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Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior |  | Authors: Temple Grandin, Catherine Johnson
Publisher: Mariner Books
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy Used: $0.36
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Seller: airportplacebooks
Rating:  182 reviews
Sales Rank: 1564
Media: Paperback
Pages: 372
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.3 x 1
ISBN: 0156031442
Dewey Decimal Number: 591.5
EAN: 9780156031448
ASIN: 0156031442
Publication Date: January 2, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| • | ISBN13: 9780156031448 | | • | Condition: USED - VERY GOOD | | • | Notes: |
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Product Description
I don't know if people will ever be able to talk to animals the way Doctor Doolittle could, or whether animals will be able to talk back. Maybe science will have something to say about that. But I do know people can learn to "talk" to animals, and to hear what animals have to say, better than they do now. --From Animals in Translation
Why would a cow lick a tractor? Why are collies getting dumber? Why do dolphins sometimes kill for fun? How can a parrot learn to spell? How did wolves teach man to evolve? Temple Grandin draws upon a long, distinguished career as an animal scientist and her own experiences with autism to deliver an extraordinary message about how animals act, think, and feel. She has a perspective like that of no other expert in the field, which allows her to offer unparalleled observations and groundbreaking ideas.
People with autism can often think the way animals think, putting them in the perfect position to translate "animal talk." Grandin is a faithful guide into their world, exploring animal pain, fear, aggression, love, friendship, communication, learning, and, yes, even animal genius. The sweep of Animals in Translation is immense and will forever change the way we think about animals.
*includes a Behavior and Training Troubleshooting Guide Among its provocative ideas, the book:
- argues that language is not a requirement for consciousness--and that animals do have consciousness
- applies the autism theory of "hyper-specificity" to animals, showing that animals and autistic people are so sensitive to detail that they "can't see the forest for the trees"--a talent as well as a "deficit"
- explores the "interpreter" in the normal human brain that filters out detail, leaving people blind to much of the reality that surrounds them--a reality animals and autistic people see, sometimes all too clearly
- explains how animals have "superhuman" skills: animals have animal genius
- compares animals to autistic savants, declaring that animals may in fact be autistic savants, with special forms of genius that normal people do not possess and sometimes cannot even see
- examines how humans and animals use their emotions to think, to decide, and even to predict the future
- reveals the remarkable abilities of handicapped people and animals
- maintains that the single worst thing you can do to an animal is to make it feel afraid
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 182
 Her observations are golden March 1, 2010
F. Yang (Philadelphia, PA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
As a neuropharmacology graduate student, I have realized that the key to great science are great observations.
Temple Grandin's unique mental assets has allowed her to make observations that a normal person is blind to. In particular, she observes a reality which eludes our senses. A reality that is very real and very important to our own lives.
Amazing Understanding of Animals February 28, 2010
K. Johanson (Napa, CA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Amazing, even more so to read it for the second time. This book is full of scientifically researched and backed information and studies about pets and animals. The author highlights the importance of care and training of animals on a level of complete truth of sound research. Being autistic herself, this genius in her own right, can understand animals at a deep level animals think and behave and transcribe this level of understanding into words we understand. At least most of us understand because some of us see in pictures as she does and animals seem to. Her commitment is to assist humans in understanding animals and to care for them with humanity, respect and correct attentions. By Malka In The Closet, Napa, CA
you'd probably never think to read it, but you SHOULD! February 25, 2010
lisa shea (honolulu, hi)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
every human being who has/will come in contact with animals should read this book. grandin takes complex concepts such as human and animal psychology, physiology and neurology and translates them into well constructed anecdotes. at times funny, and at times eye opening, this book is the one guidebook i would recommend to living peacefully with animals.
if you've ever wondered why animals behave the way they do, or if you've ever wanted to consider how much animals can tell us about ourselves, run to the bookstore now and get this book!
Read this book! January 31, 2010
Scotch Tape
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a beautifully written and incredibly informative book. Temple Grandin is brilliant and I thank her for enlightening me.
A must-read for anyone interested in animals, autism, or the brain January 5, 2010
StdPudel (Somerville, MA United States)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
As an animal lover and one who has chosen to share my life with dogs, I have read many books about animal behavior, dog training etc. Animals in Translation is the most powerful book I have read in many years. Grandin, in a conversational style, blends the results of brain experiments done on living animals with her empathetic observations of animals large and small. I deliberately slowed my reading to give myself time to assimilate the various "wow" insights in the book. For example, Grandin says that fear "hurts" animals worse than pain. After consideration, I agree. Grandin doesn't minimize the pain animals feel. On the contrary, her goal is to put the reader behind the animal's eyes and make readers realize the severe effect fear can have.
I recommend Animals in Translation to anyone interested in animals or animal training, or to those interested in neurology (Grandin was featured in the Oliver Sacks book An Anthropologist On Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales) or psychology.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 182
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