James O’Hanlon Liars, Cheats, and Copycats review and information book on Trickery and Deception in Nature. Columbia University Press will publish the book on world’s most dastardly animals, who lie, cheat, and deceive for a living, written by James O’Hanlon, the science writer, on October 13, 2026. Here you can read information about the content of the book, the author and the publication.
James O’Hanlon Liars, Cheats, and Copycats reviews and information
Whenever a review of Liars, Cheats, and Copycats, Trickery and Deception in Nature, written by James O’Hanlon, appears in the media, we’ll highlight it on this page.
- “O’Hanlon provides an accessible introduction to how camouflage and signal adaptations in animals and plants can deceive receivers. Liars, Cheats, and Copycats enables a wide audience to engage with several of the coolest and most bizarre natural phenomena that have been investigated by sensory biologists and ecologists.” (William Allen, Swansea University)
Liars, Cheats, and Copycats
Trickery and Deception in Nature
- Author: James O’Hanlon
- Book type: animal behaviour book, nature book
- Publisher: Columbia University Press
- To be released: October 1, 2026
- Length: 240 pages
- Format: paperback / ebook
- Prize: $ 26.00
- Buying options >
Blurb of the James O’Hanlon book on trickery and deception in nature
Meet some of the world’s most dastardly creatures, who lie, cheat, and deceive for a living.
There’s the deadly praying mantis that looks like an innocent pink flower. The assassin bug that strums spider webs to lure in a tasty snack. The cuttlefish that changes color to hide its romantic intentions.
To understand how these creatures swindle their way to survival, Liars, Cheats, and Copycats reveals the science behind camouflage, mimicry, and masquerade. Taking readers on a journey from tropical rainforests to the darkness of deep ocean trenches, James O’Hanlon explores how animals and plants use deception to avoid predators, lure in prey, and even reproduce.
From creatures that disappear in front of your eyes to ones that misdirect their foes like masterful magicians, this book exposes the endless ways that animals can survive through breathtaking trickery—and illuminates the evolution of these widespread strategies.
James O’Hanlon is an award-winning science communicator. He has published more than thirty academic papers, and his popular science writing has appeared in ABC News (Australia), Australian Geographic, The Conversation, and Biosphere Magazine. He is the author of Eight-Legged Wonders: The Surprising Lives of Spiders (2024).