A PERFECT HARMONY: The Intertwining Lives of Animals and Humans Throughout History [Hardcover]

Roger A. Caras (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 8, 1996

What would the world be like without animals? This is the first question Caras poses in this study, which shows how the domestication of animals transformed the entire course of civilization. Through the prism of history, anthropology and personal experience, Caras explores the principle domestic species, both familiar and exotic, and their monumental impact on human affairs. The domestication of sheep and goats enabled wandering tribes to settle and develop agriculture and technology; the camel, once domesticated, enabled caravans to travel to the Orient, leading the first cultural exchanges between the East and West; throughout history, the dog has been at man's side, as hunter, herder and guard - and as faithful and loving companion.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Caras views humanity's ascent from Stone Age hunter-gatherers to modern apartment-dwelling cat- and dog-owners as inextricably woven with animals. As beasts of burden, means of transport, protein source, animals made possible agricultural surpluses, triggered cultural cross-pollination, facilitated the invention of wheeled vehicles, roads, languages. Moreover, our intense personal interaction with animals refined human emotions. Sheep breeding in Mesopotamia, reindeer as spiritual companions to Norse shamans, pet dogs in ancient Greece and Japan, swan-keeping in 10th-century Britain and diverse cultures' relationships with birds, horses, camels, cows, goats, fish, bees, elephants, ferrets and other creatures are elucidated as bestselling animal authority Caras, president of the ASPCA, skillfully blends history, zoology, folklore and anecdote. He writes with deep reverence for the animal kingdom, and this delightful, enlightening book, beautifully illustrated with sensitive, detailed drawings, will enhance one's perception of history, the human species and the sentient creatures with whom we share the planet.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Humanity's relationship with animals both domestic and wild is a topic not often discussed as a part of history. It is a vital aspect of human history, however, as the domestication of animals had a monumental impact on human affairs, making much of human progress possible-exploration, travel, agriculture, and the birth of industry. Caras is the current president of the ASPCA as well as a prolific author of articles and books on pets and wildlife. Here he offers a unique, and sometimes surprising, discussion of our continuing life with animals. Devoting each chapter to a particular species-goats, sheep, dogs, cattle, elephants, etc.-he introduces the reader to the unique characteristics of each species and gives a brief history of its development. The book is well written and researched and is logically organized. As there is little literature on this topic, A Perfect Harmony will be of interest both to curious lay readers and scholars in the field.
Deborah Emerson, Monroe Community Coll., Rochester, N.Y.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (October 8, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684811006
• ISBN-13: 978-0684811000
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,868,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Strong, comprehensive book, October 27, 2004

By 

Matt Hetling "Matt" (Bethel, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Perfect Harmony (Paperback)

Summary: A history book that tries to measure the facts related to animal domestication, and also speculates on where people would be without their animal companions. The book's main premise is that the domestication of animals was a necessary stepping-stone to civilization, giving early man the ability to transport themselves and possessions for long distances, and also providing enough meat to take man beyond a hand-to-mouth existence. The book covers animals including horses, cows, pigs, reindeer, sheep, goats, chickens, bees, silkworms, dogs, elephants, cats, turkeys, geese, swans, ducks, rabbits, pigeons, rats, mice, camels, and, as they say, much, much more.

The Good and the Bad:
This book has a premise that I find interesting: a look at the history of mankind through a specific focus. The weaknesses of the book are that the argument that people couldn't have gotten anywhere without animals is kind of at once obvious and unproven. Surely, having animals made things significantly easier, but it's difficult to say that civilization wouldn't have gotten going eventually anyhow. The book is also kind of redundant, because so many of the animals have such a similar history and impact that in some ways, reading about sheep makes reading about goats much less interesting. Also, in many of the cases, there is simply very little known about the domestication process, leaving many gaps to be filled with speculation. On the positive side, there were so many interesting facts that some sections of the book were nothing less than fascinating. Caras does a good job of bringing home again and again how a relationship that we've taken for granted happened only with great effort, and a significant sacrifice on the part of early man and the animals in question.
What I learned:
Reindeer are weird animals, hunting lemmings and eating human urine. Cows are descended from Aurochs, which were three times the size of the cattle we breed today. There are probably no wild horses left in the world, with the possible exception of the outer limits of Siberia. The black rat was responsible for the black plague, but was supplanted by the brown rat that we know today. The definition of domestication that he works with involves the breeding of wild stock to produce favorable traits that make the separate gene pools measurably different.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended for all animal rights activists, December 8, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Perfect Harmony: The Intertwining Lives of Animals and Humans Throughout History (Paperback)

A Perfect Harmony: The Intertwining Lives Of Animals And Humans throughout History by animal expert and author Roger A. Caras is a fascinating, informative, and enlightening look at how domesticating animals forever changed human history and created the fundamental basis (along with agriculture) for the rise of human civilization. From pastoral livestock, to burden bearers, to controlled, fostered, and protected resources for hunters, animals have served human needs for thousands of years, and so helped shape the world as we know it today. Illustrated with black-and-white artwork, A Perfect Harmony offers a wealth of detail in a thoroughly "reader friendly" text which is very highly recommended for all animal rights activists and wildlife/animal companion enthusiasts interested in learning more about man's interdependence upon our domesticated livestock.

0 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I'd forgotten I bought this, October 30, 2007

By 

Keith A. Cummins (Auburn University, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Perfect Harmony: The Intertwining Lives of Animals and Humans Throughout History (Paperback)

Forgettable. I am a Professor of Animal Science who teaches animal behavior andI forgot I bought this book. I read it, and got rid of it. Not that memorable.