Most Helpful Customer Reviews
86 of 87 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For the first time in a long time, I wept as I read., May 10, 2000
I stumbled upon this book on accident. As an animal lover, it looked appealing to me though I expected it to be a generic, feel-good read. I was quite surprised! When I read the information that Kowalski had compiled, I cried. The chapters explore our questions on just how perceptive and emotional animals are. Do they feel a sense of love? Are they aware of death? Why do they play? When I read the stories that the author relates, such as the family of elephants who buried the dead and Koko the female lowland gorilla who learned American Sign Language, I was deeply moved. I had not purchased this book planning a lifestyle change but that is precisely what happened. Knowing what I do now about the intelligence and passion of animals, I am a vegetarian, living a happier, healthier life.
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39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must Read, September 20, 1999
A very caring look at the the world we live in. A classic book on animal spirituality Gary regales us with tales of the lives of some of the creatures with which we share the planet. He ponders and causes us to stop and give thought as well on various qualities of animals. He details and presents instances of playfulness, capacity for love, altruism, and awareness of death, in our animal brethren. Gary is a Unitarian minister and in his book, he teaches us to be more open to the possibility of our biological, cerebral, and ethereal connection with animals Leslie Blanchard Editor A Writer's Choice Literary Journal
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33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
serious and sensitive reflections on animals' inner lives, February 5, 1999
By A Customer
Gary Kowalski is a Unitarian minister in Burlington, Vermont whose thinking and writing about animals and their spiritual lives is clear and powerful. To questions such as "Do Animals Experience Love?, "Are Animals Aware of Death?", Are Animals Conscious of Themselves?", "Do Animals Know Right From Wrong?" and "Do Animals Have Souls" Kowalski brings a rare blend of careful observation, personal insights, scientific understanding, and moral sensitivity. The Souls of Animals is a book that, chapter by chapter, teaches us to be more open to the possibility of our biological, psychological, and spiritual kinship with animals. In a university course that I teach on animal ethics students and I found this book provided a perspective and a "voice" that, too often, is discounted or neglected in ethical analyses and debates about humans' relationships and uses of animals. This book is pleasure to read and to think about.
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