The theme this week is animal behavior, as you can see from Monday’s review of “A Dog About Town” and the accompanying giveaway (access them both here).
The latest Chronicle Review (dated October 23, 2009) also highlights animal behavior as a growing interdisciplinary concern, although in truth, ethology has been gaining respect for years, from the groundbreaking studies of Harry Harlow to the naturalist emphasis of Nobel Laureate Nikko Tinbergen to the popular studies of Jane van Lawick-Goodall and Dian Fosse that won so many hearts and minds.
Why the appeal? In part, it is because the ecological future of mankind can no longer be assured by maintaining a division between living creatures. And in part, there is so much insight to be gained into human behavior by examining similar behavior in animals without the obfuscation of language.
Animal behavioralists have been busy beating down the barriers of difference between us and other species. For example, the four necessary determinants of culture (according to Talcott Parsons) have all been demonstrated in animal groups: viz: (1) symbolic systems; (2) transmission of symbols over generations; (3) a normative order organizing the life of the population; and (4) that normative order functioning as the focus of exclusive attachment and reward-expectation.
As biologists Pierce and Bekoff argue in the article “Moral in Tooth and Claw” in The Chronicle:
…animals have social lives rich beyond our imagining, and that cooperation and caring have shaped the course of evolution every bit as much as competition and ruthlessness have. Individuals form intricate networks and have a large repertoire of behavior patterns that help them get along with one another and maintain close and generally peaceful relationships.”
The current issue of The Chronicle is full of academic references, but there are plenty of wonderful books outside of academia that can give you information on animal behavior.
Two more recent examples are Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg (see my review here) and Wesley the Owl, by Stacey O’Brien (see my review here). You may know a bit already about the intelligence of parrots, but you will be amazed and delighted to read about the loving, loyal barn owl Wesley, in one of the best books I read in 2008.
And since Christmas is coming upon us with remarkable speed, you may as well know that you can get a plush Wesley the Owl to go along with the book, here.
I listened to a blogtalk radio show about Alex and Me and I was just fascinated by the story! I am such a sucker for animal books, movies, commercials, etc.
I’ve always been quite concerned about animals rights, so I’m delighted that it’s a growing field in science! :)
I read Wesley the Owl earlier this year & loved it (though I bawled through the last couple chapters)-I WANT that plush owl so badly!
Owls have always fascinated me. This spring we noticed an owl liveing along our walking path. Not sure what kind of owl it was though because i never did get a picture of it. Wesley the Owl sounds like a book I might need to check out.
Wesley is a real cutie. I like the quote about the social behavior of animals. I like to animal watch almost as much as I like to people watch. I notice dogs the most and I watch them at the various campgrounds. From the behavior of the owners I can tell they don’t know each other but the dogs behave differently. Most of the time you would think they were long lost family members. They are just so friendly and happy to meet each other. I’ve wondered many times what drives this behavior.
I remember reading your review, and others reviews about Alex and Me. Any true story about animals is a huge draw for me, and is sure to make me cry, even when it is happy. Right now I am fixated on reading the Good, Good Pig!
When my two older ones were younger, one of their favourite books for me to read aloud to them was Owls in the Family, by Farley Mowat.
Wesley looks like a real cutie – my library doesn’t have the book, but I’m going to add it to my wish list!
The plushie is adorable. I love the story of Irene Pepperberg & her research. I worked at MIT while she was there & she was a legend! :-)
I really need to get my hands on the Wesley the Owl book (making mental note to hit Paperbackswap to see if anyone has it there). :) And you know I loved reading about Alex & Me, but then I love books about language and communication in any form.
One of my favourite children’s books, which I didn’t come across as a child, but was introduced to when I had my own children to buy books for, is Charlotte’s Web by E,B White – It ’s an enthralling tale,and in a subtle way has a lot to tell us about life, and death too.
The key non-human creatures are a pig and a spider. We’ve got several of the latter in lurking in dark corners , but the real owner of the house is Heidi, our enormous and extremly friendly tabby.She’s purring I’d like to be able to attach I’ve got a picture of her on my post of July5th : Heidi the Cat and Poem of the Week. http://www.christinecoleman.net/heidi-cat-poem-week/
sorry about the scrambled sentences – somehow the middle bits get left out – will try to make sure I check before I press ‘Send’ in future!
I’ve read Alex and Me (audio version and loved it) and read the print version of Wesley the Owl; good but not as good as Alex & Me IMO. Enjoy!
Hi Jill … I mean Linda…I mean Rhapsody…
: )
I just want to thank you for all your support in the Read-A-Thon yesterday! Your comments just cracked me up (as always) and I think you are just awesome! I hope you knew that already!
And I just read “Alex & Me” and just adored it so I’ve got to check out the Wesley/Hedwig book. I try not to read reviews before I write my own so I’ll be back to read your Alex & Me review once I’m done my own!
Haggis forever!