In every corner of the world and throughout history, animals have left an indelible mark on mankind.
Laika’s Last Heartbeat is an impressive collection of biographies and motivating stories that transport us from the far reaches of space to the battlefields guided by their protagonists: Faithful, intelligent, brave, fierce, fearsome and legendary animals. This book, through twelve captivating chapters, reveals the amazing lives of countless animals that transcended their nature to become true legends. Those who accompanied scientists and explorers in their discoveries or those who became icons of popular culture because of their rarity: the first cosmonaut dog, who became the symbol of an era; Napoleon’s famous horses; Snowflake, the albino gorilla who charmed the world with his unique beauty; Kanzi, the bonobo who demonstrated animals’ ability to communicate; Tama, the cat who saved a railway station; Stubby, the World War I hero dog; Paul, the fortune-telling octopus who captured the world’s attention with his curious predictions, making us learn about cephalopods as never before... and many others.

Eugenio Manuel Fernández Aguilar holds a degree in Physics from the University of Seville. As a writer, he focuses on the curiosities and history of science. He is the author of several biographies, Eso no estaba en mi libro de historia de la ciencia (Guadalmazán, 2018) and La navaja de Einstein y otras historias extraordinarias sobre rocas y minerales (Guadalmazán, 2022). He has also participated as author and coordinator in several textbook publishing houses, such as Algaida, Edebé and SM. Since June 2024 he has been the director of Muy Interesante Digital. He is a consulting editor at Editorial Pinolia