Many animals have extraordinary abilities: for example, a starry mole has hypersensitive processes on its face that help instantly find prey, and an electric eel paralyzes the victim with a shock of current. Biologist Kenneth Catania talks about some of nature's most amazing creatures. It sheds light on the mysterious and eerie behavior of tentacled snakes, tiny shrews, emerald wasps and other animals, and shows how studying the strangest creatures provides insight into evolution and how scientific discoveries can be accompanied by adventure and fun. Catania explains why the starfish needs such strange processes on the face and what this tells us about the work of the brain as a whole. It shows how a tentacled snake resorts to guile, causing fish to swim directly into its mouth, how an electric eel uses electricity to "remotely control" other animals, and how emerald wasps zombify cockroaches. He solves the mystery of the "worm spell" (a traditional way to lure earthworms out of the soil) by joining forces with professional charmers. Catania talks about the importance of an unbiased approach to scientific research, pays tribute to the contribution of amateur scientists and explains that most animals actually have incredible hidden abilities. This book is an exciting immersion in the grandiose ideas of nature.