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Summary: Quite possibly the best book I have ever read
Review: as well as one of the most provocative, intelligent, and vastly entertaining.
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Summary: Truly disappointing -- what a shame!
Review: My philosophy students and I looked forward to discussing this book in our "Animal Minds" class, but found it to be a dreadful disappointment. Masson's sloppy reasoning and egregious biases undermines his impressive and meticulous research on this extremely important topic. What shame! Traditionally, scientists and philosophers have extremely reluctant to integrate emotionaluty into their theories of animal minds. We desperately need a book that will spur both disciplines to repair this deficiency, but Masson's contribution is too flawed to prompt this. The good news: Masson offers numerous interesting and entertaining anecdotes that provide good "raw data" for future theorists of animal emotionality, and his footnotes and bibliography provide lots of excellent resources for further study. The terrible news: Masson's interpretation of the anecdotes are truly disappointing. His explanations are dogmatic, his standards of analysis and clarity low, and the sheer number of fallacies and non sequitors make his prose really hard to stomach. He also revels in ad homimen attacks against his opponents. The result is a shallow rhetorical work rather than a deep and balanced analysis. I am greatly sympathetic to Masson's general conclusions, but this book does our cause a disservice. Read this book for the excellent bibliography and the many thought-provoking anecdotes, but don't venture here if you are looking for sound intellectual foundations for understanding animal minds.
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Summary: A must read for all!
Review: One of the best researched and creative books ever written. A must read for any thinking, feeling being. Nothing is forced upon you in this great book, everything is explained. A very pleasant, enjoyable read.
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Summary: Good Book
Review: I had to read this book for my reading class this year, when I came home my dad said,"this is a college level book they should not be giving this book to sixth graders" the reading teacher said that I didnt have to read it but I'm glad that I did.
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Summary: Pesonal lives give indisputable evidence
Review: In this book, you will read many wonderful accounts of animal behavior, many which you can see evident in your own living room if you've ever owned an animal, especially a cat. This is an excellent book.
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Summary: Touching, informative, enlightening
Review: From Joan Mazza, author of Dreaming Your Real Self: A Personal Approach to Dream Interpretation. Masson's books are always educational as well as provocative. WHEN ELEPHANTS WEEP will make you think about animals in new ways: how we treat them and use them--from the plight of large endangered mammals worldwide to your pets and eating habits. I love a book that makes me THINK and this one lingers on my mind.
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Summary: Some striking arguments and many examples
Review: This book presents some striking arguments in favor of the existence of animal emotions and a good overview of these emotions. Those who attribute emotions to animals are often accused of anthropomorphism. But, like the author says, not to do so could be very dangerous for an elephant trainer! Attributing emotions to some animal species sometimes gives additionnal and practically useful information about their behavior. It has a predictive value. I was delighted to read what some great scientists had to say about animal emotions. A specialist of animal behavior like Konrad Lorenz took a clear stand against the prevailing scientific overcautiousness. However, the book can get boring at times with its numerous examples and its dwelling upon the defense of animal rights.
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Summary: I stopped reading at Chapter 3, and I don't usually do that.
Review: I expected to find a book chock full of not only anecdotes, but scientific research showing responses that must, logically, be emotional. Like 90% of the people whom I presume read this book, I was looking to "buy into it," and I still believe that my stinky dog has emotions - but not because of this book. This book appears to be written more as a rebuttal to scientists than it is a thesis. By chapter 3, I was done. I've never finished it. Maybe it finishes strong; maybe the butler does it - but I don't care, and don't need to know. The authors got my $, and had their shot, but I'm unimpressed.
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Summary: Pshycho-babble at its finest!
Review: One of the most overrated and disappointing books I have ever read. The author spends countless pages conducting point/counterpoint discussions to no one in particular. I thought this book was about animals, instead I was "Freuded" to tears. My psychology text books in college were a better read than this. I took this book on vacation with me hoping to learn more about animals. Instead, after about 100 pages I threw it in the trash and ordered a margarita. Cheers!
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Summary: The book for the Disney believing Brain dead.
Review: It is a good thing that people that read this trash are city dwelling buffoons otherwise this author would starve. Only people that have no real time spent in the wild with real nature could read this book with out wondering if this author IQ is as high as those animals he pretends to understand. Throw this book away and go rent the trails of life or visit us in Alaska and see the truth for yourself, stupid is not the way to go through life.
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