Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good
Pleasurable Kingdom presentsnew evidence that animals--like humans--enjoy themselves.From birds tobaboons, insects to iguanas, animalsfeel good thanks to play, sex, touch, food, anticipation, comfort, aesthetics, and more. Combining rigorous evidence, elegant argument and amusing anecdotes, leading animal behavior researcher Jonathan Balcombe shows that the possibility of...more
Paperback, 360 pages
Published
July 10th 2007
by Palgrave Macmillan
(first published 2006)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
283)
Apr 10, 2012
Judyta Szaciłło
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
gnr-pop-science,
rate-memorable
This is one of the best impulse buys I have ever made. The contents are very efficiently organised, the narrative is engaging, and there is a wonderful balance of science and anecdote. And the subject is of great importance. The author postulates that animals are, not unlike us, feeling, unique individuals that deserve to be treated with consideration and respect. They can feel fear and joy, they appreciate beauty and play games, they enjoy relaxation and thrills of risk, they can feel love and...more
I heard this gentleman speak at a Cornell Vet School occasion. He seemed so nice, I wanted to read his book. The premise is that the pleasure animals experience in the natural world can be as great as their suffering, and interrupting their ability to pursue pleasure is a form of cruelty. He cites some interesting studies, but the contents of the book weren't overly surprising. I think that he may be preaching to the choir in regards to those most likely to pick up this book. If only the people...more
The big question in this book is whether animals (read: non-humans) know pleasure like we (read: humans) do. Balcombe states yes, although it's very hard to put facts to the statement. Because there are so few facts to base your opinion on, it is more the question whether you believe Balcombe or not. I did and I really enjoyed the book. I like to think non-human animals share many things with humans and for me Balcombe confirmed my thoughts.
I was kind of disappointed in this book specially w/ all the typos. I was expecting something different & for them to talk more about compassion than about mating habits.
Feb 28, 2008
Emelda
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone, especially jaded ar folks.
Recommended to Emelda by:
Animal Voices radio show/podcast
Shelves:
animal-rights,
own
I loved this book! The anecdotes and studies he gathered to prove his case were great and as well researched as the subject can be- as studying non-human animals' pleasure, as opposed to pain, is not well covered. The stories and explanations were accessible and I love that the last (short) part of the book is just a plug to go vegan. Hells yeah.
A treatise on the ability of animals to feel pleasure/happiness. I thought it would be cute and charming but it was dull and scientific and not at all worth reading.
This book is a more 'scientific' version of Pig Who Sang to the Moon. It was interesting in some parts but too long and dry in others.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Abandoned on page 40. Author is Douche.
May 20, 2013
Bee
is currently reading it
Apr 16, 2013
Lux
added it
Apr 05, 2013
Unny
marked it as to-read
Mar 06, 2013
Alison
marked it as to-read
Feb 22, 2013
Maurice
added it
Feb 22, 2013
Sarah
marked it as to-read
Feb 19, 2013
Riley
marked it as to-read
Feb 19, 2013
Rae M.
marked it as to-read
Feb 18, 2013
Cazy
marked it as to-read
Feb 18, 2013
Kyan Hexagon
marked it as to-read
Feb 11, 2013
Alex
marked it as to-read
Feb 07, 2013
Sammantha
marked it as to-read
Jan 30, 2013
Dee
marked it as to-read
Jan 17, 2013
Aik Teck Yan
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Aug 19, 2010 08:43pm