Animal Passions and Beastly Virtues: Reflections on Redecorating Nature »

Marc Bekoff is Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has published numerous books including The Smile of a Dolphin, Minding Animals, The Ten Trusts (with Jane Goodall), and the Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior. He and Jane Goodall co-founded Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (www.ethologicalethics.org). In 2005 Marc was presented with The Bank One Faculty Community Service Award for the work he has done with children, senior citizens, and prisoners.

An engaging, thoughtful look at the science and ethics of research into animal behavior.

Publishers Weekly

Animal behaviorist, ecologist and ethicist Bekoff (Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior) presents a lengthy compilation of scientific papers and articles from journals like Scientific American on a range of subjects that, remarkably, coheres into a fascinating "big-picture view of animals, culture, and society." Bekoff's writings focus primarily on the science of cognitive ethology, on what animals think, feel and know-and most of the articles study the behavior of dogs; one of the most interesting pieces looks at the sounds and smells that can trigger primary emotions, such as innate fear, in canines. Overall, this collection serves as an excellent summation of the major theme of Bekoff's many books: "with hard work, we can make Earth a better place for all beings," primarily because of engaging introductory essays that connect five sections on animal emotions, social behaviors and ethics. These essays not only explain his concern for how humans "redecorate" nature by using animals for their own purposes but also achieve his goal of appealing to academic and popular audiences though his "musings" on science, social responsibility and "who we are in the grand scheme of things." (Dec.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.