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Made for Each Other: The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond
Nothing turns a baby’s head more quickly than the sight or sound of an animal. This fascination is driven by the ancient chemical forces that first drew humans and animals together. It is also the same biology that transformed wolves into dogs and skittish horses into valiant comrades that would carry us into battle. Made for Each Other
Hardcover, 312 pages
Published
February 3rd 2009
by Da Capo Press
(first published January 6th 2009)
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A rather simplistic look at human/nonhuman relationships, mostly devoted to analyzing the evolutionary and biological effects of oxytocin. Oxytocin is posited as the biochemical root of human sociability and thus as the starting point for affectionate human contact with animals. While not a necessarily implausible argument, it isn't placed in constructive dialogue with any other possibility, biological or otherwise. Olmert's surmises are plausible if rather obvious, and her conclusion is pretty ...more
A book that is much more anthropological than I initially expected, I actually really enjoyed the author's take on how social interactions (both intra- and interspecies) have played such an important role in the development of humanity and civilization. The book was filled with several "wow" moments for me about the biology behind our sociality; information about the ways all social mammals have a built in understanding of vocal tones and body language was particularly fascinating.
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Tania
is currently reading it
I started reading this book a little while back, and then last night I opened it toward the end, and could not put it down. I basically have read the last two chapters, and the intro. and I really love it so far. It explains the human-animal bond, and enveils the scientific explanation of why do animals do lower your blow pressure, relieve stress, and make you more sociable and a more loving human being. That secret to the recipe is the hormone oxytocin, more known for it's important role in lab...more
The topic of human-pet relations is interests me as a person with 3 cats. This book is difficult to follow. The detailed account of the impact of certain hormones in mammals is provided, but is dry.
One of the more interesting arguments in the books links the rise of ADHD in children to the separation from close animal contact in modern society. Solid scientific evidence is used to support this argument. I have appreciated the calming effect of animals, especially after a frustr...more
One of the more interesting arguments in the books links the rise of ADHD in children to the separation from close animal contact in modern society. Solid scientific evidence is used to support this argument. I have appreciated the calming effect of animals, especially after a frustr...more
Meg Olmert became so fascinated by the act that mammals produce oxytocin while giving birth and nursing their young, that she has woven a supposedly scientific account of human evolution and the concomitant relationships with other animals. I have already discussed her argumentation in my blog post Leaping Logic (smarthotoldlady.blogspot.com) and will not do it here except to note that she fantasizes "suppose this occurred" in one sentence and, in the next, treats it as if it really di...more
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This is an intriguing look at the chemistry of the human/animal bond. Olmert explores the hormonal connection and health benefits for both man and animal. The author is not a scientist and, at times, it shows, but the writing is engaging and the ideas are very compelling.
Could there be scientific proof of why I've always needed a pony? I could have used this evidence when I was 10-years-old.
Could there be scientific proof of why I've always needed a pony? I could have used this evidence when I was 10-years-old.
What I learned from this book:
Oxytocin is awesome.
Wolves taught us how to cooperate and hunt.
Babies and animals have a weird link.
We need animals to remain what we now know as human.
Interesting, but Olmert lays it on way too thick. This book would have been much better had Olmert cut out all the bullshit.
Oxytocin is awesome.
Wolves taught us how to cooperate and hunt.
Babies and animals have a weird link.
We need animals to remain what we now know as human.
Interesting, but Olmert lays it on way too thick. This book would have been much better had Olmert cut out all the bullshit.
A fun read for anyone with an interest in how we relate to animals, how they relate to us, and how those relationships might have first come into being. Be warned, however, that the answer to everything is apparently ... oxytocin.
The writing was a bit tiresome--too much reiteration of ideas--but I was glad I pushed through it, as the ideas were fascinating. It is one of those books that changed how I look at the world.
I just could not make myself finish this book. At first I was getting into the biology of the moment shall we say. Then that biology was all there was and I had to stop. Her concept of how we came to have 4-legged companions is interesting. Just not sure it was worth a book of this length.
I only skimmed this book and read sections here and there. Too sciency for me personally, but I did get some great info from it.
Interesting and quick read. There are a few scientific details that I thought were a bit too simplified and were maybe a bit off - but I was also reading an advanced copy and it was obvious it did not have the final edits yet. But, I enjoyed it. The author was good at keeping it focused, and just introducing connections to other parts of science. It would have been easy to go off on some serious tangents, but she kept it reined in and that made the book much more readable.
Like a lot of non-fiction these days, you read the intro and you don't need to read the book. Interesting premise which I already agreed with re: positive value of pets and hugs from spouses.
The section on autism and the effects of technology (modern) on the brain(ancient) actually provided additional information.
The section on autism and the effects of technology (modern) on the brain(ancient) actually provided additional information.
what a interesing book
I was a little turned off by the author's overly romantic descriptions of prehistoric interactions between animals and our ancestors but once I got past that, the descriptions of the biology behind our interdependent relationship with each other, particularly among mammals is fascinating.
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