Smarter than man?: Intelligence in whales, dolphins, and humans,

by Karl Erik Fichtelius

Octavo, , PP.202,

205 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

Reviews

[Kevin Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opened my eyes! I had always assumed that humans were the most intelligent animals on earth. However, when our brains are compared to those of dolphins and sperm whales, well, we don't look so impressive after all. The implications of this book are astounding. It is, perhaps, comparable to when people found out that the earth was round, that it is not the center of the universe, and that it travels around the sun. But once we accept it, we can begin to reorient our understanding of the world and, hopefully, armed with the new knowledge and humility, proceed in a more careful and just way towards the myriad of intelligent beings with whom we share this planet.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

What happens when a Swedish hippie scientist applies extremely primitive neuroscience to the study of whales? A knee-slapping good time! An early 1970s attempt at arguing for the rights of sea mammals based on empathy and neuroscience, this book has plenty of good will but lousy data and incomplete logic, so it becomes unintentionally funny. A scientifically dated relic.