Wolf Within

The evolution of dogs and the forces that drove its amazing transformation from a fierce wild carnivore, the wolf, to the astonishing range of comparatively docile domesticated dogs that we know today.

Reviews

Praise for The Wolf Within:
‘Fascinating’ The Times
‘Bryan Sykes belongs to the elite band of geneticists who can make their dizzying science at least partially clear to the layman’ Literary Review
‘Scientifically inclined dog lovers will find this a trove of information and provocation’ Kirkus Reviews
‘Rich with details about how humans have studied and shaped dog evolution … Sykes also has a gift for rendering complex concepts, such as mitochondrial DNA or genetic microsatellites, accessible to lay readers’ Publishers Weekly
‘Reading this is like having your own personal geneticist explain complex research papers in a way that is both comprehensible and fascinating. Heavily peppered with references to scientific papers that have documented the research on dog genetics, this also serves as a wealth of further reading material. Rich in accessible analogies that deftly explain complex scientific concepts, this is a must-read for anybody who has wondered about the origins of humans’ best friend’ Library Journal
‘In prose both scientific and poetic, geneticist and author Sykes, self-described as “not a dog person” but curious about the parallel evolution of dog and human, takes us through the archaeological, paleontological, behavioral, and genetic evidence pinpointing the transformation of wolf to dog … Woven throughout are possible answers to why humans are so in love with their dogs, making for a warmly engaging popular-science read’ Booklist
Praise for Professor Bryan Sykes:
‘A terrific book, written with humour and humanity’ Sunday Times
‘An engrossing, bubbly read, a boy's own adventure in scientific storytelling that fairly bounces along … a thumping good read’ Observer
‘Sykes's wonderfully clear book should be compulsory reading for politicians … an eye-opening guide to the new branch of science that is changing the human race's view of itself’ Literary Review