Why It's So Hard to Think Straight About Animals
Combining the boundless intellect of Malcolm Gladwell with the irreverent humor of Mary Roach and the paradigm-shifting analysis of Jared Diamond, a leading scientist offers an unprecedented look inside our complex and often paradoxical relationships with animals.
July 26, 2010
How rational are we in our relationship with animals? A puppy, after all, is "a family member in Kansas, a pariah in Kenya, and lunch in Korea". An animal behaviorist turned one of the world's foremost authorities on human-animal relations, Herzog shows us, in this readable study, how whimsical our attitudes can be. Why do we like some animals but not others? One answer seems to be that babylike features like big eyes bring out our parental and protective urges. (PETA has started a campaign against fishing called "Save the Sea Kittens)." Research has shown that the human brain is wired to think about animals and inanimate objects differently, and Herzog reveals how we can look at the exact same animal very differently given its context—most Americans regard cockfighting as cruel but think nothing of eating chicken, when in reality gamecocks are treated very well when they are not fighting, and most poultry headed for the table lead short, miserable lives and are killed quite painfully. An intelligent and amusing book that invites us to think deeply about how we define—and where we limit—our empathy for animals.
October 25, 2010
Mel Foster delivers a lively performance of Herzog's exploration of human-animal relationships. Based on his biomedical research and the study of anthrozoology, Herzog investigates everything from animal rights activists to factory farming in an effort to better understand the way we relate to animals and to determine what these relationships reveal about the human experience. Foster's narration is straightforward and well paced; he both elucidates complex scientific concepts and entertains with renderings of real-life—and often comedic—animal anecdotes. Perhaps more importantly, Foster's narration is objective; he manages to bring fairness and balance to the controversial subject of animal rights. Never preachy, never divisive, Foster produces an audiobook that will appeal to all listeners, be they committed vegans or enthusiastic big game hunters. A Harper hardcover (Reviews, July 26).