Tamed & untamed Close encounters of the animal kind

Review by Choice Review

Two experienced naturalist-writers with several popular books between them have penned a collection of short essays devoted a range of animals. The essays consider the ways that animals are conscious of their surroundings, other animals, and even the people who observe and study them. When D. Griffin published The Question of Animal Awareness (1976), he ignited a firestorm of controversy, meeting more derision than praise for questioning the uniqueness of human consciousness. Recently repopularized by Safina's Beyond Words (2015), the theme of animal consciousness should find much more acceptance today. Montgomery and Thomas's stated intent is to "put humans back into the animal world and bring animals into the human world--where we all belong," and this work succeeds on many levels. While the authors focus mainly on their personal experiences with the hidden lives of animals, they also present conservation issues from a journalistic perspective. Their contributions are intermingled, offering numerous examples of animal emotions, problem-solving, feelings, and appropriate responses to human emotions. This reviewer now realizes, for example, that an escaping cockroach experiences terror, not mindless reflex, the instant before we attempt to squash it. A compelling read. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. --Joanna Burger, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.

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Review by Library Journal Review

Best-selling authors and best friends, naturalists Montgomery (The Soul of an Octopus) and Thomas (The Hidden Life of Dogs), partner on this engaging collection adapted from their joint columns from The Boston Globe. The essays explore the minds, lives, intelligence, and mysteries of wild and domestic animals. Both have spent most of their lives studying and researching animal behavior and share a worldview that questions a human-centric sense of superiority, as reflected in their insightful essays. Some impressions come from their respective New Hampshire surroundings, which include their own dogs and cats, deer, mice, chickens, slugs, and worms. They also share observations of animals seen on their various international research trips including pink dolphins, lions, hyenas, and hyraxes (a small African mammal). Reflections on love among octopuses, the death of a dog, and a visit from a Christmas ermine are quietly eloquent. VERDICT Armchair and active naturalists will enjoy and learn from the authors' enlightened perceptions on the intricate relationship between humans and animals in this thought-provoking -collection.-Eva Lautemann, Gwinnett Cty. P.L., GA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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