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The Horse: The Epic History of Our Noble Companion Hardcover – October 27, 2015
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Wendy Williams
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Print length320 pages
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LanguageEnglish
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PublisherScientific American / Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Publication dateOctober 27, 2015
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Dimensions6.36 x 1.22 x 9.24 inches
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ISBN-100374224404
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ISBN-13978-0374224400
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Young Mongolian jockeys await the start of a traditional horse race. (Greg Auger)
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McCulloch MustangsThree mustang stallions at McCulloch Peaks, not far from Cody, Wyoming. (Greg Auger) |
Garrano FoalHorses can thrive in the wettest of climates, like the hyper-Atlantic coast of Galicia, Spain. (Greg Auger) |
Lukas with World RecordLukas, owned by the Californian Karen Murdock, poses with his Guinness World Records certificate, awarded to him for “the most numbers identified by a horse in one minute.” (Joan Malloch, courtesy of Karen Murdock) |
Kris KokalKris Kokal and his family rehabilitate mustangs at their farm in New Hampshire. Here, Kris and Belle, one of his rescued horses, enjoy a snowfall. (Greg Auger) |
Editorial Reviews
Review
A New York Times Bestseller and New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
A Best Book of 2015, The Wall Street Journal
Silver Winner, Nautilus Book Awards (Animals and Nature category)
Long-listed for the 2016 Massachusetts Book Award
Holiday Gifts List, Equus Magazine
Discover magazine's "What to Read in November"
"Love is the driver for Wendy Williams's new book, The Horse . . . [an] affectionate, thoroughgoing, good-hearted book." ―Jaimy Gordon, The New York Times Book Review
"Charming and deeply interesting . . . Ms. Williams does a marvelous job of exploring the nature of horses, from many different perspectives. She is spot-on in her explanations of scientific information, treading that thin line between accessibility and scientific accuracy. I have read many books and articles on horses, but this must surely rank among the very best for a general audience." ―Pat Shipman, The Wall Street Journal
"Whether you believe that you know horses intimately or only admire them from afar, you will find Wendy Williams's fascinating natural history The Horse to be illuminating. Williams is a charming tour guide through the history of the horse-human bond. This book will delight you and deepen your understanding of the ongoing love affair between humans and their equine companions." ―Elizabeth Letts, bestselling author of The Eighty-Dollar Champion
"A remarkable treasure chest of a book. Wendy Williams ropes together history, science, and fascinating personal experiences to give new insights on every page. You'll never look at a horse the same way again." ―Nicholas Evans, bestselling author of The Horse Whisperer
"Lifelong equestrian enthusiast Williams takes on the topic at full gallop, weaving scientific analysis with cultural and historical anecdotes in this lively, fascinating read." ―Discover
"[A] fascinating account of the relationship between humans and horses. Not only will horse lovers find The Horse a great read, but so will those with just a passing interest in these animals." ―Chicago Tribune
"An informative and engaging account of an animal that’s both familiar and mysterious . . . [The Horse] provides an illuminating glimpse at what we know―and what we may someday learn." ―Megan McDonough, The Washington Post
"[E]ngaging, comprehensive . . . Wendy Williams combines a love of horses with a keen interest in natural history . . . an accessible read and a gift for horse lovers." ―Lucy Popescue, The Independent (UK)
"[The Horse] takes us on both an intellectual journey and an equine adventure." ―Fran Jurga, Equus
"A compelling journey into the evolutionary history of the horse we know and love today . . . It’s detailed but clear, and surprisingly fun in places as well." ―The Eloquent Equine
"An ambitious undertaking . . . Reading The Horse will no doubt cause you to look at horses (including your own) in a whole new way." ―EquiSearch
"A magnificent natural history of this magnificent animal. Wendy Williams pursues the wild and ancient creatures who put into relief the very particular horse-human relationship we have today. If you get a thrill when a horse thunders by, you must read this book." ―Alexandra Horowitz, bestselling author of Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know
"For every equestrian, here finally is a book that explains in great detail the long journey that has given us the modern horse in all of its magnificent varieties. Wendy Williams's The Horse is full of love and firsthand experiences that make the book a most pleasurable and informative read." ―Frans de Waal, author of Peacemaking Among Primates and The Age of Empathy
"An enthusiastic history of and appreciation for all things horse . . . Anyone with a love of horses will treasure this book, which provides scholarly yet accessible insight into a beautifully constructed animal that has chosen to domesticate man, just as dogs have." ―Kirkus Reviews
"Williams's book educates, entertains, and enthralls; it's part scientific discovery, part social commentary, and part history lesson, while always focusing on the relationship between horses and humans." ―Publishers Weekly
"Wendy Williams has done her homework. She has roamed our world of horses-past, present, and future-revealing cognitive processes, emotions, and behaviors similar to those of humans. What a gift. Reading The Horse, I felt a kinship with horses and a deep yearning to bond with these marvelous creatures." ―John W. Pilley, emeritus professor of psychology at Wofford College and bestselling author of Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows a Thousand Words
"Riveting and moving. A beautiful celebration of the deep evolutionary fellowship between horses and people."―David George Haskell, author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Forest Unseen and professor of biology at the University of the South
"I have never owned horses, but reading Wendy Williams's fine new book made me feel as if I've known them all my life. And that, of course, is her point-to explore not just the history of horses but the human fascination with them. She makes her case in clear, compelling prose, warmed throughout by her obvious fondness for the subject." ―Thor Hanson, author of The Triumph of Seeds and Feathers
"The Horse is a scientific ode to one of the most charismatic mammals on earth-it is an essential book and a loving exploration of our complicated relationship with the charming animal that we've variously hunted, tamed, and venerated. Readers could not ask for a better guide than Wendy Williams as she takes us to the badlands where mustangs still roam, the bones of their ancestors beneath their hooves." ―Brian Switek, author of My Beloved Brontosaurus and Written in Stone
"Williams details her conversations with various experts and her own visits to archaeological digs as she navigates the evolution of the horse, its development in a variety of landscapes, and its general adaptability."―Booklist
About the Author
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Product details
- Publisher : Scientific American / Farrar, Straus and Giroux; First Edition (October 27, 2015)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0374224404
- ISBN-13 : 978-0374224400
- Item Weight : 1.1 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.36 x 1.22 x 9.24 inches
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Best Sellers Rank:
#585,706 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #179 in Mammal Zoology
- #317 in Biology of Horses
- #894 in Horse Care (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
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“Horse People”, and likely most “Animal People”, should really enjoy this book. It presents snapshots of the horse's history over the last 56 million years or so, of course, but the really fun part is that Williams shows how modern Science is now proving many of the things that all of us barn flys have long known/believed about our beloved horses (as well as dogs and some other animals). In fact, she shows that humans and horses developed interdependently and that is the main reason why humans and horses are so enthralled with each other even today.
Williams is a surprisingly fine and entertaining writer and has structured this work so the “science” (mainly anthropology, paleontology and ethology) comes in small, very clear doses and always lead the reader into great (and thought-provoking) discussions of horses and the horse-human relationships.
Like most “Animal People” I've read fifty-'leven books about horses but I have to say this is probably the best I've ever seen. If you are a “Horse Person” I promise you will find yourself laughing and saying “I knew it, I knew it !” over and over again.
The author repeats herself a lot. I found myself skipping over pages and skimming a few chapters thinking, " surely there will be something in this book about the horse that has has existed for the past several thousand years in it's current form", but no, it was all about the dinosaurs. I don't even think I finished the book. I was just too bored.
The Horse opens with a description of how widespread and beautiful early humans' artistic depictions of horses were. I was slack jawed and amazed at how much horse art people created during the Stone Age from paintings to sculptures. It's almost as though there was something mystical about this ancient relationship between humans and horses that goes beyond horses as a food or transportation source.
This book is not only about the horse/human bond that goes back millennia, but it's also about how the world has always endured climate change, with warm periods that saw explosions of species and ice ages where some species adapted and survived. The Horse: The Epic History... illuminates how climate change has effected what species were able to survive until now. I was startled to find out how horses very nearly became extinct when savannahs changed to forests and horses weren't able to adapt fast enough.
Williams has done an excellent job of reporting in this book. Even though it describes horses from a scientific perspective, Williams keeps you reading in order to find out what the next discovery is or insight is. I gained new insights into my own relationship with horses, by learning how they literally see the world. Williams draws on the latest ethological studies to show how horses get along in the wild and she draws on personal experience to convey her respect for their intelligence.
I highly recommend The Horse: The Epic History of Our Noble Companion. It is a fascinating, fast and enjoyable read.
The title could have been better. When I told my horse he was supposed to be "noble" he had a good laugh about it.
Edit: Don't miss the illustrations and photos at the end of the book. I'm not sure why they weren't woven into the writing. especially in the Kindle version.














