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To me, this book was a perfect blend of science and compassion.two "unlikely" bed-partners. Truly eye-opening, interesting, and an inspiring vision of the creatures with whom we share God's earth.
"The Emotional Lives of Animals" is for the semi-casual reader, not the researcher. His sources range from youTube videos to the most obscure technical journals, and his "anecdotal evidence" comes with the authority of a trained observer consulting a community of colleagues.I would have preferred a longer book, but that is to miss the purpose of this one.
It's easy for the unsympathetic or cynical to dismiss the "When Elephants Weep" genre as sentimental and unscientific. One of the powerful things about Mark Bekoff's books is his professional status as card-carrying scientific researcher.
True, but the text stops on page 168, and the rest, nearly a third of the book, is notes and bibliography. Bekoff can't be dismissed, and he doesn't go quietly.
Amazon indicates the book is 240 pages long. The reader looking for in-depth discussion of the information and ideas Bekoff covers can consult the daunting bibliography.
Its purpose is to sway public opinion, not introduce the study of animal sentience.
He supports his treatise on animal emotions with current brain and genetic research, and makes the science accessible and understandable to all two-legged animals who share their lives with the four-legged variety. For animal lovers, this book preaches to the choir. But Marc Bekoff says it with such eloquence. His description of animal research in laboratories can be a bit graphic but illustrates with compassion the urgent need to address the way we think about animals, and our obligation to foster humane treatment and loving care. This is truly an enjoyable and informative read.
You've probably acknowledged from other reviews what Beckoff is writing about and how he goes about it, but I would not recommend this book.Truly, it's been a year since I read it, and I don't feel any different.Other than convince some invisible audience that animals do in fact have emotions that are susceptible to anthropomorphism, "The Emotional Lives of Animals" is unemotional and not very lively.
This is an excellent book for everyone. If you've ever wondered whether animals feel, love or have other emotions like us, then you will learn much from reading The Emotional Lives of Animals:.
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