Dommy: Once in a while, i will allow another animal on my bed.

Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures by Virginia Morell. A very moving narration of wild and domesticated animals.

Did you know that...
  • ants teach.. yes teach...
  • how fish can feel pain.. 
  • earthworms make decisions
  • laughing rats love to be tickled (ok...but i am not tickling any rats here)
  • dogs and wolves are very different
  • and chimps grieve
Animals do think and they have feelings. If you have been spending a considerable amount of time studying animals or your own pets, you will know that they have feelings and a lot of intelligence.

I loved the part where she wrote
On bonding with adult dogs: “The researchers discovered that even adult dogs living in rescue shelters rapidly form attachments to people; it took a mere thirty minutes of interaction between a person and an adult shelter dog for the dog to begin forming a bond.”

Her question on "how should we treat these other emotional, thinking creatures?" at the epilogue for all of us. My view on life on earth is changed forever after reading this book. Thank you Virginia.

I shall not give too much away on why this Animal Wise is unusual.

A very facinating book that every pet/animal lover would enjoy reading. It provides a very interesting window on the intelligence of these creatures.

This book was just launched on the 26th February 2013.

A glimpse at the incredible praise that ANIMAL WISE has garnered: 

“You will take a journey to the center of the animal mind.”
Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human 


“Why is it that until very recently, many scientists claimed that animals can’t think?  Every pet owner knows better, and Virginia Morell is our champion.”
Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of Dogs


“These animals have incredible minds.  Now thanks to Morell they have a voice.  I love this book.  It makes me even prouder to share this Earth with our non-human kin.”
Jennifer S. Holland, author of Unlikely Friendships


“Anyone who reads this book will be changed forever in their view of life on earth.”
Richard E. Leakey, FRS, Stony Brook Professor of Anthropology and author of The Sixth Extinction


Photo Credit: Michael McRae, 2012
Virginia Morell is a prolific contributor to National Geographic, Science, and Smithsonian, among other publications. She is also the author of Ancestral Passions, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year; Blue Nile; coauthor, with Richard Leakey, of Wildlife Wars.

She currently shares her life with an Collie named Buck. 

Virginia Morell on Facebook, you can visit Facebook.com/AnimalWiseBook
You can also take the ANIMAL WISE quiz here.
(Shhhhhh... I scored terribly)

Disclosure:
The book’s publicists from Random House sent me a free review copy. I was NOT compensated in any way for this review.

6 woofs:

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

We'll be on the lookout for that one!

XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

yuki and rocket said...

rats freak me out, but i think thats interesting that they are ticklish. also, after watching a documentary on dogs and how they were studying if they raised wolves when they were puppies would they act like dogs as adults and the answer was no. once they reached adulthood they had no desire to be obedient or had any real attachment to the humans that raised them. i really like reading/watching things that are about animals and animal behavior.

Nessa said...

Ewww rats love to be ticked?? Are hamsters rats? Coz I don't mind tickiling hamsters but then again they might bite my fingers off!!

Looks like an interesting book to read about animals. (Duh... the title did say 'Animal Wise' Nessa!!) Maybe you can lend me the book when we meet-up next time for coffee?? :P Nah, I was just kidding. The books you gave haritu pun I haven't read yet... ooops sori. Don't blame me ya, I'm always occupied with playing Cityville. Yeah, I admit I'm addicted to it.

That's why I 'try' not to go and see them dogs at the petshop cos I get very attached to them easily and I feel soooooo bad when I leave. You can see their pleading eyes... it's just heart-breaking. I haven't been to a shelter dog before. I don't think I could ever leave and feel good about myself leaving them and I would blame myself. Am I being selfish/stupid?:(

booahboo said...

Yuki n Rocket's mommy... this is a pretty good book... its already on sale at Amazon. I am sure you will love it.

booahboo said...

Hamsters won't bite your fingers off la Nessa..*LOL*
It is a good book... i can pass to you when i am done...or.. you can try to win it at Virginia Morell's fb page... https://www.facebook.com/animalwisebook/app_299664680160384

PAWs is quite near your place...you can try n help out on a weekend :) its good to be hands on and see the situations shelters face. There's many things u can help do... i scoop poo all the time at the shelter... and still scooping poo.

I can assure you that... after volunteering at a shelter, your heart will be full and you will feel good. That's a good payback.

bichonpawz said...

Hmmm...think this sounds like a very interesting book!! Which reminds me...have to post my latest book review so thank you for reminding me! Happy Weekend!
xo
Jeanne, Chloe and LadyBug

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