Minds Of Their Own: Thinking And Awareness In Animals [Paperback]

Lesley J Rogers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1998 | ISBN-10: 0813390656 | ISBN-13: 978-0813390659 0

Do Animals have ideas? Do they experience pain like humans? Do they think about objects that they cannot see? About situations that have occurred in the past? Do they consciously make plans for the future or do they simply react unthinkingly to objects as they appear and situations as they arise? All of these questions have bearing on whether or not animals have consciousness. The advent of computers that ”think” has lead us to consider “intelligence” in a way we never thought possible a decade ago. But when and how does information processing in the brain become automatic?In Minds of Their Own, Lesley J. Rogers examines the issue of animal thought both sympathetically and critically by looking at the different behavior characteristics of a variety of animals, the evolution of the brain and when consciousness might have evolved. To most people, to be conscious means to be aware of oneself as well as to be aware of others. But does this hold true for animals? The answer may have implications which transcend mere scientific inquiry: if animals are cognizant creatures, what, if any, moral responsibility do humans have to assure their rights? This timely book examines this issue and others by emphasizing comparisons between humans and animals: how we evolved; how we remember; how we learn.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A useful, concise introduction to animal thinking and consciousness.... A valuable addition." -- Choice

From the Back Cover

Do animals have ideas and do they think about objects that they cannot see or about situations that have occurred in the past? Do they consciously make plans for the future or do they simply react unthinkingly to objects as they appear and to situations as they arise? Are animals aware of themselves and of others or is this an ability unique to humans? Minds of Their Own addresses these questions by looking at the different behaviour characteristics of a variety of animals, the evolution of the brain and when consciousness might have evolved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press (July 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813390656
• ISBN-13: 978-0813390659
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,785 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Zoology > Animal Psychology

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best book in a disappointing genre, June 13, 2000

By 

Andrew N. Carpenter "philosopher" (Westminster, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Minds Of Their Own: Thinking And Awareness In Animals (Paperback)

In a marketplace crowded with texts popularizing recent research in animal cognition, the sophistication, lack of defensiveness, and engaging liveliness of this short book stands out.

Rogers generally avoids a shallow recitation of "gee-whiz" animal anecdotes and instead provides careful discussion and analysis of a few crucial case studies about animal minds. She is well aware that the evidence garnered so far is not conclusive, and she offers many helpful suggestions for new scientific experiments.

Rogers' notable successes include her discussion of brain evolution and the facinating "mirror studies" that tried to demonstrate animal self-awareness. Notable failures include the unsophisticated and dogmatic survey of so,me relevant philosophical issues in her first chapter.

Rogers book is among the best in a farly weak genre. Readers looking for a somewhat sophisticated general review of cognitive ethology would do well to select Rogers instead of the disappointing contributions by Masson, Griffin, and others. However, readers seeking for greater depth and sophistication should bypass this genre altogether and sample the more techincal works of, for example, Colin Allen and Mark Bekoff.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting, but an author who belabors her points., January 1, 2002

By 

algo41 "algo41" (philadelphia, pa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Minds Of Their Own: Thinking And Awareness In Animals (Paperback)

There is a lot of very interesting material, reasonably well organized. Rogers, a researcher herself, seems to be aware of all the pertinent research, not only in animal intelligence, but in all the related areas: neuro-biology, anthropology, child developmental psychology and evolution. She takes great pride in her objectivity and care as a scientist, without being afraid to express personal beliefs, clearly labeled. Her style leaves something to be desired. She fears the reader will "unscientifically" draw unsubstantiated conclusions, and addresses this by constant repetition of more or less the same warnings. Surprisingly, a number of birds seem to be as intelligent as primates, and even domesticated chickens are fairly intelligent, not withstanding that birds don't have a neo-cortex, and must keep brain size small because of weight considerations.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well rounded, informative and interesting, March 27, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Minds Of Their Own: Thinking And Awareness In Animals (Paperback)

Leslie Rogers writes a very comprehensive and well documented book. As a researcher in dolphin minds and well-being, this book highlighted not only ways to look at the controversal issue of animal consciousness, but also suggested 'gaps' in the research and directions we should be headed. It covers areas of traditional animal research and the strengths and weaknesses of these, looks into leading edge research and presents all of this is a way that is easy to read and hard to put down. I find Leslie Rogers to be an inspiration. Anyone interested in animal thinking and awareness, at any level will find alot in this book as it covers intelligence, consciousness, evolution, how the environment effects the physical body and visa versa, as well as many examples of animals that do not seem to fit the 'stereotyped' mould science has so far created for them.