Why the Wild Things Are: Animals in the Lives of Children

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Summary: Kids, Animals, and Psychology
Review: Roughly 75% of American households include a pet. However, it was not until about 15 years ago that social scientists discovered that animals were an important part of people's lives. The result was an explosion of research in "anthrozoology"(the study of human/animal relations) and the publication of a number of books describing the sociology, history, anthropology and ecology of human-animal interactions. Surprisingly, until the publication of Why the Wild Things Are by Gail Melson there has been no equivalent book describing the psychology of these relationships. Melson, who is Professor of Child Development and Family Studies at Purdue University and well known for her research on the role of animals in the lives of children, has produced a terrific book on the psychology of kid-animal relationships.

While the focus of the book is on the developmental psychology of human-animal interactions, it is an excellent introduction to general field of human-animal studies. The book covers a wide array of topics. For example, in the early chapters Melson discusses the evolutionary psychology of pet keeping, the emergence of pet keeping in the American middle class, and the demographics of companion animals in the United States. Other chapters focus on topics such as gender differences (or lack there of) in interactions between children and their pets, the role of animals in the development of empathy, and how children cope with the death of a pet. Later chapters deal with topical issues such as the role that animals can play in child psychotherapy and the connection between animal abuse and violence directed toward humans. In addition, there are treatments of the role of animals in children's literature and in the fantasy life of kids.

In short, Melson has provided a fascinating picture of the complex roles that animals can play in the psychological lives of children. Published by Harvard University Press, the book will certainly be of interest to scholars. However, Melson has an engaging style, and the general reader - particularly parents and animal lovers - will find this book useful and interesting. To my mind, it is one of the best books yet on human/animal relationships.

Rating:
Summary: Wild about "Wild Things"
Review: Why the Wild Things Are is a long needed, wonderful, thoughtful and comprehensive review of child animal relations. Author, Gail Melson has reviewed and integrated research from a variety of disciplines including history, social work, psychology and literature. She has effectively walked a tightrope between producing a scholarly work and writing a book that is readable to a lay person who is not a professional psychologist. In addition to documenting the field of child animal relations she has also provided the reader with an insightful and critical review of the works that she covers. She does this in a way that makes her conclusions and findings comprehensible to the lay reader while acknowledging the academic concerns of the professional.

She suggests areas for future research, introduces the reader to programs of animal assisted therapy, animals in the classroom and covers the emerging area of the relationship between animal abuse and violence toward humans. She not only discusses academic research but gives plenty of real life, compelling examples. In addition her references are arranged on a chapter by chapter basis at the end of the book. They are very easy to either follow if you are looking for more information or easy to ignore if you don't want to be bothered by details. Anyone who has children, works with children or animals in any capacity or teaches child development should consider this most worthy book required reading.

Rating:
Summary: Wild about "Wild Things"
Review: Why the Wild Things Are is a long needed, wonderful, thoughtful and comprehensive review of child animal relations. Author, Gail Melson has reviewed and integrated research from a variety of disciplines including history, social work, psychology and literature. She has effectively walked a tightrope between producing a scholarly work and writing a book that is readable to a lay person who is not a professional psychologist. In addition to documenting the field of child animal relations she has also provided the reader with an insightful and critical review of the works that she covers. She does this in a way that makes her conclusions and findings comprehensible to the lay reader while acknowledging the academic concerns of the professional.

She suggests areas for future research, introduces the reader to programs of animal assisted therapy, animals in the classroom and covers the emerging area of the relationship between animal abuse and violence toward humans. She not only discusses academic research but gives plenty of real life, compelling examples. In addition her references are arranged on a chapter by chapter basis at the end of the book. They are very easy to either follow if you are looking for more information or easy to ignore if you don't want to be bothered by details. Anyone who has children, works with children or animals in any capacity or teaches child development should consider this most worthy book required reading.