They grieve and they deceive, they are empathetic, often learning and communicating at a high level. They experience joy and frustration - and the reactions that their bodies and brains exhibit are the same as those in humans: We are talking about mammals, our close relatives. What actually distinguishes us humans from them? And what can we learn from them? This is explained by Norbert Sachser, a pioneer of German behavioral biology. He presents not only his own significant research but also the latest state of knowledge overall. We learn more about how dogs show empathy, how mice escape Alzheimer’s, how guinea pigs avoid social stress, and the remarkable cognitive and emotional abilities of great apes, elephants, and dolphins. We also learn why chimpanzees wage wars and why lions kill the offspring of their rivals.