Zazie and Kristi are joined by zoologist Dr. Jo Wimpenny to talk about her book, Aesop’s Animals: The Science Behind the Fables, which is out now in paperback.In this episode of The Pawsitive Post in Conversation, Zazie and Kristi are joined by zoologist and writer Dr. Jo Wimpenny to talk about her book Aesop’s Animals: The Science Behind the Fables. We talk about the history of Aesop’s fables and the role they still play in society today, before moving on to wonder whether there is a grain of truth in them when it comes to animal behaviour.We consider some of the most popular fables. Are crows really as clever as Aesop suggested? Why are wolves always the villain? Do dogs recognize their shadow? And what is the yellow snow test all about?We also talk about the difference between what the fable says on the surface, and what happens when you really dig deep into the question—the ant and the grasshopper is the fable that comes to mind here.In Wimpenny’s book, the animals are the characters in their own stories. We talk about writing about animals and the importance of discussing myths.And, of course, we talk about the books we’re reading. This episode, we recommend:Bitch: On the Female of the Species by Lucy Cooke.Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman.Surfacing by Kathleen Jamie.Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande.Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer’s Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book by Courtney Maum. About Dr. Jo Wimpenny:Dr. Jo Wimpenny is a zoologist and writer, with a research background in animal behaviour and the history of science. She studied Zoology at the University of Bristol, and went on to research problem-solving in crows for her DPhil at Oxford University. After postdoctoral research on the history of ornithology at Sheffield, she co-authored the book Ten Thousand Birds: Ornithology Since Darwin with Tim Birkhead and Bob Montgomerie, which won the 2015 PROSE award for History of Science, Medicine and Technology. And she’s the author of the wonderful book, Aesop’s Animals: The Science Behind the Fables, which is out now in paperback.Follow Dr. Jo Wimpenny:Substack: https://jowimpenny.substack.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoWimpenny