Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth’s Extinct Worlds (Random House, $28) by Thomas Halliday travels back in time to Earth’s past — beginning with the most recent period, the Miocene, and progressing backwards until the very earliest, the Ediacaran. This magnificent debut is vivid, funny and well-researched. Otherlands is an intricate analysis of our planet’s interconnected past.

Murder in the Bylanes: Life and Death in a Divided City (Bloomsbury, Rs 499) by Aloke Lal and Maanas Lal is a first-person account of the rupture in the pluralistic fabric of India after the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Aloke Lal, who was posted in Kanpur as the deputy-inspector general just after the demolition, offers a glimpse into the world of those tasked with keeping law and order in a city teetering on the edge of communal violence. The book captures lived experiences that are rooted in a moment of historical importance, blurring the line between the personal and the political.

The Social Lives of Animals (Basic, $30) by Ashley Ward explores the many ways in which animals, like humans, hate to be alone. Ward is cautious about ascribing emotions or motivations to the creatures he studies, even in tear-jerking anecdotes about how elephants and wolves appear to mourn.