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35th out of 142 books
—
214 voters
The Inner World of Farm Animals: Their Amazing Intellectual, Emotional and Social Capacities
Chickens can count. Pigs are smarter than poodles. Cows form close friendships. Turkeys know one another by their voices, and sheep recognize faces—of other sheep, and of people. Far from lacking thoughts and feelings, barnyard creatures demonstrate sophisticated problem-solving abilities, possess rich social lives, and feel a wide range of emotions. In other words, they’r...more
Hardcover, 168 pages
Published
April 1st 2009
by Stewart, Tabori and Chang
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This was definitely not a book written for someone like me, and yet I loved parts of it. The book's premise is that farm animals are so much more complex and intelligent than we previously thought, so we should stop using cruel and inhumane methods to raise them for food. I know I can't speak for all farmers, but as the daughter of one, I can tell you that my dad has always said a happy healthy animal is ultimately a more profitable one when it comes time to sell. But I guess if you're a vegetar...more
I found this book used at Ravenna Third Place Books
and knew that I would give in to my book addiction & buy it
when I read this sentence:
"Research shows that cows enjoy solving problems."
It goes on to say that some young cows had accelerated heart rates and some of them even jumped when they successfully learned to unlatch a gate to get food. Other cows in a test group that could just get to the food without unlatching the gate, did not show a change in their behavior or heart rate.
This book...more
and knew that I would give in to my book addiction & buy it
when I read this sentence:
"Research shows that cows enjoy solving problems."
It goes on to say that some young cows had accelerated heart rates and some of them even jumped when they successfully learned to unlatch a gate to get food. Other cows in a test group that could just get to the food without unlatching the gate, did not show a change in their behavior or heart rate.
This book...more
Sep 27, 2009
Lisa Vegan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everybody!; anyone who has ever known & loved a non-human animal
Recommended to Lisa by:
Chrissie
I cannot sufficiently extol the contents of this book. I’ve read so many animal books over the years, but this one presents a truly unique perspective. The photos are exquisite. The information provided is important. The book is truly inspirational. It’s full of happy stories of animals living in sanctuaries and therefore living lives normal for them, and it was disturbing only when I considered (which I couldn’t help thinking about) how these animals are normally treated.
I received this book as...more
I received this book as...more
13 likes · like · see review
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This book presented how farm animals respond emotionally and intellectually with the world around them. It is very easy to read with the text interspersed with beautiful photography. After reading the text, the reader is left with little doubt as to how similar animals and humans are in their desire to form relationships and to be treated with kindness and respect. There are many delightful examples of animals' personalities shining through with my favourite stories being those of inter-species...more
This article was published on the website for Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots.
Roots & Shoots Book Club: The Inner World of Farm Animals
Can a sheep tell you apart from your friends? Can chickens help with your math homework?
Amy Hatkoff¿s The Inner World of Farm Animals uses the latest research to answer these and other questions about our barnyard friends.
Just like Dr. Jane's research at Gombe Stream National Park taught us that chimpanzees are smart, curious and have their own personaliti...more
Roots & Shoots Book Club: The Inner World of Farm Animals
Can a sheep tell you apart from your friends? Can chickens help with your math homework?
Amy Hatkoff¿s The Inner World of Farm Animals uses the latest research to answer these and other questions about our barnyard friends.
Just like Dr. Jane's research at Gombe Stream National Park taught us that chimpanzees are smart, curious and have their own personaliti...more
Absolutely phenomenal photographs abound. Intensely cute stories about adorable animals are scattered among the photographs. Among those are short narrative blurbs describing the results of various studies showing that these animals are smart, sociable, have feelings, learn, and are generally all around awesome. It's a powerful arguement for veganism, or at the very least "humanely raised" farm animals. I found myself wishing for more substance but I did enjoy this.
1 like · like · see review
Goats are the animals that act most like dogs.
Sheep can read and respond to emotional cues from both human and sheep faces.
Cows have excellent memories.
Pigs are smarter than dogs.
Turkeys are affectionate with humans.
The avian brain is similar to the human brain and processes information in much the same way.
The photos in this book are some of the best I have ever seen.
lighthousefarmsanctuary.org
Sheep can read and respond to emotional cues from both human and sheep faces.
Cows have excellent memories.
Pigs are smarter than dogs.
Turkeys are affectionate with humans.
The avian brain is similar to the human brain and processes information in much the same way.
The photos in this book are some of the best I have ever seen.
lighthousefarmsanctuary.org
Not quite as in-depth as other titles I've read. The books of Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson go much further. Still, I appreciate that the author was trying to make a difficult subject (difficult in that many people still don't think animals have intelligence or emotions, or they don't want to think so because of the implications) more approachable. The photographs are beautiful and engaging.
A beautiful book -- well written, informative, lovely photos, good layout -- and interesting! Farm animals are sentient beings and why some scientists do not want to believe this fact is beyond me. Amy has both anecdotal and scientific information to demonstrate that farm animals are just as aware as our household pets. I recommend this book to everyone!
A beautiful book! The pictures of former farm animals now living in sanctuaries are just exquisite. The text shares their stories as well as research into the habits, emotions and intellects of different animals. (Who knew that ducks have regional accents?) It's a fast read--about an hour--except that every photo is such a delight that it's kind of hard to turn the page.
This is a perfect gift for anyone who loves animals and particularly for someone who needs a little nudge toward ethical eatin...more
This is a perfect gift for anyone who loves animals and particularly for someone who needs a little nudge toward ethical eatin...more
2 likes · like · see review
I loved this book. I think it's important for people to think about where their food comes from, and how the animals are treated before they hit your dinner plate. I'm not a vegetarian, but I don't eat a lot of meat, and when I do, I buy local, organic meat from humanely-raised animals.
The photos are lovely too.
The photos are lovely too.
I liked this, even though I am not a vegan. It made me re-think eating meat, and was a fascinating perspektive about how sentient the animals around us really are, how can we kill and eat them without beeing evil?....we cant...and that is worth pondering over.
i liked the little personal stories about the emotional and sweet connections between animals, but the rest was eh. Felt like they were telling me these big facts about the inner complicated minds of animals without really giving me any facts.. cute photos though!
There's not a lot of text in this book, but that's okay. There are plenty of books and other sources that can give you miles and miles of information. It does have beautiful, true life stories of the interactions between some farm animals. Short, simple stories that speak volumes. And without lecturing. The touching and exquisite photographs perfectly capture each creature's reverence for life.
An easy read with lots of beautiful photos, quotes, and true stories! The book is about how researchers have found out that other living creatures have cognitive abilities. I actually found the little snippets of true stories to have affected me more than the research. This book is good but I believe there are better books out there.
The book that made me stop eating chicken and turkey for good.
Super easy read, extremely interesting. Everyone should read it!!
This book is full of amazing examples of how animals are individuals with emotions, personalities, complex social structures and intellect. I adored it. Since I've read a lot on animal behaviour, none of the research findings cited in this book surprised me but I had my firm beliefs about animals reconfirmed. This would be a good book for someone new to animals rights and/or vegetarianism...but I also gained somethings from the stories along the way. A good read...prepare to cry!
Everyone should read this book! It will make you a better person.
Who knew that chickens were capable of affection or that turkeys could dance and entertain folks? This tell all book about the lives of farm animals was a quick and fascinating read. I enjoyed the lay-out of the book as well.
This was a very interesting book. Anyone who thinks animals don't "feel" should take a look! I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone with a love of animals.
This is a beautiful book full of surprising facts about the cognitive abilities and emotional lives of farm animals. I was very moved by many of the heartwarming stories.
Amazing how we underestimate all creatures excpet for ourselves for their capacity to think, feel and form relationships. Take a bite out of that burger why don't you.
Mostly pictures and very little writing. I did enjoy what I did read.
Mostly pictures and very little writing. I did enjoy what I did read.
May 22, 2013
Jena
marked it as to-read
May 20, 2013
Cindy
marked it as to-read
May 17, 2013
Bernadette
marked it as to-read
May 16, 2013
Beverly Hansen
marked it as to-read
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