Sixty bizarre and beautiful marine creatures offer their best tips for self-confidence, serenity, and fulfillment-drawn from real-life facts about our fascinating natural world. If you sometimes wish to simply sink back into the depths of the ocean, great news-the strange little guys who still live down there will receive you with open arms (and fins, claws, and tentacles). But if you're not quite ready to take to the sea, they've also got some solid advice for those cursed to live on solid ground. In Leaving the Ocean Was a Mistake, Earth's weirdest sea creatures offer their favorite tips for improving your life on land. Get to know these friendly denizens of the deep:

• The star tunicate, who avoids anxiety-by digesting its own brain
• The gloomy octopus, who asserts its boundaries-by throwing dirt at anyone who bothers it
• The fire-breathing shrimp, who gets its feelings out-by vomiting bioluminescent goo
• The deep-sea anglerfish, who expresses love-by fusing with its mate
• And more wonderfully wacky undersea weirdos who really know how to live!

Cara Giaimo is a science journalist who loves writing about our fellow species. You can find her work in the New York Times, Atlas Obscura, The Plant, and elsewhere. Cara lives in Somerville, MA, above sea level.

Vlad Stankovic is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Sydney, Australia.