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112th out of 492 books
—
643 voters
Animal Husbandry
by
Laura Zigman
New cow...
Ray makes the move. Jane feels the rush. Ray says the L-word. Jane breaks her lease. Then suddenly, inexplicably, he dumps her. Just. Like. That.
...old cow.
Now black is the only color in Jane's closet and Kleenex is clinging to her nose. Why did it happen? How could it have happened?
Moo.
Jane is going to get an answer. Not from Ray. Not from her best friends, Dav...more
Ray makes the move. Jane feels the rush. Ray says the L-word. Jane breaks her lease. Then suddenly, inexplicably, he dumps her. Just. Like. That.
...old cow.
Now black is the only color in Jane's closet and Kleenex is clinging to her nose. Why did it happen? How could it have happened?
Moo.
Jane is going to get an answer. Not from Ray. Not from her best friends, Dav...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
December 29th 1998
by Dial Press Trade Paperback
(first published December 15th 1997)
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Three words: New Cow Theory. If you haven't read this, or seen the movie Someone Like You, the New Cow Theory states that men are like bulls: they tend to mate and then get the hell out of Dodge. What this means is that you may date a man for x number of months or years, but eventually he will leave you for a newer, younger, fresher cow/woman. You may try to disguise yourself as a newer, younger, fresher version of yourself, but the man/bull will always know you're "mutton dressed as lamb." This...more
Aug 13, 2011
Stephanie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who like: Bridget Jones, Girl's Guide to..., Rainy Day Kisses, Must Love Dogs, About A Boy
Just like most women (at least it felt that way) in the 90s I went through a series of wonderfully written, delightfully inciteful, witty chick books. If I had to put them in order and rate them by how much I liked them, how much they helped me understand me and how much they helped me understand men, this book would rank 2nd...a close 2nd, mind you, to Bridget Jones' Diary. Jane's life lessons are my own! :D
And, what I love about this book (view spoiler)...more
And, what I love about this book (view spoiler)...more
Jane Hamilton (TV talent booker, not ape lover) has a theory about the mating habits of men. The Old-Cow-New-Cow/Man The Polygamist theory is based on the idea that men mate like bulls -- once a bull (man) has mated with a cow (woman), his mission is over and he's ready to move on to new cow conquests (other women).
Laura Zigman's book was well written, witty, hilariously entertaining, and most women can probably relate with Jane's tragic dating experiences, the genesis of her Old-Cow-New-Cow The...more
Laura Zigman's book was well written, witty, hilariously entertaining, and most women can probably relate with Jane's tragic dating experiences, the genesis of her Old-Cow-New-Cow The...more
I am so glad this was such a short read and I can only hope that the movie is much better (though with Hugh Jackman and Greg Kinnear, I can already assume that it is). I picked up the book knowing there is a movie out there based on it. Now, it did have its moments, but it was few and far between.
The book centers on Jane Goodall, whose parents had quite the sense of humor. Jane works for a talk show host and is responsible for booking the guests on the show. She begins a relationship with a new...more
The book centers on Jane Goodall, whose parents had quite the sense of humor. Jane works for a talk show host and is responsible for booking the guests on the show. She begins a relationship with a new...more
Pros:
It's a super-quick read
I like the scientific aspects (anecdotes , quotes, etc)
It's kinda quirky
The writing is decent
Cons:
I felt like the protagonist was kinda....wishy-washy? I mean, the relationship was a 3-month thing that really wasn't portrayed to be THAT serious. Plus, the guy was already living with someone. So. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but it was a quick read & I don't regret it.
The main character seemed (to me) to be immature considering she was 30.
Verdict:
It's a fun r...more
FUNNY!
There's a good reason to help students find books in the stacks -- I come back with something to read too. How can I resist those rows and rows?
Laura Zigman has written a bunch of novels since this, her first one. I'm not sure if I'd call it chic lit; I think it predates the term? It was written in 1998. It is a good read, fast, easy, and entertaining. If you are in the mood for a break-up-for-no-apparant-reason story all the better. If you not, there's still lots of fun and witty story-t...more
There's a good reason to help students find books in the stacks -- I come back with something to read too. How can I resist those rows and rows?
Laura Zigman has written a bunch of novels since this, her first one. I'm not sure if I'd call it chic lit; I think it predates the term? It was written in 1998. It is a good read, fast, easy, and entertaining. If you are in the mood for a break-up-for-no-apparant-reason story all the better. If you not, there's still lots of fun and witty story-t...more
Ever wondered why men behave the way they do when it comes to dating and relationships? Because they are "animals" = human animals. Laura Zigman's comparisons and proof drawn from the zoological & psychological even genetic sciences are as convincing as they are hilarious. I was drawn to the title because it was so off the wall and I was not disappointed. Writing about dating and relationships myself, with another book about organic farming in a previous life in the making, I absolutely love...more
Years ago, this old cow saw the movie that was based on this book. As usual, the book is so much more clever and entertaining. I like how the novel played with the tendency that women have to dissect romantic relationships and break ups. While I think you can learn something from analyzing a previous relationship, trying to "understand" it all doesn't really help you get over the fact that someone you loved doesn't feel the same way about you and it is over and that means they are never coming b...more
A little cliched, and the ending was a bit of a letdown, but cute and actually kind of informative. Like He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys, if you've spent much time dating, the theories in the book ring true, even if they aren't that scientifically valid (or maybe they are, I haven't researched it).
this book was recommended for people who enjoyed helen fielding and suzanne finnamore, but ugh. you cannot date a man who is engaged to another woman and then expect me to feel sorry for you when he breaks your heart.
plus i didn't like all the cow stuff. i'm not into the whole "men always act like this" and "women always act like this" game-playing stuff. but i can say that because i'm out of the dating pool, i guess.
plus i didn't like all the cow stuff. i'm not into the whole "men always act like this" and "women always act like this" game-playing stuff. but i can say that because i'm out of the dating pool, i guess.
If you've seen the movie version of this title (Someone Like You starring Hugh Jackman and Ashley Judd) forget it. This is definitely a case of the book being better than the movie.
When the main character gets dumped, she starts researching how animals pair up in the wild. She comes upon theories about cows, and becomes absorbed in animal husbandry. Humorous, touching, and oddly, informative about cattle.
When the main character gets dumped, she starts researching how animals pair up in the wild. She comes upon theories about cows, and becomes absorbed in animal husbandry. Humorous, touching, and oddly, informative about cattle.
Obsessive Manhattanite can't get over being dumped so she does research on mating rituals and pretends to be a doctor and gets a column. An early entry in the chick lit genre, the poetry of this author's work was in the glow of the romance between the protaganist and Ray, her former lover. In contrast, the rest of the book, reads like a research paper. Not one I will keep on my shelf.
I loved "Someone Like You" so I read this book to see how true to the text it was. Having seen the movie many many times though, the book didn't seem as funny. The plot of the movie was much better. The book I find to be a bit dragging and the ending was a bit anticlimactic. It was still a good book though. Maybe I would've appreciated it more if I'd read it before I saw the movie.
Very quick reading, especially as I got impatient with it. The author has done an impressive job collecting all kinds of quirky facts. The theory presented is clever, but wears a little thin as the book goes along. I like the fact that there is a non-tidy ending though. Don't think I'll see the movie, though.
I think I bought this book after seeing the movie based on it, called "Someone Like You" with Ashley Judd and Hugh Jackman...so a rare instance where I buy and read a book after (or because of) seeing the movie. I liked the movie and I remember running across the book in the bookstore, and the quirky voice and writing style the author had was much funnier in text...so I bought it. This was a weird story where I would have liked a middle-of-the-road version between the book and the movie, better...more
Jan 18, 2013
Marren
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
film-adaptations-for-2013,
romance
I was busy calling Jane Goodall an idiot. Listen when a man moves on, just cry and leave him be! So, read the novel and learn from Jane and Joan's mistake. What I liked about the novel most, is the various introductions to the chapters. It aided in the explanation of the New Cow Theory.
4 stars for originality, perceptiveness, humour and heartbreak.
Fave quote:
'We tend to study animals for what they can teach us about ourselves or for facts that we can turn to our advantage. Most of us have very little interest in the aspects of their lives that do not involve us.'
Fave quote:
'We tend to study animals for what they can teach us about ourselves or for facts that we can turn to our advantage. Most of us have very little interest in the aspects of their lives that do not involve us.'
Girl meets boy, boy already engaged, girl goes out with boy anyway, boy dumps girl (duh!), girl gets (inexplicably) angry and (disproportionately, for a 2 month relationship) obsessed. Blah, blah....
Billed on the blurb as a US Bridget Jones' Diary. Not a patch on it.
Billed on the blurb as a US Bridget Jones' Diary. Not a patch on it.
Reading this book was like pulling teeth. I only did it because I had to (I should preface this by saying that I gave up on the last two books I tried to read because I just wasn’t into them; I swore that I would plow through the next book in my queue, however difficult/boring/awful it may be). The entire book felt like it was a fictionalized account of the author’s unrequited love. Bleck.
Animal Husbandry is the anatomy of a relationship seen through the eyes of a zoologist. Zigman's protagonist examines her life through the eyes of a scientist, creating what she refers to as the Old Cow - New Cow theory. Thoroughly entertaining.
Read this, laughed a bit, but was a bit put off by the whole concept. Then saw the movie "Someone Like you" and went "oh- that was that book.... but wait-this is better than the book..." But hey, Hugh Jackman can make anything better!
Hysterical, good writing, totally engaging comedy. I learned about her from the Dangerous Writers in Portland, OR. They made a movie out of it, but it is worth it to read the book. It will have you laughing out loud.
Great combination of hard science and popular style writing. I didn't really like the last 40 pages or so; I felt it deterred too much from the set plot and tone of the book. But, overall very amusing and interesting.
It's so rare to find a smart chick lit novel that isn't cutesy, with a forced happy ending. Zigman's book is more complex than that. There are some absolutely hilarious parts, and the writing is more than decent.
I've read this book two or three times over the past few years. It's an easy fun read and pretty fabulous if you've ever been dumped or settled for someone less than what you deserve. Very funny and makes you think...
Jun 25, 2008
Carrie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
girls in their early 20's
Shelves:
funny
I read this in college and if you asked me to rate it back then, I would have given it 5 stars because the narrator addresses dating behavior in a funny way. (The novel starts off with the main character noticing a link between the mating behavior of bulls and her most recent boyfriend's boredom with/abandonment of her.) Now that I'm a little older, none of it seems original anymore. Yeah, yeah, a lot of men don't pay enough attention to their girlfriends or (gasp!) leave them. Back then, I iden...more
This is a humorous chick lit story of a woman scorned who is desperate to find an explanation for why her relationships fall apart. Her scientific theories lend a quirky aspect to this breakup novel.
I don't have a regular chic-lit category, but this would go there, as it's not entirely a romance. All-in-all, I enjoyed the movie much more, but Hugh Jackman might have something to do with that.
Although a work of fiction, sure sounds like she nailed the behavior. Loved the way the writer name the analogies between male/female to animal. Its an easy read but very funny.
I absolutely loved this book - you don't have to have been cheated on by a slimy ex-boyfriend to relate to all the trials and tribulations that Jane goes through in the book.
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Laura Zigman grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, and graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the Radcliffe Publishing Procedures Course.
She spent ten years working in New York in book publishing where she was a publicist for Times Books, Vintage Books, Turtle Bay Books, Atlantic Monthly Press, and Alfred A. Knopf.
After moving to Washington, D.C. and working briefly as a project...more
More about Laura Zigman...
She spent ten years working in New York in book publishing where she was a publicist for Times Books, Vintage Books, Turtle Bay Books, Atlantic Monthly Press, and Alfred A. Knopf.
After moving to Washington, D.C. and working briefly as a project...more
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“There are few things sadder in this life than watching someone walk away after they've left you. Watching the distance between your bodies expand until there's nothing but empty space and silence.”
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