Sloths: A Celebration of the World’s Most Misunderstood Mammal

By William Hartston

A wonderfully entertaining celebration of that most unique of creatures: the sloth.

In public estimation, sloths have undergone an astonishing transformation in the course of the past few years. Thanks largely to YouTube clips posted by the sloth orphanage in Costa Rica, sloths have attracted a vast audience of admirers. Instead of seeing them as ridiculous anachronisms of which we know little, they have turned into creatures considered by many to be the most endearing on earth.

Over much the same period, scientific investigations have also changed our view of sloths. No longer are they seen as total misfits in the modern world but, in the words of one specialist sloth investigator, they are 'masters of an alternative lifestyle'.

In this wonderfully entertaining celebration of this most unique of creatures, William Hartston reveals the fascinating history of the sloth, from the prehistoric ground sloth to modern pygmy sloths in Panama, explores the current state of the science of sloths and reveals the truth behind sloth behaviour.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Atlantic Books
• Release date: Oct 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781786494245

Reviews for Sloths

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

nonfiction/history of behaviors of sloths
I'm all for sloths, and nonfiction, and even nonfiction history, but the first 1/3 of the book (3-4 chapters) was SO BORING. This is less a "Celebration" than just a dull recounting of the author's research. One assumes that the later chapters about sloth behavior would be more interesting, but unfortunately I was so unimpressed that I didn't care to continue.

[spaceowl_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fine, funny survey of the beast I consider my spirit animal. Not academically rigorous by any means, just a good fun read that blows away a lot of myths about this much maligned mammal.Remember, in (almost) the word of the great Ze Frank, 'If you're having a stressful day, consider the Sloth. It hasn't done anything for 20 million years and it isn't extinct'.