Animals Make Us Human

This book by the prolific writer and advocate for animal welfare and people with autism, Temple Grandin, is not what I expected. No one can argue with Grandin's research-based information about animal behavior and she often ties her observations and research to her own childhood experiences with autism. She delves into the behaviors and science of dogs, cats, livestock (cows, horses, pigs, poultry), wildlife and zoo animals to tell us what she considers to be their foundational emotions. Are they prey animals or predatory? How does this affect their responses to various environmental stimuli, including human behaviors. The core emotions she discusses are fear, rage, panic, seeking, play, lust and nurturing. I suppose I was hoping to hear more about how animals influence humans in a positive way, but this is still a worthwhile read.

Her basic premise is that "an animal is a conscious being that has feelings,"and that, by understanding animal emotions, we humans can help provide "a good mental life" for the animals we interact with. Library Journal says that "readers will be able to glean new perspectives about animal welfare." Publishers Weekly offers that the book is "Packed with fascinating insights, unexpected observations and a wealth of how-to tips, Grandin's peppy work ably challenges assumptions about what makes animals happy." The New York Times wrote a lovely review that starts out by saying "Ms. Grandin’s autism gives her a special understanding of what animals, whether house cats or cattle, think, feel and — perhaps most important — desire. There is a revelation on almost every page, and Ms. Grandin’s prose (she wrote with Catherine Johnson [a neuropsychologist]) is ungainly in the best possible way: blunt, sweet, off-kilter and often quite funny."