About book Animal Wise: The Thoughts And Emotions Of Our Fellow Creatures (2013)
As a summary of research into the intelligence and emotions of a whole range of species - from ants to whales and dolphins - this book is a bit one-over-lightly at times - but on the other hand, it's also a very readable introduction to a fascinating topic. It was a shame octopi were relegated to a couple of footnotes, though - they are both intelligent and fascinating. (If you're not a fan of octopi, give this book an extra half-star.) Animal Wise Written by a Wise Animal (Some spoilers) Humans are animals. Yet we don’t really perceive ourselves the same way as we do animals. We think of animals as either beings that don’t use their brains except for simple functions of life, or that their though processes aren’t very highly advanced. In Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures, Virginia Morell, an animal scientist, takes the reader on a journey across the world’s laboratories to prove the above two thoughts wrong. In fact, after reading this book, I strongly believe that your perception on animals will change as well. Animals have very complex though processes, and the way in which they interact with humans is very important as well. From the very interesting facts, such as that rats enjoy being tickled and that dogs have vocabularies of over one thousand words, to the simple reality that humans as we know it today cannot survive without the thoughts of the animals around us, animals today are very fascinating and vital today. Morell teaches us not only the importance and why we study them, but exactly how they come into contact with us as humans. It’s really a truth to behold once you start unfolding the wrapped facts that have always been present around us. Moreover, these facts are shown through hard evidence. You don’t have to believe in evolution to understand that animals have adapted to survive the environment around them, and thought processes are tantamount to that survival. But through experiments, Morell shows the reader that these findings are very real. On page 50, for instance, she writes, “‘Intelligent circuitry can be assembled in any brain, that's my big belief,’ Schuster said, where he did several of his archerfish studies. (He's since moved to Bayreuth.) ‘It's not limited to those animals with large brains and many neurons," he said. "If evolution requires it [this kind of intelligent circuitry], it will be assembled--even with a small number of neurons.’” Therefore, I highly recommend that you give this book a read. Because of the interesting information that it provides, the great insight that it teaches its readers, and the overall fascinating wonders of the animals that we see every day around us, I believe that this book is a valuable teaching tool that is not only informative, but eye-opening and entertaining. Enjoy reading!
Do You like book Animal Wise: The Thoughts And Emotions Of Our Fellow Creatures (2013)?
Ugh...now I feel like I can't even eat fish....Beautifully written and very informative book.
—rdemarcaida
It was not at all like I thought it would be. Too much on how they tested the dogs.
—Mikyelah
Want to be amazed by animal cognition? Read this book!
—mek
