If a Lion Could Talk: Animal Intelligence and the Evolution of Consciousness

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What is your cat thinking when she scratches at the door? What goes through Koko the gorilla's mind when she signs? For that matter, what goes through our minds when we think about animals and intelligence? Science writer Stephen Budiansky explores the difficulties of comparing intelligence between species in If a Lion Could Talk and takes a strong stance against measuring other animals using human standards. (The title is part of a Wittgenstein quote that ends "...we would not understand him.")

The book shows how the most basic principle of evolution--that all living things are related--has been misconstrued by well-meaning scientists to imply that all animals possess intelligence that differs from ours only in quantity. This leads to comparisons of near-equivalence between such intuitively likely pairs as adult gorillas and human children, comparisons that Budiansky suggests are misleading and more descriptive of our own minds than those of our distant cousins. What evolution should be telling us, he says, is that each species is equally well suited to its niche and should be examined for what it is, not how similar or different it is from us. How is it that chimpanzees can perform such remarkable problem-solving without language?

If a Lion Could Talk will not make anyone lose interest in animal minds, for that is not its intention. If anything, it inspires a real sense of admiration for the billions of living things that make it through each day despite the seemingly terrible handicap of not being human. Budiansky tells us that if we want to learn about our planet-mates, we have a lot of unlearning to do. Luckily for us he is gracious enough to provide an introductory unlesson. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

How many of us have caught ourselves gazing into the eyes of a pet, wondering what thoughts lie behind those eyes? Or fallen into an argument over which is smarter, the dog or the cat? Scientists have conducted elaborate experiments trying to ascertain whether animals from chimps to pigeons can communicate, count, reason, or even lie. So does science tell us what we assume -- that animals are pretty much like us, only not as smart? Simply, no. Now, in this superb book, Stephen Budiansky poses the fundamental question: "What is intelligence?" His answer takes us on the ultimate wildlife adventure to animal consciousness.

Budiansky begins by exposing our tendency to see ourselves in animals. Our anthropomorphism allows us to perceive intelligence only in behavior that mimics our own. This prejudice, he argues, betrays a lack of imagination. Each species is so specialized that most of their abilities are simply not comparable. At the mercy of our anthropomorphic tendencies, we continue to puzzle over pointless issues like whether a wing or an arm is better, or whether night vision is better than day vision, rather than discovering the real world of a winged nighthawk, a thoroughbred horse, or an African lion. Budiansky investigates the sometimes bizarre research behind animal intelligence experiments: from horses who can count or ace history quizzes, and primates who seem fluent in sign language, to rats who seem to have become self-aware, he reveals that often these animals are responding to our tiny unconscious cues. And, while critically discussing scientists' interpretations of animal intelligence, he is able to lay out their discoveries in terms of what we know about ourselves. For instance, by putting you in the minds of dogs or bees who travel by dead reckoning, he demonstrates that this is also how you find your way down a familiar street with almost no conscious awareness of your navigation system.

Modern cognitive science and the new science of evolutionary ecology are beginning to show that thinking in animals is tremendously complex and wonderful in its variety. A pigeon's ability to find its way home from almost anywhere has little to do with comparative intelligence; rather it is due to the pigeon's very different perception of the world. That's why, as Wittgenstein said, "If a lion could talk, we would not understand him." In this fascinating book, Budiansky frees us from the shackles of our ideas about the natural world, and opens a window to the astounding worlds of the animals that surround us.

Customer Reviews:

Very much worthwhile, but contentious.......2007-06-17

This is a very slippery book on a very slippery subject. What Stephen Budiansky is trying to do is demonstrate from his reading of the literature, including experiments published in peer-reviewed journals, that there is a distinction to be made between the minds of humans and all other animals. Budiansky seems not to believe that intelligence and consciousness are matters of degree, but matters of threshold. Following philosopher Daniel Dennett he attributes this nearly absolute difference between us and them to our ability to use symbolic language.

The reason the subject is so slippery is that an adequate definition of both intelligence and consciousness is lacking. The reason the book is contentious naturally follows from this, but additionally Budiansky seems to have an agenda or, call it a thesis. He writes: "Consciousness is a wonderful gift and a wonderful curse that, all the evidence suggests, is not in the realm of the sentient experiences of other creatures." (p. 194)

How true or not his statement may be really depends on the definition of consciousness. Unfortunately Budiansky does not give one, and so all his conclusions about the differences in consciousness between humans and other creatures are murky at best. The closest he comes to a definition is on page 193 where he asserts that "...language is so intimately tied to consciousness that the two seem inseparable." Using this "definition" it is only a matter of demonstrating that animals do not have language in order to demonstrate that they don't have consciousness.

However even in this I don't think Budiansky is successful. Much of the book is given over to showing how so many experiments using chimps and monkeys, pigeons and dogs, etc., that seem to demonstrate that language use by animals is just signaling. This position is well known. The argument is that humans are the only animals with grammatical, syntactical and symbolic ability built into their brains. Other animals cannot construct sentences because they have no syntax. They have no "theory of mind" because they cannot think symbolically.

But this is not proven, as Budiansky acknowledges. What is obvious is that whatever language ability other animals have is rudimentary compared to that of humans. And almost everyone would agree that the consciousness demonstrated by animals varies considerably. By the way, here's a quick definition of consciousness: awareness, identify, and self-awareness. A lot of confusion results because when people talk about consciousness, one person may have in mind "awareness," while another may be talking about "self-awareness" only, or about "self-identity." Awareness includes past, present and future events, and places here and elsewhere. We are very good at all of this, whereas other creatures are apparently not so good at anything other than the here and now. Because of our extended awareness, people like Budiansky are persuaded that we are on a consciousness level above other animals that should be recognized as different in kind.

Notice, by the way, that the idea that consciousness depends on language is by this definition obviously false. Sentient beings can be aware of many things without using language. Also there are different kinds of languages. Budiansky is talking about the kind of language that linguists study, the kind of language that Norm Chomsky analyzed to come up with his discovery that syntax is innate. But mathematics is a language, and when mathematicians are thinking about equations, they are conscious to the same extent that I am when I am thinking about how to put an idea into a sentence. Ditto for chess players and musicians. The languages that humans use are of one kind. We do not yet understand the languages the whales and dolphins speak.

What I don't like about Budiansky's insistence on a difference in kind is that when you stop to think about it, such a difference would be surprising since all life forms on this planet as far as we know evolved from a single ancient ancestor--unless of course you believe in a divine and separate creation.

Some other points at issue:

Budiansky wants to debunk the idea that animals are "worthy of special consideration" because their "behavior resembles" that of humans (see, e.g., p. xiii). I agree. We should appreciate other living things for what they are and not for how much they resemble us.

Consider the example of a chimpanzee holding out her hand to another in an appeasement gesture only to attack the other when he got near. Budiansky writes that a "theory of mind" interpretation would be that the tricky female knew the male would be misled in approaching and took advantage. But the "behaviorist spoilsport" interpretation is that the female had done this in the past and it worked and so did it again without recourse to reading the other's mind. (p. 182) This example illustrates just how difficult it is to say what is going on in another's mind. Personally I think the notion of a "theory of mind" should stay in the philosophy department.

One of the things that Budiansky makes clear is why some animals cry out when a predator appears. (See Chapter 6, "Speak!") Such calls seem altruistic to the point of being impossible from an evolutionary perspective; however Budiansky shows that such cries actually help the crier because their pitch either fools the attacking hawk so that it looks in the wrong direction, or the calls bring out other victims who go running about, thereby confusing the attacker or giving the attacker targets other than the crier.

Another nice thing that Budiansky does is show in sharp detail that the language accomplishments of chimpanzees and gorillas in some famous studies reveal not so much a human-like ability, but demonstrate the great gulf that exists between our use of language and theirs, which is not the kind of truth some people want to read.

its a book, not a bible.......2006-03-16

I'm a bit shocked by the seeming backlash to this work. So much so I'm going to read it again. I read it about 6 months ago and thought it was a fine piece of work.

I don't agree with all the authors conclusions, or even some of his definitions. But the book does one thing and it does it well.

It points out clearly just how careful we have to be in trying to infer conclusions from experiments. We are all subject to little soundbites on the news about this new fact or other coming from science, and yet we get no background on the methodolgies employed to arrive at these pronouncements of truth, the personal biases of the researchers or who has funded the research in the first place.

We are just encouraged to accept the new 'fact' and integrate it into our reptoire of knowledge. But as this book eloquently illustrates, if we shift perspective and rigourously subject the experimental methodology to the same degree of scientific scrutiny which we subject the phenomenon under the microscope we can often find that the results are less than definitive.

In the Behavioural Sciences, this is of supreme importance if the discipline is to provide society with valuable contributions to the knowledge base. For example, to train an animal to provide a response and to include stimuli which we recognise as numbers in that process does not mean the animal has any conception of the concept of number whatsoever. It just means the training has been effective. Replace the numbers with pictures of random objects and repeat the experiment, are the results the same? If the animal can be trained to replicate the same behaviour in the absence of numerical stimuli, the 'evidence' that a rabbit can count evaporates.

When I read his book, I sensed no 'agenda' which other reviewers are so vehemently convinced are the driving points of his motivation. Indeed I am forced to question if such emotionally driven responses to a simple book on general science are not the result of people being offended by his conclusions as opposed to being objective in their evaluation of the intent behind his work.

If you work in the behavioural sciences I strongly recommend that before you design your next experiment, you read this book and ask yourself if the behavioural test you are intending to conduct is going to provide you with insight into the animals behaviour, on its terms, not ours.

For the rest of us, if you have an objective interest in the application of the scientific method, then you'll find this book a damn good read.

You may not agree with SB, but you will appreciate the efforts he has made and enjoy the insights which are contained. Take these and develop your own conclusions and avoid the trap of soapboxing just because someone elses views are not aligned with your own.

In Search of the Animal Mind.......2006-01-23

Stephen Budiansky begins this fascinating and mind-altering book by debunking a classic story of animal intelligence and near-human understanding. It's the 1996 account of the female gorilla in Chicago's Brookfield Zoo who picked up a little boy and protected him from other gorillas when he fell into their enclosure. As reported in the newspapers and shown on TV, the story made everyone believe that the gorilla had shown concern for the boy and, in a sense, made an inter-species contact, but it turns out that previously, prior to giving birth, she had been trained by her keepers in maternal care with a baby doll. As for the other gorillas, they were kept away from the scene of the accident by fire hoses shooting water at their feet. Budiansky's demolition of an appealing myth rudely challenges our consoling assumptions about animal behavior, intelligence and consciousness, and prepares us for a rigorous and unsentimental investigation of those very attributes.

The title of the book comes from the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein: "If a lion could talk, we would not understand him." And Budiansky, in a careful survey of a wide range of research, shows how far we are from understanding the thinking of other animals--how anthropomorphic assumptions infect our testing of them in the lab, how human logic influences our observations of them in the field, how sentimental emotions govern our treatment of them in the home. Parsing out the differences, he advances the provocative hypothesis that all animals have basically the same intelligence working to satisfy their needs, only working through different anatomies and modalities, and so appearing unequal to us. The horse, the pigeon and the fish do equally well with what they've got---hoof, wing and fin; they eat, mate and get around with equal skill. We tend to rate their intelligence not by their performance in their own domain, but by how well they respond to us, or how human their actions appear. We set up IQ tests for them that favor human attributes: visual acuity, manual dexterity and problem solving with geometrical shapes. Or we teach them varieties of sign language, which feed back our own symbols to us and may mean nothing to them.

Ultimately, no matter how refined the experiment, it seems impossible to get beyond the wall separating animals and man, chiefly because they do not speak and every experiment devised by man inserts the human element. A sort of biological uncertainty principle emerges in which the experimenter foils the experiment. Budiansky is left imagining that we are most like other species when we are performing but not talking to ourselves, enjoying the zen-state so desperately sought by hyper-conscious man. Animals, he concludes, have their own ways, their own dignity and beauty. (I saw no bashing of animal rights claimed by other reviewers.) He moves perhaps into a realm of philosophy, leaving the reader bereft of easy assumptions. You will see the world of nature in a new way after reading this scintillating work.

Post scriptum. Although Budiansky does not explore the issue, his study has devastating implications for both scientists and Trekkies hoping to make contact with aliens. If ever we were to discover extraterrestrials, our approach to them inevitably would embody the same human preconceptions. Even if they were close to us anatomically, the prospect of finding common ground for communication is scant. The DNA of a chimpanzee differs from that of a man by only a couple of percentage points, yet the main thing we have been able to learn from our closest kin is that they want another banana.

Heavy in straw, but light in substance.......2005-01-11

A new class of science writer has emerged in recent years. Where science journalism was once an effort to bring often arcane material to a wider reading public, there is a new approach - debunk science whenever possible. Budiansky, in his opening to this book, is quite open about his agenda. Science, particularly the studies of animal behaviour, is actually driven by New Age animal protection schemes. This must come as a shock to those who have spent years of field and laboratory work trying to understand why various animals, including humans, act as they do.

Budiansky takes us through numerous animal studies, particularly that of primates. His theme is begun with the story of a zoo gorilla who purported(ly?) "saved" a child. That the media hype over this story is based on the fallacious assumption that these huge animals are a threat to humans never seems to have occurred to him. He is only concerned over whether it is "natural" for gorillas to "save" children. Are scientists, as Budiansky charges, over enthusiastically applying human values to our animal relatives?

From a false starting point, he continues with copious accounts of behaviour studies. Each is presented as if the research teams had claimed far more than they actually have done. This is precisely the kind of selective quotations technique others have used in attempting to refute evolution by natural selection. It's the use of whole paddocks of straw creatures that clearly lack substance or value. It also demonstrates that Budiansky is devoid of understanding how science works. Research builds up snippets of information from a great deal of work. In cognition, we're still learning to ask the proper questions, never mind the completeness of the answers.

The book goes on to address the issues of animal "self-awareness", deception, forms of communication and, of course, pain. Since he's keen to refute those seeking greater protection for animals other than ourselves, it's important to Budiansky to limit any meaning to any of these concepts. The irony in all this is that he attributes other animals with talents such as mapping, distance assessment, deception, survival strategies and other attributes without granting these traits any real value. The book is filled with self-contradictions which neither Budiansky nor his editor appear to have noticed. It's as if the manuscript was typed, then rushed into print to meet a deadline.

Budiansky's "references" make abundantly clear that he's failed to consult the more prominent animal behaviourists. John Alcock, Thomas Eisner or Bernd Heinrich are noticeably absent from the list. He gives Seyforth and Cheney ["How Monkeys See the World"] lengthy coverage, only to lambaste them for misrepresenting their findings. He cites Daniel Dennett frequently, but in doing so simply adopts a limited definition of consciousness from what he's used elsewhere in the book. While he claims to have a handle on the evolutionary roots of behaviour, it's clear he has no real grasp of the development of cognition. When he arrives at language, of course, he soars with flowery rhetoric. There's no doubt that language gives humans a special cognitive ability. Does that thus relegate the rest of the animal kingdom to a subordinate role in life? Budiansky thinks so, and wants his readers to follow his lead. It's a false trail. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Intellectually Dishonest.......2004-09-07

Let me be clear about something at the outset. I am not an animal rights activist, but I am a pet owner. I am not a scientist, and I eat meat. All biases fully disclosed at the outset of this review.

The fundamental problem with Mr. Budiansky's argument is that it is phony.

He is trying to prove that animals are not our equals -- that their consciousness is not equal to ours. This is like me trying to prove that Einstein knew more about physics than I do. You don't need a book for that.

But what's worse about this book, is that Budiansky botches such a simple argument. You could easily argue that humans have a higher consciousness than animals, but it seems reasonable that you would also argue that animals feel...something. To me, these do not appear to be inconsistent positions.

Yet Budiansky won't, or can't, allow this. His sham argument is absolute.

He states that what an animal perceives is unknowable, but then confidently asserts that animals perceive nothing. Their "pain is not pain". Did I miss something, or did logic go on a permanent holiday?

I may not be able to perceive the pain of an animal, or even know that it exists, but I hear the squeal of my dog when I accidentally step on her paw. I don't need to pay Budiansky to have him tell me that what she felt wasn't techically "pain" in the human sense nor do I need him to explain that my dog and I aren't going to have any deep philosophical conversations any time soon.

But he does have a decent command of syntax.

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If Animals Could Talk
William L. Coleman
Manufacturer: Bethany House Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0871239612

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If Your Dog Could Talk
Glad I bought it.

If Your Dog Could Talk
Bruce Fogle
Manufacturer: DK ADULT
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Based on expert research and a specially commissioned veterinary survey, bestselling pet author Dr. Bruce Fogle offers insight into all aspects of your dog's behavior.

Customer Reviews:

If Your Dog Could Talk.......2007-07-19

Dr. Bruce Fogle is my favorite animal behavioral author. I've read and reviewed books by the good doctor before and he always seems to provide me with a good deal of insight into my pets in a way that I can understand. If your dog could talk... is no exception.

The subtitle for this book is "A training guide for humans". Basically, this text is meant to teach us humans what our dogs are really thinking. Far too often, we infer human personality to our dogs' actions. For instance, we assume Puddles is peeing on the furniture because she's angry at us. The thought that she's in heat never enters our mind. Similarly, when Sparky jumps up at us when he greats us, we think he is being aggressive or showing his lack of training. Really, he just wants some regurgitated food like his Mommy used to provide (yuck!).

If you have a dog, know a dog, or are planning to get a dog buy this book. The insight you will gain will be invaluable. I guarantee you'll spend a lot more time enjoying your friend and a lot less time freaking out because you aren't sure what he or she is thinking.

Glad I bought it........2007-06-02

This Doctor writes well, knows dogs as a vet and dog owner and is a real researcher. He's much more reliable as a source of real information than those that make up their own guesses about why dog behavior occurs. When it isn't known, he says so. This is my first dog, and the books by Bruce Fogle are very informative. The other books, particularly "The Dogs Mind" delve into brain anatomy and genetics to explain dog behavior.They are so differant from us, and yet so similar to us, as he makes so clear.

If Only They Could Talk: The Miracles of Spring Farm

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Do not waist your time with this book!
Excellent, and yes they can talk!!!
One of the best books Ive read
Sweet story of an animal farm with many "personalities" jabbering
GREAT!!! GREAT!!! GREAT!!!

If Only They Could Talk: The Miracles of Spring Farm
Bonnie Jones Reynolds , and Dawn Hayman
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0743464869

Book Description

Welcome to Spring Farm, where animals and people come together -- to explore their own natural ability to communicate with each other....

Something magical is happening on a small farm in upstate New York. Animals of all shapes and sizes are living side by side -- talking, listening, learning, and loving -- along with caring people who have come to learn the secrets of interspecies communication. It's a gift that all of us are born with, as long as we're willing to open our hearts and minds to the gentle creatures who share our world.

This is what happened at Spring Farm when two very special women gave shelter to animals that were sick or abandoned. As trust and affection grew between them, so did their capacity to exchange feelings and thoughts. Today, the miracle of Spring Farm CARES is shared through communication workshops for visitors, students, and animal lovers. So come discover the magic of Spring Farm. Humans are more than welcome....

You'll meet Ricardo the duck, who explains that he won't leave his warm nest in a nearby chimney even if the house owners disapprove... Chubby the horse, who shares her feelings of despair when her barn catches fire... Elvis the kitten, who wiggles like a rock star... Sugar the Shetland pony, who dedicates a poem to her long-lost herd...and a whole menagerie of mouse-friendly cats, loving llamas, gregarious guinea pigs, delightful dogs, and other amazing critters.

Customer Reviews:

Do not waist your time with this book!.......2007-05-24

I am giving my opinion on this book, which is a complete waist of time. I admire animal lovers and care providers, and it seems they do a great job on that farm caring for abandoned horses and other animals. But the book, seems a very bad copy of James Herriot books, even the title is copied from his first book.Even If you beleive in telepathic communication with animals (dead or alive), animal reencarnation, UFOs, Human & animal ghosts, Horses writing poems through telepathy, I am pretty sure that you will find this book boring & badly written. Maybe it is their way to make publicity for their farm which depends partly on donations... As I said their Farm for animal care seems admirable, but the book... not worth your time.

Excellent, and yes they can talk!!!.......2007-03-13

This was excellent, but I already knew the story because I've taken several classes at Spring Farm. Dawn, Bonnie, and everyone else are great and the animals are by far the most loving and interesting bunch I've ever encountered. Spring Farm has incredible energy, and being with all of those animals was a life altering experience. This book just gives a small inkling of what goes on there. I hope Dawn and Bonnie will write another book.

One of the best books Ive read.......2007-01-10

I absolutely loved this book and I recommend it for any one who loves animals, and especially those interested in the fascinating subject of animal communication. A truely wonderful read.

Sweet story of an animal farm with many "personalities" jabbering.......2006-07-16

Truth is indeed stranger than fiction, and I do believe Bonnie and Dawn hear the idiosyncratic ramblings from their host of animals .Interspecies communication is an interest of mine but I much prefer the intelligences of flowers, trees and rocks and their overlords the devas.I state that up front because I would have probably given five stars if I was a true animal lover
If you have any interest in animals and their care- and their viewpoints- you will love this memoir!

GREAT!!! GREAT!!! GREAT!!!.......2006-06-09

i LOVED this book. given that i have been to this farm and witnessed alot of these things for myself, i can attest to the truth and honesty at spring farm cares. i have met bonnie, dawn and lots of the animals mentioned in this book. its great to read a book in which you know everyone!! these 2 woman and all the people, animals and spirits there are doing something that is AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL. while living on another farm (the o'connor farm in litchfield, ny) where i rented my apartment, my landlord & landlady (jim & roberta o'connor) gave as much hay as they had to spring farm after their fire. i have also donated with glee and will continue to do so. it is a hard & extremely costly, but loving 'job' to take care of a farm this size, but to them it is NOT like work at all. it is like a natural way of life for them. the strength, love and mystery that grows there is truly a miracle. i have sent friends to dawn for readings to find lost animals. at first i did it just to see what would happen because i knew dawn knew absolutely NOTHING about the pet or owner before contacting dawn. each time, she directly them to the lost pet - not always living since telepathy can be read in the living as well as the dead - but in all cases, dawn provided closure to these pets and pet owners. if not for bonnie & dawn, this beautiful place would not exist. i have seen it grow from the beginning. although i have moved out of that area now, i am always following their newsletters and website. they have a gorgeous sanctuary. countless miracles occur and continue to occur there all the time. if i could give it 10 stars, i would gladly do so :))

If Animals Could Talk: Creation Speaks for Itself

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Must-read for all Christians and a great gift to give to others!

If Animals Could Talk: Creation Speaks for Itself
Werner Gitt
Manufacturer: Master Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0890514607

Product Description

Did you know that while in flight, the sparrows heart can beat up to 760 times per minute? Or that a baby blue whale grows at a rate of 3.3 kg an hour while its nursing, a grand total of 17 tons by the end of the nursing stage? How about that glow worms have a light output efficiency of 100%, as compared to only 4% for our incandescent bulbs? Dr. Werner Gitt, one of the foremost creationist speakers in the world, uses his scientific expertise in this book to show the unique design features of some of Gods most captivating creations. All people, young and old, layperson or expert, will be able to understand and enjoy this straightforward book. Told from the perspective of the animals being described, If Animals Could Talk clearly shows the impossibility of life without design. Dr. Gitt uses simple language to provoke a sense of wonder and awe at the marvelous design of the Creator.

Customer Reviews:

Must-read for all Christians and a great gift to give to others!.......2007-06-16

I have recommended this book to loads of my friends, and everyone was always enthusiastic about it.
No. 1: it's very interesting to read.
No. 2: it is very well researched and presents irrefutable facts of biology.
No. 3: the author believes in a Creator and challenges anyone to explain how these different facts could have been caused by evolution.
This is not "blind" faith, but rather a well thought out presentation of the Bible side of things.
If you are a Christian you will get a great blessing from reading this book, and if you are not but are willing to be challenged, read this book!

If Dogs Could Talk: Exploring the Canine Mind

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Not a bedtime book!
Interesting, but flaky
Excellent Book

If Dogs Could Talk: Exploring the Canine Mind
Vilmos Csanyi
Manufacturer: North Point Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0865476861
Release Date: 2005-01-05

Book Description

Every dog owner knows intuitively that there's something special about the high degree of mutual understanding and empathy that exists between humans and their proverbial best friends. Now, an internationally renowned Hungarian ethologist (a specialist in the scientific study of animal behavior) traces the roots of this unique relationship back to the unusual circumstances in which the two species co-evolved over many millennia.

Drawing in part on close observations of his own two pet dogs, Flip and Jerry, the author argues that the longstanding alliance of dogs and humans arose from behavioral traits present in the original wolves from which all modern dogs are descended. Wolves, like humans, are highly intelligent social predators, with well-developed cooperative problem-solving and communications skills, giving them distinct advantages in their developing relations with humans. These basic intellectual skills were refined and enhanced over tens of thousands of years, resulting in the enormously varied "artificial animals" we see today.

Although the book's specific focus is on dogs, it ranges far afield to discuss in an easy-going, accessible style recent experimental and theoretical work on the behavior of other animals, and especially on their interactions with humans. A highly personal work, If Dogs Could Talk makes the case that the social and emotional bonds between dogs and humans are indeed special, and that they ought to form the basis for our treatment of dogs. Moreover, the author concludes, by closely observing the cognitive behavior of dogs, we can also learn a good deal about how the human mind works.

Customer Reviews:

Not a bedtime book!.......2007-04-04

I have to say that I enjoyed this book even though it was not an "easy read". The stories of Csanyi's own dogs were amusing - and he pointed out reasonable explanations for their behavior. I agree with some of his theories such as: Dogs were domestically bred to understand and communicate with humans. Makes sense although he does go a bit too far. The experiments were interesting, the study of ethology being what it is. Interesting book but not for the novice.

Interesting, but flaky.......2005-08-04

This book is by a top ethologist (one who studies behavior and thought processes, as far as I can gather) and gives insight into the minds of dogs. The author is careful to tell us that the many anecdotes he tells about his own dogs should be interpreted with caution, but that anecdotes can lead to careful scientific experimentation, which can give more substantial information.

The work is largely pretty scholarly and goes into the way other animals, including humans, Alex the parrot and the clever Hans (a counting horse), think and reason. The author makes compelling arguments, using both anecdotes and experiments, for dogs' being able to show empathy, ask questions, respond, and perform several other high-order cognitive functions normally associated with only humans. This makes sense when you realize that among all animals, dogs are the species that has been most influenced by human tinkering. Dogs truly are adapted to living with us and being true companions.

And that was all well and good and very interesting. But sometimes, the author makes some pretty wild stretches in interpreting his dogs' actions, for example, and states his interpretations as unambiguous, when they really didn't seem that way to me. For a scientist, he doesn't always seem all that rigorous when it comes to his own dogs (who, by the way, as he himself admits, are ill-mannered).

Then right at the end he goes off on a wild tangent of how breeders should intentionally breed hybrid dogs from purebred stock (I'm a fan of the mixed breeds, but I've never heard anyone propose such a deliberate program to breed them) and even proposes developing talking dogs. He didn't seem to be kidding!

At the very end, he goes on a rant about using dogs in laboratory experiments. I don't like it much myself, but he makes several misstatements about the practice. Maybe in Hungary laboratories use dogs from shelters or stolen from loving families, but in the developed world, dogs for experimentation are bred for that purpose.

Finally, the translation from the Hungarian was often a bit stilted and odd. Still, there was a lot of interesting information among the flakiness.

Excellent Book.......2005-03-28

Learned a great deal about the mental abilities of dogs. The book gets into great detail with experiments that are not easy to follow for the non-science reader. I gave it 5 stars because I learned so much more from this book than anywhere else.

101 Questions Your Cat Would Ask Its Vet (If Your Cat Could Talk)

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101 Questions Your Cat Would Ask If Your Cat Could
Great Book, especially if you love cats!!

101 Questions Your Cat Would Ask Its Vet (If Your Cat Could Talk)
Bruce Fogle
Manufacturer: Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Birds | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0785804390

Customer Reviews:

101 Questions Your Cat Would Ask If Your Cat Could.......2003-07-07

Great book, mainly for those who didn't have ever had a cat. Serious but simple with lots of good advices and things everyone having a cat should know! I have loved it! Maria Manuel (Portugal)

Great Book, especially if you love cats!!.......1998-11-14

This is a great book for cat lovers. Brought many smiles..

101 Questions Your Dog Would Ask Its Vet (If Your Dog Could Talk)

Average customer rating:

for your teenager's first dog

101 Questions Your Dog Would Ask Its Vet (If Your Dog Could Talk)
Bruce Fogle
Manufacturer: Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0785804382

Customer Reviews:

for your teenager's first dog.......2002-03-16

Because I've read dozens of dog books by now, I'm pretty fussy about them. I want them to have fresh new insights to solving problems I've found unsolvable. For that, this is not a suitable book.

On the other hand, it is an EXCELLENT starter book, written in a simple and very readable style. This is the book I would choose to give a teenager who is starting out with a new dog. The questions are posed from the canine point of view with charming results. Here's one of my favorites:

"I enjoyed watching television when I lived in Europe, but now that I have moved to America, all I see is a blur. What has happened to my eyes?"

Customer Reviews:

Very well thought out.......2003-05-25

If A Lion Could Talk...he wouldn't have much to say. This more or less scholarly examination of animal intelligence presents a good argument that animals are unique and very unlike the human beings who want so much to know what they are "thinking." Many studies are cited in which initially it appeared animals were using the kind of reasoning we recognize, but after exhaustive research, the results were either inconclusive or pointed in the other direction. Much of animal behavior is genetic, demonstrates the author, and although they are capable of learning complex tasks, their entire methodology is different. Language is for people, not animals, despite our desire to believe our pets "understand" us when we speak to them. They become conditioned through experience to respond to us in the best way to get their desired reward. Their behavior is entirely goal seeking, and they do develop ingenious ways to achieve their self-serving goals. The author points out that we should appreciate animals for what they are and not try to view them in terms of how much they are like ourselves. Animal intelligence, for example, cannot be measured using anything close to the criteria we would apply to measuring human intelligence or learning capacity. All in all, this was a provocative book that in my own mind at least, laid to rest many of the myths about animal communication. It was a bit dry at times but held my interest throughout because there were many excellent lessons to be learned. It's difficult to get outside ourselves and objectively evaluate "beings" that we don't understand. At least animals are smart enough not to spend much time pondering what we are thinking!

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