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The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy - and Why They Matter (Hardcover)

~ Ph.D. Marc Bekoff (Author), Jane Goodall (Foreword)
Key Phrases: animal sentience, animal emotions, cognitive ethologists, Dalai Lama, Jane Goodall, United States (more...)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If the onus on Emotional Lives of Animals author Marc Bekoff was simply to prove that nonhuman creatures exhibit Charles Darwin's six universal emotions (anger, happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, and surprise), then his book would be very brief. As anyone who has ever had a pet dog, cat, rabbit, or even bird can attest, animals not only possess such emotions but broadcast them clearly and often. Bekoff's goal, however, is much grander: To show that wild and domestic species have a kaleidoscopic range of feelings, from embarrassment to awe, and that we dismiss them not only at their peril but our own. And if an endorsement squib by PETA president Ingrid Newkirk and Foreword by renowned animal scientist Jane Goodall doesn't give it away, then readers quickly learn that Bekoff also has an agenda: showing that using animals for scientific experiments, amusement, food, and the like is reprehensible and unconscionable.

Not that The Emotional Lives of Animals is a polemic. By turns funny, anecdotal, and deeply researched, the book is all the more persuasive because it's so compelling. As Bekoff (professor emeritus of biology at the University of Colorado) points out, "It's bad biology to argue against the existence of animal emotions. Scientific research in evolutionary biology, cognitive ethology, and social neuroscience supports the view that numerous and diverse animals have rich and deep emotional lives. Emotions have evolved as adaptations in numerous species, and they serve as a social glue to bond animals with one another." And with us, as Bekoff argues in this absorbing and important book. -- Kim Hughes --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Any dog owner knows that her own pet has feelings, but what evidence exists beyond the anecdotal, and what does this evidence teach us? Bekoff, professor emeritus of biology at the University of Colorado, pores through decades of animal research-behavioral, neurochemical, psychological and environmental-to answer that question, compelling readers to accept both the existence and significance of animal emotions. Seated in the most primitive structures of the brain (pleasure receptors, for example, are biologically correlative in all mammals), emotions have a long evolutionary history. Indeed, as vertebrates became more complex, they developed ever more complex emotional and social lives, "setting rules" that permit group living-a far better survival strategy than going solo. Along the way, Bekoff forces the reader to re-examine the nature of human beings; our species could not have persevered through the past 100,000 years without the evolution of strong and cohesive social relationships cemented with emotions, a conclusion contrary to contemporary pop sociology notions that prioritize individualism and competition. He also explores, painfully but honestly, the abuse animals regularly withstand in factory farms, research centers and elsewhere, and calls on fellow scientists to practice their discipline with "heart." Demonstrating the far-reaching implications for readers' relationships with any number of living beings, Bekoff's book is profound, thought-provoking and even touching.
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: New World Library; 1 edition (February 9, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1577315022
  • ISBN-13: 978-1577315025
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #464,274 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #39 in  Books > Science > Biological Sciences > Zoology > Animal Psychology

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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
animal sentience, animal emotions, cognitive ethologists, cognitive ethology, emotional enrichment, mirror neurons, play signals
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Dalai Lama, Jane Goodall, United States, Animal Welfare Act, National Zoo, Cynthia Moss, Konrad Lorenz, Little Gullwing, New York Times, Denver Zoo, Grand Teton National Park, Los Angeles Zoo, Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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Customer Reviews

24 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars My dogs say, "Bekoff is right.", May 24, 2007
By J. Branson (Seahurst, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This is an excellent book, and I don't disagree with anything he says. However, he makes much of his case based on anecdotal evidence. He does cite scientific studies, but these are peripheral to the stories. I don't really mind this because I agreed with him before I ever started reading the book, and I enjoyed the stories. If he's looking to persuade people, which I think he should, he might have gone a little heavier on the science and a little lighter on the stories.

Regardless of whether he has proven his case about the emotions of animals, his book gives us one pivotal concept we can rely on: if we don't know for sure, the default assumption should be that animals do have emotions until proven otherwise. To paraphrase: If I assume animals feel pain and pleasure and love, and act accordingly, and then it turns out my assumption was wrong, I will have done no harm. However, if I assume that animals don't have feelings, and then it turns out I was wrong, I may have caused immeasurable damage.
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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fine Ethical Thesis: Touching Stories., September 10, 2007
Do no harm is the essence of this book. It provides colorful insight into the real emotional lives of various animals. The author used a wide variety of sources, & field observations from wildlife biologists. The section on neurobiology were the most interesting for me. The fact that animals share several of our neural structures for emotion came as no surprise to this lay person. I have always felt {& have been bashed plenty for it}, that animals often represent the better half of human nature that we sometimes submerge. Dogs, Reptiles, Monkeys, Rats, Moon Bears, Whales & Elephants are all here. The latter are probably the most fascinating creatures in the book? The authors advocacy for animals was very refreshing to this animal lover. His basic thesis gives us a crucial point, "that if we are not certain about an animals emotions, we should presume that they often feel exactly what we humans do." For that compassionate view I had to up my four star impression to a hearty five.
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Emotional intelligence in animals, April 17, 2007
By J. Madden (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Marc Bekoff's The Emotional Lives of Animals is a wonderful book. I was impressed by the scope and depth of the research underlying the book, and by the way that Bekoff makes scientific data interesting and accessible to a general readership. The writing is lively; Bekoff weaves together stories of animal emotions with scientific data supporting his ideas about animal empathy, fairness, grief, pleasure, joy, and sadness. And his thesis is hardhitting: If animals do indeed live the rich emotional lives that Bekoff describes--and we have every reason to believe they do--then we may, by force of logic, be led to reconsider our moral obligations to them. Bekoff is obviously passionate about his subjects, but never does his writing sound strident. Instead, he uses humor and grace to navigate the controversial terrain of animal welfare.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking Read!
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... Read more
Published 8 months ago by C. Helton

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful Apostasy
One of the powerful things about Mark Bekoff's books is his professional status as card-carrying scientific researcher. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mick McAllister

5.0 out of 5 stars Confirms What We Already Knew
For animal lovers, this book preaches to the choir. But Marc Bekoff says it with such eloquence. He supports his treatise on animal emotions with current brain and genetic... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mike

3.0 out of 5 stars Charming, but Unimpressive
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. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Alex Hall

5.0 out of 5 stars understanding animals
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... Read more
Published 13 months ago by S. Jones

5.0 out of 5 stars the beauty of science
what i adore most about this book is the confirmation of what my instinct has told me since i was a little girl who grew up loving animals: that they Do have feelings, emotions... Read more
Published 14 months ago by donna amatore

5.0 out of 5 stars Chapters draw important connections between animal emotional lives and the purpose behind animal emotions
Any library strong in animal reference studies, will find this an intriguing coverage surveying pet emotions and how they can contribute to better understanding. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Midwest Book Review

4.0 out of 5 stars The Emotional Lives of Animals
Animals and emotions. It's a touchy subject. Most people can readily admit that most animals have primary (fight or flight) type reactions. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Tami Brady

2.0 out of 5 stars Emotional Lives of Animals
The book has some very good points. However, the author repeats his ideas many times. I got about halfway through the first chapter and lost interest. Read more
Published on January 20, 2008 by Melvin R. Culli

5.0 out of 5 stars Emotional LIves of Animals
I am founder of an animal rescue group in Pinehurst NC called Animal Advocates of Moore county.

I found the book to be excellent !!!!! Read more
Published on October 30, 2007 by Maureen M. Horansky

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