Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite

J.P. Taylor’s The Story Behind the Eyes: Exploring the Interdependence of All Living Things tells readers that life on Earth survives through dependence, not independence. Taylor believes people have trained themselves to see all other life as separate pieces of existence when they actually function as one connected system, where the loss of one part damages everything attached to it. The focus on eyes matters because the author uses animal vision to show that every species experiences the world according to the conditions required for its survival. An eagle sees prey from miles away because it survives through hunting over enormous distances. An octopus changes instantly between darkness and bright water because it lives between a hidden shelter and open exposure. A dragonfly processes movement from nearly every direction because its survival depends upon reacting faster than nearby predators or prey. Taylor uses these examples to argue that humans have mistaken dominance for separation, even though human survival still depends upon the same fragile environmental systems sustaining every other living creature.

J.P. Taylor’s The Story Behind the Eyes caught me a little off guard at first, because the cover was a tiny bit scary for me. Having read the book, I can now see the beauty of it, which is a real testament to the quality of the work. What makes this book special and important right now is how the author effectively transforms environmental damage from an abstract political argument into a visible biological chain reaction. Taylor links rising ocean temperatures to coral reef damage and declining bee populations to food scarcity. The writing style is accessible and appropriate for all readers, and even my tween was able to take a lot of it in. There are full-color photographs, and everything discussed is founded on authentic wildlife biology research and published scientific findings. One case study even included laboratory experiments measuring how flowers react to sound. Now that is cool! Readers interested in understanding how environmental systems influence ordinary human life will love this book, as will readers curious about the biological connections linking survival across the whole of the natural world. Very highly recommended.