When Elephants Weep
The Emotional Lives of Animals
Book - 1995
This national bestseller exploring the complex emotional lives of animals was hailed as "a masterpiece" by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas and as "marvelous" by Jane Goodall. The popularity ofWhen Elephants Weephas swept the nation, as author Jeffrey Masson appeared onDateline NBC, Good Morning America,and was profiled inPeoplefor his ground-breaking and fascinating study. Not since Darwin'sThe Expression of Emotions in Man and Animalshas a book so thoroughly and effectively explored the full range of emotions that exist throughout the animal kingdom. From dancing squirrels to bashful gorillas to spiteful killer whales, Masson and coauthor Susan McCarthy bring forth fascinating anecdotes and illuminating insights that offer powerful proof of the existence of animal emotion. Chapters on love, joy, anger, fear, shame, compassion, and loneliness are framed by a provocative re-evaluation of how we treat animals, from hunting and eating them to scientific experimentation. Forming a complete and compelling picture of the inner lives of animals,When Elephants Weepassures that we will never look at animals in the same way again. From the Trade Paperback edition.
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Publisher:
New York : Delacorte Press, 1995.
ISBN:
9780385314251
0385314256
0385314256
Characteristics:
xxiii, 291 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.
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Add a CommentI read this book years ago and I'll never forget it, I'm coming back to re-read it now. It changed my life and put science and behavioral specialist research to what I always knew what was true about animals and how amazing they are. I think that everyone should read this book and it should be in schools' curriculum.
Thought provoking, and full of a wide range of examples, "When Elephants Weep" is a brilliant look at the idea that many of the emotions we believe are exclusive to humans, are really not. A methodical approach is used to look at each emotion type; by looking at what scientists often limit to behaviour, what field researchers have noted, and by using commonsense comparisons to humans, a definitive case is made for the fact that, not only do elephants weep, but many other animals do too.