InfoPet - Miscellaneous books

Books on Animals Miscellaneous: General If you want to buy a book, clicking on the book cover will take you directly to that book on the Amazon.co.uk web site. See also: Miscellaneous: Animal care and vet books

Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	In the Company of Animals James Serpell Cambridge University Press; 2Rev Ed edition (13 Aug 1996) ISBN-10: 0521577799 ISBN-13: 978-0521577793 This is a lovely book, a little flawed and dated, yes, but a book with heart, that makes you prick up your ears and think. Serpell's examination of relationships between humans and other animals first came out in 1986, and much of what he argues has become mainstream in Europe and the US since then. He contrasts, for example, the pampering of pets with the miserable lives of intensively farmed animals. There is now far more consumer awareness of our responsibilities towards the animals we eat. Some folks, of course, solve the problem by not eating meat at all, but most humans like some meat in their diets, and these days, more of us aim to buy meat from animals which could enjoy a good quality of life before they were sacrificed to fill our stomachs. It is useful to read 'In the Company of Animals' together with Temple Grandin's 'Animals in Translation, because Temple Grandin faces up to and tackles many of the moral issues posed by James Serpell. A key issue, she argues, is that if we have to kill animals to eat them, they should have as stress-free a death as possible. James Serpell identifies some of the mechanisms that humans use to kill animals without feeling guilt, and he shows how we use the same mechanism to behave badly towards other humans. Domestic animals reared for slaughter are not given names, for example, just as concentration camp inmates were denied the identity that a name provides. Christian doctrine has proclaimed that animals have no souls, so they are on earth to be used by humans. Animals sacrificed in different religious rituals may be blamed for committing crimes, or the person who kills them may claim that it is the Gods who command the death, the fault is not with the executioner. It is worthwhile, Serpell argues, being aware of the self-deceptions used by humans to justify ill treating animals, partly because of the serious dangers that arise when we apply these same self-deceptions to other humans. Pets have a privileged position compared with other domestic animals. They have names, we show them affection and often treat them as if they were part of the family. Serpell presents a case against pets, for example he recognises that there are people who privilege their pets above their own children, but, on balance, he sees the relationship between people and their pets as mutually beneficial. Having contact with pets can make us happier and more relaxed, and also improve our relationship with other humans. Serpell is a zoologist who has ventured into social anthropology, and he finds that all sorts of societies have pets. Even hunter gatherer societies enjoy the company of animals which serve no obvious purpose. Having a pet is not just a feature of affluent, developed societies (though buying large pedigree dogs as though they were luxury consumer dogs is a feature of certain affluent societies). Keeping pets is part of our history as humans. Hunter gatherers have tended to respect the animals they hunt. Farmers, in contrast, have tended to emphasise dominating and subduing nature, and Serpell presents a very gloomy picture of moving from a hunter gatherer society to a farming society. He is certainly correct that farming can be very destructive. It can turn verdant havens into deserts. When animals are treated simply as sources of meat or milk, with no concern for their welfare, this undermines our humanity, including our ability to treat other humans decently. However, good farming practice includes nourishing the soil, conserving trees, and understanding the needs of sheep, cattle and pigs enough to provide them with contented lives - issues that have received more attention in Europe and the US since Serpell wrote In the Company of Animals. Most of what Serpell has to say about pets, however, fits with what most pet owners feel intuitively. Yes we do have to use common sense, to be considerate of non-pet owners, and to remember that cats, dogs, and other animals that we keep as pets have non-human needs and perceptions. They are not substitute children, but special in their own right. Yes, it is arbitrary and unfair that some species of animals, such as pigs and even dogs may either be cossetted and treated with affection, or confined in cramped conditions and slaughtered for food. Caring for pets can make us more human, but we are not fully human, in the best sense of the word, until we can face up to the responsibilities posed by animals destined to become human food. It is a measure of the strength of this book that so much of it reads like common sense now, more than two decades after it was written. Serpell has been overtaken by some of the more extreme (and to pragmatic British observers) overly ideological stances in the US, and to a lesser extent in Europe. Views that the very term 'pet' is degrading for animals, and that animals should not be kept as pets for the animals' sake, miss the point that Serpell makes, that such relationships can be mutually beneficial. Draconian laws imposing the compulsory pre-pubertal neutering of pets, with all the health risks that this implies for them, tend to shock Europeans. Our relationships with animals reflect the societies we live in. Societies where it is common to perceive puppies as consumer items will tend to end up with an overpopulation of adult dogs. Legislation restricting certain breeds in both the US and Europe reflects both a trend to purchase large breed dogs as luxury consumers items, with little thought for the responsibilities involved, and the fears of non-dog- owners, who are less used to meeting large dogs these days, and so are more likely to interpret the approach of a large dog as threatening. Dated this book may be, but it is a little gem, which deserves to be preserved, perhaps with a longer introduction on how it fits into developments since 1986. Highly recommended. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Animals in Translation Temple Grandin Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; New Ed edition (1 May 2006) ISBN-10: 0747566690 ISBN-13: 978-0747566694 This is a very lively exploration of how animals perceive the world, think and feel, and of special animal talents. It has helpful insights for people caring for animals, especially cattle, sheep and pigs. The author, Temple Grandin, also explores ways in which austistic people see the world, and similarities between autistic perceptions and the perceptions of animals. Grandin is herself autistic. This has been both a handicap and a gift. She is able to perceive details that normal people miss, and which animals notice. One of her achievements has been to reduce stress levels for animals going to slaughter. She both likes cattle, and likes eating meat, and figures that the least we can do is to make animals' last moments as stress-free as possible. People have a huge responsibility towards domestic animals, Grandin stresses, because we control their enviornment. This control includes selection pressures on animals. Breeders selecting for particular physical traits, such as fast weight gain, or appearance, may change other traits, and can even create animals with emotional and behavioural problems. This was the case of the rapist roosters, where courtship genetic information was accidentally deleted, leading to dead hens, killed by roosters which no longer knew how to court them, and killed them in attempts to mate. Breeders may not notice the unintended emotional consequences because they are focusing on physical, rather than emotional traits. A great strength of this book is the way that Grandin draws on different fields of academic knowledge, her practical experience of working with animals, and insights from being autistic. The tone of the book is thoughtful and conversational. It is not a book for people who like to see 'science' as cut and dried. No-one can cover as much ground as Grandin does without making mistakes. On some issues she is just plain wrong, for example, her tendency to overgeneralise about mutts, or mongrel dogs, and to forget how much they can vary in terms of health and temperament. In a curious way, this weakness is also a strength, in that readers are forced to think about the ideas that she presents, rather than accepting them passively as coming from a higher plane. The book is very accessible, with a mix of anecdote and hard science. It is often funny and moving, and is a gripping account of animals perceptions and motivations. It is highly recommended both for pet owners and livestock farmers, as well as for anyone curious about human perceptions and motivations. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	The Hedgehog : An Owner's Guide to a Happy, Healthy Pet Dawn Wrobel, Susan A. Brown Howell Books ISBN: 0876055013 An introductory guide to keeping African pygmy hedgehogs. This is a very useful guide for owners of African pygmy hogs. It provides basic information on hog care, and is easy to read. Dawn Wrobel is well-known as a specialist in matters relating to African pygmy hedgehogs, and she writes from experience backed by research. This is the best of the shorter books on African pygmy hog care, though hog fanatics may prefer something meatier like Nigel Reeve's book on hogs world-wide to understand their little friends in greater depth. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Hedgehogs Pat Morris, Guy Troughton (Illustrator) Whittet Books ISBN: 0905483286 An enchanting book by naturalist, Pat Morris, who has a long-term interest in hedgehogs as part of British wildlife. This is well worth reading for fun and hog lore, whether you rescue hedgehogs, or just have an interest in wildlife. Morris wears his expertise lightly, and writes in a very entertaining way for a general audience. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	The Natural Hedgehog Lenni Sykes, Jane Durrant Gaia Books ISBN: 1856750736 This is a very useful practical guide to help people looking after injured or sick hedgehogs. It provides invaluable help for people trying to look after convalescing wild European hogs, and those seeking to encourage visiting hogs. It is well illustrated and written clearly enough for non-vets to understand easily. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Hedgehogs Nigel Reeve (Editor) Academic Press ISBN: 085661081X Nigel Reeve's guide to hogs is a must for serious hog fans. There is a wealth of information on the natural history of different species of hogs world wide, using recent research. The book is accessible to a general readership, and is beautifully illustrated. The book is primarily aimed at wildlife enthusiasts, but has a lot of useful information on feeding and medical treatment for pet owners, people who care for orphan and sick wild hogs, and vets who are presented with wild and pet hogs to treat. There is also advice for people who wish to encourage hogs in their gardens. Nigel Reeve has a long-term interest in hogs, and this book gives pet owners a deeper understanding of their hog's needs than the average guide to hogs as pets. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Biology and Wildlife of the Mediterranean Jacques Blondel, James Aronson Oxford University Press ISBN: 0198500351 The Mediterranean is a region of great biodiversity. It is the home to between 400,000 and 600,00 species, with variations in habitat leading to quite surprising variations between one small area and another. It's a very rich region for anyone interested in wildlife. It's also a region with a long history of human settlement, and this has shaped habitats ever since humans arrived. People who are interested in how the region developed in prehistory, and the impact of humans on the flora and fauna can find a fascinating account in 'Biology and Wildlife of the Mediterranean Region'. It takes a long-term view, which can send your imagination spinning back millions of years, before pulling you back towards the present, and then looking at the future of human activity and its impact in the region. Humans have, predictably, had some devastating effects on the local fauna. For example, dwarf hippos and elephants once lived on larger Mediterranean islands. These Pleistocene creatures were hunted by humans, and disappeared. Yet the tale of human life in the Mediterranean is not one of total ecological gloom. The Spanish dehesas, found, for example, in Extremadura, combine cereal and livestock farming on a savanah-type landscape, with holm and cork oaks that give produce for use by humans, and shelter for wildlife. This is a good example of traditional, sustainable, agriculture. Anyone who wants to go to live in a Spanish rural idyll will find this book interesting for the pointers it gives on how to encourage biodiversity. Jacques Blondel and James Aronson have written a clear account, which is accessible to non-scientists. It's a reference book, rather than a coffee-table book, and one you are likely to want to go back to again and again, to understand your favourite part of the Mediterranean. The reader is helped by a glossary at the start, listing terms that might be unfamiliar to non-biologists. People who want to go into the subject in greater depth are helped by the long reference list at the end. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Living in Groups Jens Krause, Graeme D. Ruxton Oxford University Press ISBN: 0198508182 Group behaviour is an interesting topic for people wanting to understand human society, as well as people wanting to understand pets such as fish, flock-birds, and dogs, that are group animals. Why do we live in groups? What are the benefits and the costs? What is the best size for a group? How is membership of a group decided? All these issues and more are discussed in 'Living in Groups'. Jens Krause and Graeme Ruxton are biologists with a particular interest in fish, and they started out studying groups by looking at shoaling fish. Many of the concepts used in understanding how and why fish live in groups are applicable to all animals that live in group societies. The authors have focused on these concepts to give an account of living in groups. There aren't many examples for people interested in particular kinds of animals, such as wolves, though there is an interesting short section on social carnivores, such as wild dogs and wolves. What this book does offer is a very well-organised summary of current wisdom on grouping behaviour, which is a great help to anyone studying the subject seriously. 'Living in Groups' isn't light reading, and you do need commitment to the subject. There is no glossary, so if you are a non-biologist you may need the help of a biology dictionary. However, it's clearly written, and summarises a lot of work on the subject, so it can save you a lot of time if you want to understand theories relating to groups, and have a broad overview of recent research - 'Living in Groups' came out in 2002, so it is quite up-to-date. There is a long reference list for anyone who wants to cover topics in greater depth, especially useful for people looking for information on particular species. There is also an author index, and there's a general index. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	The Encyclopedia of Historic and Endangered Livestock and Poultry Breeds (The Yale Agrarian Studies Series) Janet Vorwald Dohner Yale University Press ISBN: 0300088809 This is a wonderful book, and you don't have to be a smallholder to appreciate it. It works on many levels. There is a simple fascination with the sheer variety of livestock and poultry breeds, and the arguments for preserving rare breeds are put forward in a very eloquent way. Both farming and medicine benefit from the livestock and poultry diversity. The book is comprehensive, and very well researched, and the author also has practical experience. The book is based on research on breeds in the UK, Canada and the US. Some 200 breeds are described, covering different types of livestock, including horses, goats, sheep, pigs, cattle, and poultry (chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese. There are some 250 illustrations, with 32 pages colour plates. It's a little expensive, but well worth buying because it's such an enjoyable and fascinating book. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Animal Behaviour (3rd edition) David McFarland Longman ISBN 0582327326 This is an excellent introduction to animal behaviour for non-specialists who are interested in this field. It is suitable for undergraduate students of psychology and biology, animal care students, and people who simply want to understand this field better. Topics covered include evolutionary explanations of behaviour, and theories relating to learning, emotion, and communication. This is a particularly useful book for people who have developed an interest in the behaviour of a particular species, such as cats, dogs, or horses, and who want to deepen their knowledge. David McFarland is Animal Behaviour Reader at an Oxford University college, but thankfully is able to write clearly for ordinary mortals. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	RSPCA Guide to Garden Wildlife Val Porter HarperCollins 0 00 413383 8 This book is a good antidote to the British fashion for turning gardens into extra living rooms and forgetting that they are havens where we can relax, watching birds and butterflies. It's also a welcome book for people for want to explain why they do not want to join the 'hoover school of gardening', and have their gardens strimmed and crew cut, with neatly weeded bare borders, swept free of debris, all insects exterminated by pesticides. Gardens perform a key role as wildlife refuges in Britain, where farmland is often hostile. There are sections on the main types of wildlife, such as invertebrates, birds, and mammals. There's advice on planting for butterflies, and on making your pond wild-life friendly. There are tips on how to avoid creating hazards for wildlife, and how to deal with pests in an eco-friendly way. There's also advice on caring for hedgehogs that are too young to hibernate. It's a very useful reference book, which should be read by anyone with a garden - and maybe some DIY fashion followers and 'hoover gardeners' will be converted! Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food Ann Martin NewSage Press ISBN 1 800 788 2123 Owners who would rather not worry about what goes into pet food should not read this book! Ann Martin could be described as an obsessive, though it's easy to understand why, given her account of her dealings with the pet food industry after she experienced problems with commercial dog food. At the very least, this book points to the need for pet owners to ask questions of pet food companies, such as what additives they use, and why, and to tell them about problems we have when we use their products. Owners often say they switch brands because one brand upsets their dog's stomachs. It's worth telling the companies about this in case they think we don't buy their food because it hasn't enough pretty colours! This book also points to a need to campaign for better consumer information on cans, so we can make informed decisions on our pets' behalf. This is a consumer issue. Most of us haven't time to make tasty dog meals, so we have to use what the pet food companies supply. Some owners might argue that Ann Martin is not 'scientific' enough. But even if you discount seventy five percent of what she says, it still leaves some awkward questions. Those readers who assume that the British market is better regulated, so British pets are always offered safe food, could maybe reflect on BSE and the debate on the human food industry! Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	The Pet-Friendly Garden Richard Barrett Pan Books ISBN 0 330 39316 2 This book was developed in conjunction with UK insurance specialist PetPlan, providing advice on planning a garden that is safe and stimulating for pets, as well as being enjoyable for gardeners. It show you how to plan gardens that are suitable for many pets, such as cats, dogs, rabbits and tortoises. It features the designs of the pet-friendly garden for the Blue Cross and PetPlan exhibited at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in 1997 and the Al-Cat-Traz garden designed by Chelsea Flower Show Gold medalist Jacquie Gordon. There are lots of hints and tips on choosing the right sort of plants and surfaces, with advice on maintaining the garden. This is a lovely book that will appeal to both gardeners and and pet-lovers. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Walking with Beasts Tim Haines BBC Consumer Publishing ISBN 0563537639 Learn about your pets’ ancestors! This is the book of the BBC TV series, which takes you back to the time when strange and wonderful mammals roamed the earth, after the dinosaurs had died out. The book is lavishly illustrated with computer generated recreations of these creatures, and the chapters follow the stories of individual animals. Some of it is guess work, but it’s fun, and will have you peering at your own furry pets, wondering what their ancestors got up to all those millions of years ago. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents Terry Pratchett Doubleday ISBN 0385601239 Terry Pratchett offers children a Discworld version of the Pied Piper, with Maurice the talking cat, and a horde of talking rats. They get up to mischief until their tricks are discovered. There is a lot of action and there are lots of laughs. Children above about eight-years-old should be able to read this for themselves, though they may not get a chance if their parents spot it first! It’s a good bedtime story read as well, for parents prepared to create feline and ratty voices. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Animal David Burnie and Don Wilson (eds) Dorling Kindersley ISBN 0751334278 People who are interested in animals, furry, scaley, and creepy and crawly, will enjoy this delightful book, edited by two biologists, David Burnie and Don Wilson. Children and adults will find it interesting. It is both up to date, and serious enough to satisfy demanding adults, and is profusely illustrated, with plenty of fascinating information for children to explain to their biology teachers! Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	The New Encyclopedia of Mammals David Macdonald (ed) Oxford University Press ISBN 0198508239 This is an updated version of a successful encyclopedia that came out in 1983, and which has been revised to include new research on mammals. Anyone interested in animal behaviour, changing views on evolution, and ecological issues, will find this an enjoyable read. It is well explained and well illustrated, and is also a serious reference work which is of use to science students. Top of page
	Animal Play: Evolutionary, Comparative and Ecological Perspectives Marc Bekoff (Editor), John A. Byers (Editor) Cambridge University Press ISBN: 0521586569 This book is especially useful for owners of cats, dogs and ferrets, because it helps understand why and how animals play, so helps owners to enjoy their pets' company. The book brings together findings from different disciplines, such as ethology and neurobiology. It can be quite technical in parts, but is very well set out, which makes it relatively easy for a non-specialist to understand. It is designed for people studying courses related to animal behaviour, but is a delight for any pet owner who wants to learn more to understand their pet. It's also good value for the insights that it offers. Top of page

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stamps featuring miscellaneous animals