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Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good
The recognition of animal pain and stress, once controversial, is now acknowledged by legislation in many countries, but there is no formal recognition of animals' ability to feel pleasure. Pleasurable Kingdom is the first book for lay-readers to present new evidence that animals--like humans--enjoy themselves. It debunks the popular perception that life for most is a continuous, grim struggle for survival and the avoidance of pain. Instead it suggests that creatures from birds to baboons feel 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 proposes that the possibility of positive feelings in creatures other than humans has important ethical ramifications for both science and society.
360 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2006
15 people are currently reading
722 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Balcombe
12 books145 followersJonathan Balcombe was born in England, raised in New Zealand and Canada, and has lived in the United States since 1987. He has three biology degrees, including a PhD in ethology (the study of animal behavior) from the University of Tennessee, where he studied communication in bats. He has published over 45 scientific papers on animal behavior and animal protection.
He is the author of four books. Jonathon is currently at work on a new book about the inner lives of fishes, and a novel titled After Meat.
Formerly Senior Research Scientist with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Jonathan is currently the Department Chair for Animal Studies with the Humane Society University.
Based near Washington, DC, in his spare time Jonathan enjoys biking, baking, birdwatching, piano, painting, and trying to understand his two cats.
He is the author of four books. Jonathon is currently at work on a new book about the inner lives of fishes, and a novel titled After Meat.
Formerly Senior Research Scientist with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Jonathan is currently the Department Chair for Animal Studies with the Humane Society University.
Based near Washington, DC, in his spare time Jonathan enjoys biking, baking, birdwatching, piano, painting, and trying to understand his two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
March 4, 2022
All I did today was read this book, I was entranced by the research into animal happiness, pleasure, love, hum0ur, erotic fun, appreciation of beauty, music, sunsets and and all those warm emotions we attribute to ourselves and deny, or at least ignore, or at least the scientists do, that animals feel as well.
Sometimes it seems as if scientists have this blind spot that the whole world can see but that they can't prove so therefore it doesn't exist. An example: those of us who live in the hurricane zones, especially in the mountainous tropics have always known that hurricanes contain tornados. You can see their paths. When the disaster agencies come and provide blue tarpaulins to cover where there were once roofs, you can see very clearly the paths the tornados took. But I can remember back in Hugo when it was utterly denied that hurricanes contained tornados. Even when they were looking at them.
And so it is with animals. We can all see that our pets love us and can joyfully express it. I had my little rescue kitty, Ollie, from May 2021 to January 2022, she was 7 ounces and could use a mask as a hammock when my son found her. She was the most joyous, loving little kittie I ever had. She played with washing up foam, sat nicely on the car seat for trips out, slept in bed with me, teased the other cats. She was full of fun. And then a car hit her and she was only 10 months old. And the book said this
And indeed it is for many animals. Chimpanzees are rampantly promiscuous, their - and our - cousins, the bonobos screw anything that moves and love their own sex as much as the other. They have very big clits and find time every few hours to rub them together. Animals masturbate, they have sex outside of 'heat', they form homosexual partnerships, some like oral sex (my favourite which I wrote about elsewhere are the bats where the males are said to perform cunnilingusto scoop out the sperm of a previous male, but no one knows why the females like fellatio! There are even (male) animals that like auto-fellatio. It takes all kinds but this is hidden from us in all the documentaries and most of the books.
When I used to take my son to school, we passed a hill where there were always cattle. The leader was of course the largest female and she and the bull were quite obviously in love. They were never as much as a yard from each other, always flicking each other with their tails and rubbing flanks. This went on for years. I have seen, many times, a hen and a rooster form a pair bond that lasts for years, they aren't members of a flock, just the two of them sometimes joined by another hen, often raising chicks, but ultimately together. Amazing the things you see on an island where farming is all free range (in everyone's gardens).
The tone of the book was very defensive. It seemed the author at any moment expected a scientist to pop out and say that he was anthropomorphising the animals' behaviour. He was always putting 'the other side' even though he didn't give any credence to it (neither do I). So although it was a very enjoyable book, I didn't really learn a lot. As with Jonathan Balcombe's previous book, What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins, he wants us to use the knowledge of their emotions to give them greater consideration, to be less cruel with farming, with taking away their habitat, and to consider that possibly everything, including jumping spiders, has a personality.
And personality is 'person' and that means we need to treat them with more respect.
(My cat Coco is begging right now, she wants soft food not kibble. She's a bit challenging these days. I wonder if she read this book over my shoulder? Nah, cats don't need to; ike people cats have expectations and one of them is that I will respect her and ultimately give in and buy her the canned food she loves.)
It is astonishing now to think that just 40 years ago, in the 1980s, behaviourism was still dominant in psychology departments conducting research on animals. Then to suggest that an animal given an electric shock felt pain was to be guilty of the cardinal sin of anthropomorphism. Instead the shock was described as an 'aversive stimulus' that the animal moved away from, or at least attempted to. If saying that animals could feel pain was taboo, saying that they can experience pleasure was not even on the radar.It is as if scientists are willing to go into the minutest physical and neurological evolutionary aspects of ourselves but that emotions and pleasure are not also evolutionary. How is it likely that emotions also did not evolve in animals lower on the evolutionary tree and grow and refine as they became more 'useful'?
Sometimes it seems as if scientists have this blind spot that the whole world can see but that they can't prove so therefore it doesn't exist. An example: those of us who live in the hurricane zones, especially in the mountainous tropics have always known that hurricanes contain tornados. You can see their paths. When the disaster agencies come and provide blue tarpaulins to cover where there were once roofs, you can see very clearly the paths the tornados took. But I can remember back in Hugo when it was utterly denied that hurricanes contained tornados. Even when they were looking at them.
And so it is with animals. We can all see that our pets love us and can joyfully express it. I had my little rescue kitty, Ollie, from May 2021 to January 2022, she was 7 ounces and could use a mask as a hammock when my son found her. She was the most joyous, loving little kittie I ever had. She played with washing up foam, sat nicely on the car seat for trips out, slept in bed with me, teased the other cats. She was full of fun. And then a car hit her and she was only 10 months old. And the book said this
Most polar bears die before their first birthday. It is sad that not all polar bears grow into adults and a shame that humans are making things worse. And yet, a six-month old polar bear has been suckled and nurtured by a protective mother, has experienced over 100 sunrises and sunsets, and probably hasn't bemoaned the transience of life. Most lives, even shortened ones, are probably better lived than not lived at all.The chapter I enjoyed most was on sex. In common with people, research is on male animals, penis this and penis that, but not much, hardly any, on the clitoris. Yet all female mammals have one, and they have no point other than pleasure. So although we are continually told by the anodyne David Attenborough's of this world, that sex is mating and only when they come into season, why on earth would females have a clitoris unless sex was Very Good Fun?
And indeed it is for many animals. Chimpanzees are rampantly promiscuous, their - and our - cousins, the bonobos screw anything that moves and love their own sex as much as the other. They have very big clits and find time every few hours to rub them together. Animals masturbate, they have sex outside of 'heat', they form homosexual partnerships, some like oral sex (my favourite which I wrote about elsewhere are the bats where the males are said to perform cunnilingusto scoop out the sperm of a previous male, but no one knows why the females like fellatio! There are even (male) animals that like auto-fellatio. It takes all kinds but this is hidden from us in all the documentaries and most of the books.
When I used to take my son to school, we passed a hill where there were always cattle. The leader was of course the largest female and she and the bull were quite obviously in love. They were never as much as a yard from each other, always flicking each other with their tails and rubbing flanks. This went on for years. I have seen, many times, a hen and a rooster form a pair bond that lasts for years, they aren't members of a flock, just the two of them sometimes joined by another hen, often raising chicks, but ultimately together. Amazing the things you see on an island where farming is all free range (in everyone's gardens).
The tone of the book was very defensive. It seemed the author at any moment expected a scientist to pop out and say that he was anthropomorphising the animals' behaviour. He was always putting 'the other side' even though he didn't give any credence to it (neither do I). So although it was a very enjoyable book, I didn't really learn a lot. As with Jonathan Balcombe's previous book, What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins, he wants us to use the knowledge of their emotions to give them greater consideration, to be less cruel with farming, with taking away their habitat, and to consider that possibly everything, including jumping spiders, has a personality.
And personality is 'person' and that means we need to treat them with more respect.
(My cat Coco is begging right now, she wants soft food not kibble. She's a bit challenging these days. I wonder if she read this book over my shoulder? Nah, cats don't need to; ike people cats have expectations and one of them is that I will respect her and ultimately give in and buy her the canned food she loves.)
January 6, 2021
The bibliography of 'Pleasurable Kingdom' by Jonathan Balcombe is 30 pages long and the index section is 14 pages. The author obviously did in-depth research and because of that this reader is completely satisfied that many scientific studies prove animals have emotions. Yet, while the book is full of anecdotes and fascinating stories about animal behavior, the organization of the material is concise and spare. The stories are about many wild and tame creatures, and includes admittedly unscientific observations about insects, as well. It is easy to forget this is a book to be found shelved in the science section, but the author sticks to the facts, nevertheless. The book is simple and quick, written for the general reader, but it does not pontificate or patronize.
Having owned cats throughout many decades, I already knew my pets frequently demonstrated emotions similar to my own feelings of humor, horror, despair, joy and contentment in daily activities. The surprise for me is that apparently turtles, bats and fish have shown a 'liking' for being scratched or tickled, or that cows may feel empowered in being taught tricks! (That last bit could be a little anthropomorphic, the author admits, however. No matter. It is fun to imagine that cows could be proud of themselves!) Bodies of animals have been found with liver disease caused by alcoholism, as a number of species are known to seek out and enjoy fermented fruit.
I recommend this book to high school students and adults to explore, but with the caution that it discusses various sex acts that have been observed by scientists studying animals. Religious folks will find their faith under attack yet again by the fact most animals indulge in homosexuality and masturbation even when the season of being 'in heat' has passed, with 'wasted' ejaculations. The evidence seems to be there that most animals love having sex no matter the gender of the partner - or partners. However, several kinds of species mate for life - and have been observed grieving at length upon the death of their partner or friend (yes, animals also appear to make close friendships, too). It is difficult to read this section without a lump in the throat. The author writes briefly of the horrors of our current factory conditions raising meat and egg animals, but he does not do so in a graphic manner. Imagining how it must be for creatures with proved emotional capabilities is horrific enough.
An excellent general science read.
Having owned cats throughout many decades, I already knew my pets frequently demonstrated emotions similar to my own feelings of humor, horror, despair, joy and contentment in daily activities. The surprise for me is that apparently turtles, bats and fish have shown a 'liking' for being scratched or tickled, or that cows may feel empowered in being taught tricks! (That last bit could be a little anthropomorphic, the author admits, however. No matter. It is fun to imagine that cows could be proud of themselves!) Bodies of animals have been found with liver disease caused by alcoholism, as a number of species are known to seek out and enjoy fermented fruit.
I recommend this book to high school students and adults to explore, but with the caution that it discusses various sex acts that have been observed by scientists studying animals. Religious folks will find their faith under attack yet again by the fact most animals indulge in homosexuality and masturbation even when the season of being 'in heat' has passed, with 'wasted' ejaculations. The evidence seems to be there that most animals love having sex no matter the gender of the partner - or partners. However, several kinds of species mate for life - and have been observed grieving at length upon the death of their partner or friend (yes, animals also appear to make close friendships, too). It is difficult to read this section without a lump in the throat. The author writes briefly of the horrors of our current factory conditions raising meat and egg animals, but he does not do so in a graphic manner. Imagining how it must be for creatures with proved emotional capabilities is horrific enough.
An excellent general science read.
May 1, 2016
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 resentment. Some of them even develop a sense of humour and morality. "An animal destined for the slaughterhouse still deserves respect and compassion."
I recommend this book to everyone. I would put it on the obligatory reading lists at schools, if I only could.
I recommend this book to everyone. I would put it on the obligatory reading lists at schools, if I only could.
July 12, 2010
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 that needed to read this book would.
February 2, 2021
A tour-de-force of many astute observations on animals (mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and insects) displaying pleasure in the form of play, discovery, anticipation, feasting, sharing, grooming, sex and love.
The core argument is that having an experiential interpretation of animal behaviour does not conflict with an evolutionary interpretation, but rather, complements it. We may understand an evolutionary interpretation as concerning genetic changes in a population over time (an increase in group fitness), and an experiential interpretation as concerning the lifeworld of individuals (desires, affects, pleasures and pains). Jonathan Balcombe argues that an overemphasis on evolution as an abstract calculation of utility blinds us to experience as the living embodiment of evolutionary adaptations. An animal doesn't calculate the utility of fucking prior to the act, it fucks because it feels good. Pleasure is one of the great motivators utilised by evolution to develop adaptations that stick.
There is also the further argument that many animals are sentient; having a flexible mind is, evolutionarily, far less wasteful than having a rigid mind preprogrammed for the totality of all life's encounters. Though animals do display mechanistic behaviours (like us), many also develop personalities which change over time. They remember faces, painful experiences, friends and family; they have culture, create interspecies bonds, play pranks and engage in useless behaviours (like repeatedly sliding down snow hills, because it's hella fun).
Anyway, I'm too sleepy to write anything more. It's a really good book. Here's my original review after reading the chapter on sex:
The core argument is that having an experiential interpretation of animal behaviour does not conflict with an evolutionary interpretation, but rather, complements it. We may understand an evolutionary interpretation as concerning genetic changes in a population over time (an increase in group fitness), and an experiential interpretation as concerning the lifeworld of individuals (desires, affects, pleasures and pains). Jonathan Balcombe argues that an overemphasis on evolution as an abstract calculation of utility blinds us to experience as the living embodiment of evolutionary adaptations. An animal doesn't calculate the utility of fucking prior to the act, it fucks because it feels good. Pleasure is one of the great motivators utilised by evolution to develop adaptations that stick.
There is also the further argument that many animals are sentient; having a flexible mind is, evolutionarily, far less wasteful than having a rigid mind preprogrammed for the totality of all life's encounters. Though animals do display mechanistic behaviours (like us), many also develop personalities which change over time. They remember faces, painful experiences, friends and family; they have culture, create interspecies bonds, play pranks and engage in useless behaviours (like repeatedly sliding down snow hills, because it's hella fun).
Anyway, I'm too sleepy to write anything more. It's a really good book. Here's my original review after reading the chapter on sex:
Ahahahha, nature invented gay interspecies orgies, oral sex and autoeroticism. Move the fuck over fascists! Your family values were already genderfucked by mommy earth! AhahahAHA!
October 23, 2014
Pleasurable Kingdom was published in 2006 and it seems that at that time, a mere 8 years ago, it was still rare to think of animals as having emotions or being able to experience pleasure. Balcombe relates anecdotes of animals that would seem to indicate that many/most animals are also emotional beings, more similar to humankind than many of us would like to admit. Balcombe also approaches this subject from a scientific angle (not merely anecdotal) as well arguing that it makes sense for animals to take pleasure in many of the activities that serve us/them from an evolutionary viewpoint.
I think this book would be an excellent read for someone just starting to contemplate such questions as "Do animals have emotions?" or "Can animals experience emotion?" For me, this book kind of dragged on but mostly because I'd been contemplating such things for a while now and was already convinced of the things the author argues for in Pleasurable Kingdom.
I think this book would be an excellent read for someone just starting to contemplate such questions as "Do animals have emotions?" or "Can animals experience emotion?" For me, this book kind of dragged on but mostly because I'd been contemplating such things for a while now and was already convinced of the things the author argues for in Pleasurable Kingdom.
August 15, 2013
There is a lot of speculation and inference in this book, although I guess that until we figure out a way to clearly communicate with animals that's pretty much what we have to go on. Plus, I am one of those who firmly falls on the side of animals being able to experience pleasure (the look of bliss on my cat's face when I scratch his belly is unmistakable). I enjoyed the anecdotes, and some of the research is fascinating.
February 28, 2008
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.
November 3, 2008
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.
September 10, 2010
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.
January 2, 2025
Μας φαίνεται κάπως προφανές πλέον ότι πολλά θηλαστικά απολαμβάνουν το παιχνίδι, τον ξεκούραση. Αλλά είχατε σκεφτεί ποτέ ότι υπάρχει κάποιος λόγος που η γάτα σας προτιμάει μία συγκεκριμένη τροφή και όχι άλλες; Μα, φυσικά η μία της φαίνεται πιο νόστιμη από τις άλλες, το οποίο σημαίνει ότι έχει πραγματική αισθητηριακή εμπειρία και προτιμήσεις.
Το ίδιο ισχύει για το σεξ, τη συντροφιά, την απλή κίνηση του σώματος. Μέχρι εδώ τίποτα το πραγματικά ανατρεπτικό ή συνταρακτικό.
Το ενδιαφέρον όμως είναι πως πέρα από τα θηλαστικά, ακόμα και τα «λιγότερο έξυπνα», όπως είναι οι γάτες ή ακόμα και τα ζώα που κατά κανόνα εκτρέφουμε για κατανάλωση, όπως οι αγελάδες, πολλά άλλα ζώα απολαμβάνουν τη ζωή. Για την ακρίβεια, το βιβλίο παραθέτει παρατηρήσεις από βιολόγους και ερασιτέχνες σε όλον τον κόσμο που αποτελούν ένδειξη ότι ακόμα και τα πουλιά, τα ψάρια αλλά και τα έντομα (!) φαίνεται να μπορούν να έχουν μια αισθητηριακή εμπειρία, η οποία παραπέμπει σε ύπαρξη κάποιας μορφής συνείδησης. Για να υπάρχει απόλαυση, κάποιος ή κάτι πρέπει να είναι εκεί για να την απολαμβάνει. Στα χνάρια του What Is It Like To Be a Bat
Συνειδητοποιώ πως, πέρα από την αίσθηση του πόνου, που είναι ξεκάθαρο ότι οι περισσότερες, αν όχι όλες οι συνομοταξίες στο βασίλειο των ζώων μπορούν να τον βιώσουν σαν κάποιου είδους αρνητικό ερέθισμα, η σκέψη ότι η αίσθηση της απόλαυσης μπορεί να είναι πολύ πιο γενικευμένη απ' ό,τι νομίζαμε μεταξύ των έμβιων όντων στον πλανήτη μας είναι κάτι που μπορεί να μας φέρει πολύ πιο κοντά στην αναγνώριση στο δικαίωμά τους να ζουν μία ζωή γεμάτη απόλαυση, και όχι πόνο, όπως κάνουμε για τα μέλη του είδους μας, και μια χούφτα είδη ακόμα. Κι αυτό γιατί νομίζω ότι αντιλαμβανόμαστε την απόλαυση ως κάτι πολύ πιο ανθρώπινο απ' ό,τι τον πόνο.
Μήπως όμως κάνουμε λάθος, και η απόλαυση είναι τελικά προέκταση του ζωώδες μας κομματιού και όχι του ανθρώπινου;
Σε κάθε περίπτωση, το στερεότυπο των ζώων ως άψυχων μηχανών καιρός είναι να πεθάνει μαζί με τον Καρτέσιο μια και καλή.
Το ίδιο ισχύει για το σεξ, τη συντροφιά, την απλή κίνηση του σώματος. Μέχρι εδώ τίποτα το πραγματικά ανατρεπτικό ή συνταρακτικό.
Το ενδιαφέρον όμως είναι πως πέρα από τα θηλαστικά, ακόμα και τα «λιγότερο έξυπνα», όπως είναι οι γάτες ή ακόμα και τα ζώα που κατά κανόνα εκτρέφουμε για κατανάλωση, όπως οι αγελάδες, πολλά άλλα ζώα απολαμβάνουν τη ζωή. Για την ακρίβεια, το βιβλίο παραθέτει παρατηρήσεις από βιολόγους και ερασιτέχνες σε όλον τον κόσμο που αποτελούν ένδειξη ότι ακόμα και τα πουλιά, τα ψάρια αλλά και τα έντομα (!) φαίνεται να μπορούν να έχουν μια αισθητηριακή εμπειρία, η οποία παραπέμπει σε ύπαρξη κάποιας μορφής συνείδησης. Για να υπάρχει απόλαυση, κάποιος ή κάτι πρέπει να είναι εκεί για να την απολαμβάνει. Στα χνάρια του What Is It Like To Be a Bat
Συνειδητοποιώ πως, πέρα από την αίσθηση του πόνου, που είναι ξεκάθαρο ότι οι περισσότερες, αν όχι όλες οι συνομοταξίες στο βασίλειο των ζώων μπορούν να τον βιώσουν σαν κάποιου είδους αρνητικό ερέθισμα, η σκέψη ότι η αίσθηση της απόλαυσης μπορεί να είναι πολύ πιο γενικευμένη απ' ό,τι νομίζαμε μεταξύ των έμβιων όντων στον πλανήτη μας είναι κάτι που μπορεί να μας φέρει πολύ πιο κοντά στην αναγνώριση στο δικαίωμά τους να ζουν μία ζωή γεμάτη απόλαυση, και όχι πόνο, όπως κάνουμε για τα μέλη του είδους μας, και μια χούφτα είδη ακόμα. Κι αυτό γιατί νομίζω ότι αντιλαμβανόμαστε την απόλαυση ως κάτι πολύ πιο ανθρώπινο απ' ό,τι τον πόνο.
Μήπως όμως κάνουμε λάθος, και η απόλαυση είναι τελικά προέκταση του ζωώδες μας κομματιού και όχι του ανθρώπινου;
Σε κάθε περίπτωση, το στερεότυπο των ζώων ως άψυχων μηχανών καιρός είναι να πεθάνει μαζί με τον Καρτέσιο μια και καλή.
August 17, 2025
This book made me see the world differently and I found myself casually recommending it to others in my conversations.
A must-read for nature lovers, people that care about effective social change, animal lovers, artists, meat eaters, honestly just plain anyone! I can’t believe I found this while randomly perusing library bookshelves and actually loved it. That’s only ever happened to me one other time.
Why do I say “people that care about effective social change”? Well because a big reason I borrowed this book in the first place was (other than being vegan myself), I love the idea of adrienne marie brown’s “pleasure activism.” She’s written a whole book on it—which admittedly I have not read—but I have heard her speak about it at a climate conference. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s the idea that we are able to measure the success of our activism not only by improved living conditions for others, but by the ability to feel... good!
And that’s *truly* what makes this book revolutionary!
‘Pleasurable Kingdom' opens you up to all the ways that *we ourselves* feel good. It’s divided into sections such as food, anticipation, love, sex, play, and others. It even covers insects, which was quite fascinating I must say. At first, it’s a bit chaotic to jump around every few sentences or so as Balcombe speaks about various animals at once. But after a chapter or so, I got used to it.
I referenced it at the end of this video podcast episode I recorded, check it out if you’d like (it’s about managing out guilt about never being able to do enough for collective progress): https://youtu.be/V6HgQsG49UU?si=SvUyg...
A must-read for nature lovers, people that care about effective social change, animal lovers, artists, meat eaters, honestly just plain anyone! I can’t believe I found this while randomly perusing library bookshelves and actually loved it. That’s only ever happened to me one other time.
Why do I say “people that care about effective social change”? Well because a big reason I borrowed this book in the first place was (other than being vegan myself), I love the idea of adrienne marie brown’s “pleasure activism.” She’s written a whole book on it—which admittedly I have not read—but I have heard her speak about it at a climate conference. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s the idea that we are able to measure the success of our activism not only by improved living conditions for others, but by the ability to feel... good!
And that’s *truly* what makes this book revolutionary!
‘Pleasurable Kingdom' opens you up to all the ways that *we ourselves* feel good. It’s divided into sections such as food, anticipation, love, sex, play, and others. It even covers insects, which was quite fascinating I must say. At first, it’s a bit chaotic to jump around every few sentences or so as Balcombe speaks about various animals at once. But after a chapter or so, I got used to it.
I referenced it at the end of this video podcast episode I recorded, check it out if you’d like (it’s about managing out guilt about never being able to do enough for collective progress): https://youtu.be/V6HgQsG49UU?si=SvUyg...
December 30, 2021
A really quick read and a sweet book. It explores the scientific support for animals being thinking and feeling organisms rather than the robotic beasts we treat them like.
I wish there had been a bit more of the science, but like the author mentioned, it is quite a new field of thought and the studies that have been done are mostly anecdotal observations.
The examples given of animals feeling happy, playful, and content were really fun to read about though, and I learned a lot! From birds, cats, apes, whales, and elephants to insects and octopi, the author covers a wide range of animals as well.
I wish there had been a bit more of the science, but like the author mentioned, it is quite a new field of thought and the studies that have been done are mostly anecdotal observations.
The examples given of animals feeling happy, playful, and content were really fun to read about though, and I learned a lot! From birds, cats, apes, whales, and elephants to insects and octopi, the author covers a wide range of animals as well.
April 17, 2022
Jonathon Balcombe, an ethologist, presents us with so many studies and anecdotes exploring animal pleasure - something which often gets overlooked when exploring animals’ experiences. Much of the time the conversation is about whether animals experience pain and suffering, we hardly ever ask ourselves about animals’ experiences of joy and pleasure. There is so much to learn in this book, a must read for anyone interested in animal behaviour.
November 19, 2022
Wonderful cover art, and the book starts out well. But it starts to drag pretty early on, with Master of the Obvious stuff, one example after another. I stalled on my first afternoon of trying it, came back a second time, and stalled out for good at about 1/3 in. Another book I wanted to like, but it just wasn't working for me. 2 stars might be a little harsh, so you may still want to try it. Your mileage may vary!
November 21, 2024
This book has a lot of interesting information about how animal behavior is much closer to human behavior than it appears through our human-centric perspective. There is a good mix of systematic analyses towards the way we view animals as well as more specific examples and anecdotes that re-center the arguments made on the idea of animals being thinking, feeling individuals rather than the monolithic species we perceive them as.
September 18, 2025
A helpful and well thought out overview of all the ways that other animals’ lives are worth living—the pleasures they find in food and touch, sun and shade, friendship and play. Balcombe makes the ethical point, too, that if they can have good lives, we owe it to them not to block their pursuit of happiness. I think this is more ambitious than simply stopping torturing them (though of course that’s a needed prerequisite).
February 15, 2023
Dense, but delightful and enlightening. Contains a pretty surprising quantity of typos that do not lend themselves to the credibility of this book, but all in all I find it to be a well-researched and meaningful petition for the consideration of animal pleasure, especially in nature where precarious survival supposedly rules.
February 10, 2019
Amazing book that will make you reconsider that it's in your plate
May 5, 2019
Oh man, I can’t say enough good things about this book!
August 29, 2015
p.37
"Ein Vogel zu sein, bedeutet intensiver zu leben als jedes andere Lebewesen - Menschen eingeschlossen. Vögel haben heißeres Blut, leuchtendere Farben, stärkere Emotionen ... sie leben ausschließlich in der Gegenwart, meist ein Leben voller Freuden."
p.48
"Ob Tiere eine bestimmte Emotion ähnlich empfinden wie Menschen - haben Kaninchen ähnliche Ängste wie Menschen? - spielt keine Rolle. Entscheidend ist nur, dass sich für alle Freude und Leid gleichermaßen anfühlt."
p.203
"Die Farben und Formen der Blüten spiegeln perfekt das wider, was Bienen attraktiv finden ... Es wäre ein paradoxes und anthropozentrisches Missverständnis zu glauben, dass Bienen und wir eine unterschiedliche Vorstellung von Schönheit hätten ... nur weil sie einfachere Lebewesen sind."
p.219
"In Wirklichkeit verfügen Fische über soziale Intelligenz, haben Strategien entwickelt, um zu manipulieren, zu strafen und zu versöhnen, sie leben in stabiler kultureller Tradition und arbeiten zusammen, um Fressfeinde zu meiden und Nahrung zu finden."
"Ein Vogel zu sein, bedeutet intensiver zu leben als jedes andere Lebewesen - Menschen eingeschlossen. Vögel haben heißeres Blut, leuchtendere Farben, stärkere Emotionen ... sie leben ausschließlich in der Gegenwart, meist ein Leben voller Freuden."
p.48
"Ob Tiere eine bestimmte Emotion ähnlich empfinden wie Menschen - haben Kaninchen ähnliche Ängste wie Menschen? - spielt keine Rolle. Entscheidend ist nur, dass sich für alle Freude und Leid gleichermaßen anfühlt."
p.203
"Die Farben und Formen der Blüten spiegeln perfekt das wider, was Bienen attraktiv finden ... Es wäre ein paradoxes und anthropozentrisches Missverständnis zu glauben, dass Bienen und wir eine unterschiedliche Vorstellung von Schönheit hätten ... nur weil sie einfachere Lebewesen sind."
p.219
"In Wirklichkeit verfügen Fische über soziale Intelligenz, haben Strategien entwickelt, um zu manipulieren, zu strafen und zu versöhnen, sie leben in stabiler kultureller Tradition und arbeiten zusammen, um Fressfeinde zu meiden und Nahrung zu finden."
August 26, 2014
Minulla oli paljon odotuksia tälle kirjalle, eikä vähiten hauskan kannen ansiosta. Kirja oli kuitenkin suht puiseva ja liukui yliopistotyyppiseksi tiedejulkaisuksi aivan liian usein. Mukana oli kyllä paljon mielenkiintoisia esimerkkejä, mutta nekin usein yliopistomaisesti selitettyjä, eikä niissä ollut juuri logiikkaa, vaan eläimet vilahtelivat tekstissä miten kuten. Kirjoittaja oli laittanut mukaan myös paljon oletuksiaan sekä ihmeellisiä, kirjoittajan itsensä olettamia itsestäänselvyyksiä, mikä ärsytti lukiessa. Lisäksi kun lähtökohtana oli "tiede", niin aika paljon lukiessa tökki oletusasenne, että eläimillä ei voi olla nautintoa ennen kuin se tieteellisesti on todettu. Höh! Jokainen eläimen omistaja kyllä tietää, että elukat nauttivat aivan yhtä lailla kuin me ihmisetkin, ei siihen yliopistotutkimusta tarvita. Yleensä ahmaisen tällaiset kirjat päivässä, parissa, nyt tämän kanssa meni koko kesä.
April 25, 2025
Not without its flaws (sometimes the speculative emotional reasoning overtakes the scientific rigor, it refers to the questionable Koko studies at a few places, and it might feel too preachy at times), but the good here offsets the bad so much that I just had to give out a full score. Think of any sober argument for the "humanity", "soulfulness" or "intelligence" in animals, and you will probably find it elaborated on and academically supported within these 220 something tightly packed pages with biologistic nuance, reasonable deduction and firsthand experience. If there is one subject that the pop-sci format is ideal for, it's this. One of the most optimistic and life-affirming reads I've ever picked up.
November 8, 2013
I would love to have the courage to change my diet to vegetarian and books like this definetly help. though every one can benefit from reading this book vegetarian or not. if you love animals and want to know more get reading.
December 23, 2014
Through an intriguing discussion of the ways that non-humans experience a huge range of pleasurable feelings and emotions, Balcombe weaves in an insightful exploration of what it will mean for our ethical system for humans to acknowledge the many things we share with members of other species.
August 5, 2008
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.
October 27, 2008
I loved this book. I highly recommend to anyone and everyone!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2011
Abandoned on page 40. Author is Douche.
April 30, 2017
An enjoyable overview of research on animal behaviour showing that our fellow creatures have emotions like us, play, and enjoy themselves. Clearly written and well argued.
Read
May 3, 2017some very important new areas of awareness about the lives of the other animals we share this planet with..
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