40 Weeks
- Author Anna Blix
- Narrator Nathalie Buscombe
- Publisher Quercus
- Run Time 6 hours and 12 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Biography and non-fiction prose, Ethology and animal behaviour, Evolution, Family and health, Memoirs, Pregnancy, birth and baby care: advice and issues, Zoology and animal sciences, Zoology: invertebrates, Zoology: mammals (mammalogy), Zoology: marine and freshwater mammals, Zoology: primates (primatology).
Click to open directly in the xigxag app.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price p/Title
- £7.99
- £6.99
- £5.99
- £4.99
- £3.99
Listen to a sample
What to expect
It takes 40 weeks to grow a human baby.
And the relationship between a foetus and a pregnant woman is a little like that of a parasite and its host. One takes and takes, while the other continues to give, risking their health in the process.
Is there a better way?
The Komodo dragon can reproduce via pathogenesis - fertilising its own eggs, so no male is needed.
The Surinam toad harbours live babies in craters under its skin - until they're ready to burst out into the world.
And the hyena . . . Well, best not mention the hyena . . .
Anna Blix takes the reader on a fascinating journey through her own pregnancy, introducing us in each of the 40 weeks to other creatures who have just delivered their next generation into the world.
This fun, informative and personable book provides evolutionary comfort throughout the long haul of pregnancy, and an explanation as to how we ended up here: as the smartest species with a tiresome, but perhaps not so bad way to reproduce. It could always be worse. Just ask the hyena.
Translated from the Norwegian by Nicola Smalley
Critics Review
A compulsively interesting and original treatise, combining deeply personal testimony with scientific exactness. Blix takes us on a clear-eyed journey through some intriguing territory; an intellectual and literary delight!
Reproduction varies wildly across the animal kingdom, and Anna Blix delivers a fascinating and insightful comparison to the complexities of her own, human pregnancy
A winner. I doubt I’ll have the pleasure of reading anything better this year
Highly entertaining and educational . . . A joy to read . . . Blix is a master at making complex science understandable to regular people
There is no better literature than great non-fiction . . . The most amazing stories about mating, pregnancy, gender and sexuality
More from the same
About xigxag
Enjoy the best audiobooks on xigxag, an innovative, user-friendly audiobook platform that makes it easy to find, purchase, and enjoy your favorite books in audio format. xigxag’s flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less – affordable prices and the best audiobook deals with no subscription required. Give the perfect gift with our audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.
xigxag’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices ensures a guilt-free listening experience from an exceptional digital book platform – an exciting alternative to big tech. Enjoy audiobooks from the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service and a leader in audiobook innovation.
Search effortlessly, read honest audiobook reviews evaluating both the book and the narration, and discover hidden gems. Download or stream top audiobook titles anytime, anywhere and get the best possible listening experience on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Experience the future of audiobooks today.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.