Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures Audiobook

Quotes

• “Why is it that until very recently, many scientists claimed that animals can’t think? Every pet owner knows better, and Virginia Morell is our champion.  But she’s not going on guesswork and opinion—Animal Wise is thoroughly and meticulously researched. And it’s a page-turner—a window to the natural world that will change the way we view other species. We place ourselves at the top of the evolutionary ladder. Of course we do. We invented the ladder. In her marvelous book, Morell displays the folly of this viewpoint. Animal Wise is fabulous!” 

  — Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Dogs

• “After you read this book, you will be convinced that many different animal species have true thoughts and emotions. You will take a journey to the center of the animal mind.”

  — Temple Grandin, New York Times bestselling author of Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human

• “Morell’s Animal Wise is science writing at its best. Here she not only translates scientists’ jargon and data into enviable prose, but transmits her love of the field to her audience. Novice readers will be enthralled to learn about the intelligence of the creatures in this book, and experts will be extremely pleased to see how she makes their work and that of their colleagues accessible to everyone.”

  — Irene Pepperberg, New York Times bestselling author of Alex & Me

• “It is nice to see a science writer of Virginia Morell’s distinction take on this increasingly important topic, and it is good to have her calm and careful voice added to the conversation. She has a great deal to teach us about the latest research on the frontiers of this fascinating new world. Animal Wise is a fine book.”

  — Jeffrey Masson, New York Times bestselling author of When Elephants Weep

• “This charming book about animal intelligence…has a nice arc to its structure—working from generally more basic (although still remarkable) cognitive abilities of creatures like adventurous ants to the complex thinking of chimps—and it is threaded through with philosophical questions that are as thought-provoking as the creatures and experiments she chronicles.”

  — Smithsonian Magazine

• “Morell passionately and consistently proves her point in this frequently fascinating study of animal behavior…[She] is a gifted writer with a deep knowledge base that never talks down to the reader or the academic community—no small feat.”

  — Publishers Weekly (starred review) 

• “[A] delightful exploration of how animals think…Morell makes a fascinating, convincing case that even primitive animals give some thought to their actions.”

  — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

• “Kirsten Potter narrates this wide-ranging account of animal cognition. With a clear voice and empathetic tone, Potter embraces the personality of Morell’s style, using reflective questions to engage the listener and varying accents and pitches to distinguish a variety of researchers. Notably, Potter doesn’t hesitate in her vocalizations of the calls and sounds of the many animal subjects, strengthening the argument for their inherent capabilities and unique qualities.”

  — AudioFile