maggietokudahall's review against another edition
4.0
Super fascinating, but maybe suffers from being a few years old?
slangston10's review against another edition
4.0
LOVED this; 4 stars because I wish she had gone more in depth. She hinted at honeybees 3-4 times, but never talked about them, for example. But I loved this book.
librarianelizabeth's review
informative
4.0
I read the audiobook, and I don't know how to add edition information.
sawyerbell's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating look at the cognitive and emotional lives of our fellow beings.
mdelaney_'s review against another edition
3.0
3 and a half stars. Very good scientific book about animal cognition. The author Virginia Morell came to Roanoke college to talk about her book my junior/senior year (can’t remember). Overall a great book that makes you think about animals scientifically. She joins and travels all over the world to talk to many scientists about their research on many different species. She starts with ants and works her way up to larger animals. Overall a very good read if you want to read something true and thought provoking.
thrifty_librarian's review against another edition
5.0
Morell traveled around the world meeting with scientists who study the behaviors, capabilities and social lives of animals. She chronicled the way in which these individuals measure animals’ abilities and what that says about their inner lives. Much of humanity has long believed that humans are so unique that all that makes them part of the animal kingdom is their distant relation to primates. Morell shows that our relationship with animals is far from distant, and that whether we choose to admit it or not, we are not the only animals capable of logic, social relationships, and genuine awareness of the world.
I am constantly frustrated by people who claim to love animals but treat them as though they are robots, things that react to instinct or programming but have no feelings or thoughts. We as humans think we are superior in every possible way and eschew the idea that other animals use their brains for more than firing their muscles.
As this book shows, most animals have friends. They all have enemies. Many have plans for the future and are capable of other kinds of higher thinking. I loved learning how ants teach each other to get to their new home; how dolphins in the wild save whales (and humans!) from predators; and how those in the wild trick their trainers into giving them extra treats. Perhaps my favorite was the parrot who spoke a ton of English, knew how to distinguish between colors and shapes and, frustrated, would yell at the parrots who weren’t quite as quick on the uptake.
This book is well-researched and well-written. It’s full of fun anecdotes, as well as scientific studies. I think all people would find at least one chapter to enjoy, and those with open minds and hearts will feel even more compassion for and connection with the other animals in our world.
I am constantly frustrated by people who claim to love animals but treat them as though they are robots, things that react to instinct or programming but have no feelings or thoughts. We as humans think we are superior in every possible way and eschew the idea that other animals use their brains for more than firing their muscles.
As this book shows, most animals have friends. They all have enemies. Many have plans for the future and are capable of other kinds of higher thinking. I loved learning how ants teach each other to get to their new home; how dolphins in the wild save whales (and humans!) from predators; and how those in the wild trick their trainers into giving them extra treats. Perhaps my favorite was the parrot who spoke a ton of English, knew how to distinguish between colors and shapes and, frustrated, would yell at the parrots who weren’t quite as quick on the uptake.
This book is well-researched and well-written. It’s full of fun anecdotes, as well as scientific studies. I think all people would find at least one chapter to enjoy, and those with open minds and hearts will feel even more compassion for and connection with the other animals in our world.
barrysweezey's review against another edition
Ants, fish, birds, rats, elephants, dolphins, chimpanzees, wolves, and dogs: they all seem to understand their world to a certain extent, have feelings and desires, make decisions, and follow their plans.
angiediane's review against another edition
Technically, I didn't finish this book (thus the shelf). I have been trying to read it for two months, and I give up. While in theory I can agree with some of the concepts presented in the book, the ways that she tries to "prove" animal emotions are...unscientific. Behaviors are observable; emotions by their very nature are not. Perhaps I'll give it another try down the road.