Award-winning producer of Live to 100
“Deeply reported, gracefully written, and brightly flecked with humor and humanity, this book will leave you feeling like a vital member of the broader world of animals—a cosmopolitan citizen of the zoopolis.”
—Robert Moor, New York Times bestselling author of On Trails: An Exploration
“Animals do not exist for us, or beneath us, but alongside us. By illuminating the complex societies our fellow Earthlings construct just beyond our view, The Hidden Nations of Animals shatters the notion that humanity holds a monopoly on civilization.”
—Joaquin Phoenix, Academy Award-winning actor and animal rights activist
“There’s no shortage of books about human maps, but Ryan Huling has finally paid equal attention to the geographies of ants, bats, and African mole-rats. It’s about time!”
—Ken Jennings, author of Maphead and host of Jeopardy!
“Dazzling, wise, and full of surprise, The Hidden Nations of Animals brings us face to face with the extraordinary societies of our fellow creatures. Reading it feels less like learning than remembering something essential we’ve always known.”
—Lara Prescott, New York Times bestselling author of The Secrets We Kept
“A fascinating story of intrepid, far-flung travels and amazing, well-organized animal worlds you previously knew nothing about.”
—Ian Frazier, bestselling author of Travels in Siberia and staff writer at The New Yorker
“An eye-opening read about the remarkable lives and complex societies of the nonhuman beings with whom we share our planet.”
—Peter Singer, author of Animal Liberation and Emeritus Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University
“Enthralling, revelatory, and sweeping in ambition, this is a rare find—a journey story that takes readers somewhere truly new. With striking originality, Huling makes a compelling case for radically reimagining how we engage with our animal neighbors.”
—Ruth Otte, first president of the Discovery Channel
“Profound and thought-provoking, this book powerfully illustrates the integral role animal societies play in shaping the world we inhabit.”
—Greg Moyer, architect of Animal Planet
"A startling revelation for those of us who love to gaze at maps: The blank spots between human towns and roads are threaded with hidden highways, waystations, and other navigational features tracked by the rest of the animal kingdom. This book is the map key to a wondrous reality you never knew existed.”
—Peter Stark, New York Times bestselling author of Astoria and The Last Empty Places
About the Author
Ryan Huling is a senior writer at The Good Food Institute APAC—Asia’s leading alternative protein think tank—where he and his colleagues leverage science and technology to reduce the impacts of the global food system on our fellow animals.
He previously served as an international expert on sustainable food systems at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations—the UN’s top authority on food policy. He also worked at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)—the world’s largest animal rights organization—for more than a decade, where he oversaw grassroots campaigns, represented PETA in national media interviews, and created student advocacy networks on multiple continents. A restless adventurer, he has traveled to more than 50 countries, including Bhutan, Myanmar, Cuba, Egypt, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, and Zambia.
Huling has appeared on CNN and Fox Business Network, and his work has been featured by hundreds of media outlets, including The New York Times, NBC News, and Time. His opinion columns have also been published in Nature, Wired, USA Today, The Nikkei, and the South China Morning Post.
He lives in Sierra Madre, California, with his wife, Meghan, daughter, Nellie, and dog, Pearl.
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