Beauty in the Beasts: True Stories of Animals Who Chose to Do Good

Rating:
Summary: Nice stories, but not what it claims to be
Review: I had high hopes for this book, but found it didn't live up to the book jacket. It claims to establish that animals choose to do good, and I expected some in depth stories about various animals. Instead, the author seems to include very very very short stories (some only one sentence long) about animals, largely gathered from correspondence she received in response to her first book, the Compassion of Animals. She spends time arguing that animals have feelings - first of all, I'm willing to bet most people who choose to read this book already agree with that, so she's preaching to the choir, and it gets patronizing and old fast. Secondly, as near as I can tell, she has no particular credentials or studies or background she is drawing from to make the statements she does. I wasn't looking for "proof," since I already agree with her outlook on animals, but all the same I was annoyed at her apparant belief that all that is necessary to "prove" something is to make an assertion and then point to a number of anecdotal stories to make her point. If you take the book for what it is, rather than what it purports to be, it's a nice, easy read - one filled with stories about animals which do good things. It's similar to sitting in a coffee shop listening to people talk about things they've seen or heard about animals, like "I heard of a dog once who saved someone from a fire by dragging them out of bed by an ankle!" In all seriousness, that's what most of the book contains, sentences or paragraphs of things the author has heard about animals or experienced. Every now and then one animals' story is covered in more depth, but not a lot of depth. She seems to be desperately trying to argue that animals have emotions and morals without doing it well - instead she should just tell the stories and say "Here are some nice animal stories about animals being kind to people and other animals; I think they demonstrate morality and experience emotion" and leave it at that, then tell the stories. Instead you have to endure what appear to be some very poor attempts to make this book into a serious work rather than a light read for animal lovers. All in all, still worthwhile, just go into it knowing what the book really is so you aren't disappointed. If you love animals, you'll probably still love all the stories and just skip the author's rants.

Rating:
Summary: Nice stories, but not what it claims to be
Review: I had high hopes for this book, but found it didn't live up to the book jacket. It claims to establish that animals choose to do good, and I expected some in depth stories about various animals. Instead, the author seems to include very very very short stories (some only one sentence long) about animals, largely gathered from correspondence she received in response to her first book, the Compassion of Animals. She spends time arguing that animals have feelings - first of all, I'm willing to bet most people who choose to read this book already agree with that, so she's preaching to the choir, and it gets patronizing and old fast. Secondly, as near as I can tell, she has no particular credentials or studies or background she is drawing from to make the statements she does. I wasn't looking for "proof," since I already agree with her outlook on animals, but all the same I was annoyed at her apparant belief that all that is necessary to "prove" something is to make an assertion and then point to a number of anecdotal stories to make her point. If you take the book for what it is, rather than what it purports to be, it's a nice, easy read - one filled with stories about animals which do good things. It's similar to sitting in a coffee shop listening to people talk about things they've seen or heard about animals, like "I heard of a dog once who saved someone from a fire by dragging them out of bed by an ankle!" In all seriousness, that's what most of the book contains, sentences or paragraphs of things the author has heard about animals or experienced. Every now and then one animals' story is covered in more depth, but not a lot of depth. She seems to be desperately trying to argue that animals have emotions and morals without doing it well - instead she should just tell the stories and say "Here are some nice animal stories about animals being kind to people and other animals; I think they demonstrate morality and experience emotion" and leave it at that, then tell the stories. Instead you have to endure what appear to be some very poor attempts to make this book into a serious work rather than a light read for animal lovers. All in all, still worthwhile, just go into it knowing what the book really is so you aren't disappointed. If you love animals, you'll probably still love all the stories and just skip the author's rants.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: I just picked this book up last night. It is so touching and heartfelt I could not put it down. I laughed and cried. This is a must read for everyone with a soft spot for animals.

Rating:
Summary: Heartfelt and Inspiring
Review: I loved reading this intelligent, beautifully written book. Kristin von Kreisler takes the reader through eight important virtues: sensitivity, compassion, courage, loyalty, fortitude, cooperation, resourcefulness and generosity, all the while drawing on extensive research to demonstrate that animals are totally capable of choosing to act in ways that exemplify these virtues. She backs up her case with interviews with an astounding number of scientists, most of whom supported her ideas about "the beauty in the beasts" with their own research. Von Kreisler also describes meetings with other, less enlightened scientists who disparage animals, stating that what appears to be virtue on the part of animals is only self-interest in disguise. I can almost hear her standing up to these scientists with her own research and personal experience and making a very effective case. I would like to make one addition to the discussion. Yes, very often there is some possible advantage to the animal for acting in a virtuous way. In my opinion, that does not make the animal less virtuous! It simply demonstrates the wise and good provision of Mother Nature that when we do something for others, we also help ourselves. All life is, after all, ultimately one. Virtue, far from being only its own reward, rebounds to the benefit of all life. If animals realize this as much or more than we do, so much the better! Thank you, Kristin, for this lovely book.

Rating:
Summary: Heartfelt and Inspiring
Review: I loved reading this intelligent, beautifully written book. Kristin von Kreisler takes the reader through eight important virtues: sensitivity, compassion, courage, loyalty, fortitude, cooperation, resourcefulness and generosity, all the while drawing on extensive research to demonstrate that animals are totally capable of choosing to act in ways that exemplify these virtues. She backs up her case with interviews with an astounding number of scientists, most of whom supported her ideas about "the beauty in the beasts" with their own research. Von Kreisler also describes meetings with other, less enlightened scientists who disparage animals, stating that what appears to be virtue on the part of animals is only self-interest in disguise. I can almost hear her standing up to these scientists with her own research and personal experience and making a very effective case. I would like to make one addition to the discussion. Yes, very often there is some possible advantage to the animal for acting in a virtuous way. In my opinion, that does not make the animal less virtuous! It simply demonstrates the wise and good provision of Mother Nature that when we do something for others, we also help ourselves. All life is, after all, ultimately one. Virtue, far from being only its own reward, rebounds to the benefit of all life. If animals realize this as much or more than we do, so much the better! Thank you, Kristin, for this lovely book.

Rating:
Summary: Beauty in the Book!
Review: I've been waiting for a book like this to come along and believe me, BEAUTY IN THE BEASTS is worth it. It is filled with vivid, heartwarming tales of animals who act with great decency, purpose and kindness--a book the whole family will enjoy. So many people believe that only instinct and self-interest drive animals' actions. But Kristin von Kreisler argues convincingly--and very entertainingly--that animals can be driven by something much deeper, a kind of animal morality. This book contains probably 100 stories of animals who chose to do good. The stories are amazing. All the studies and interviews with scientists also add a depth that most other animal books lack. BEAUTY IN THE BEASTS made me look at animals in a completely new way. Anyone who cares about animals is going to love this book. I know I did!

Rating:
Summary: Masterful Storytelling
Review: This book is for everyone, especially animal lovers and anyone who has ever cared for a pet. The author brings masterful storytelling and wide-ranging research to her case that animals are fully capable of actually choosing to be courageous, resourceful, compassionate-traits that scientific convention has ascribed to humans alone. The reader meets a cast of admirable beasts, such as Beauty, a chestnut mare who fights back her own fear to save both her master and foal in a flooding river, and Misty a six-month-old spaniel who runs back into a burning house to rescue the family's two-year-old toddler. Their stories are extraordinary, but readers who have owned pets will also find echoes of their own experiences, illuminated by a larger context-and will never look at animals in quite the same way again. Passionately argued, vividly told, and rich and varied in its stories, this book catches a wave of human empathy for animals and contributes enormously (and entertainingly) to our enlightenment.

Rating:
Summary: Masterful Storytelling
Review: This book is for everyone, especially animal lovers and anyone who has ever cared for a pet. The author brings masterful storytelling and wide-ranging research to her case that animals are fully capable of actually choosing to be courageous, resourceful, compassionate-traits that scientific convention has ascribed to humans alone. The reader meets a cast of admirable beasts, such as Beauty, a chestnut mare who fights back her own fear to save both her master and foal in a flooding river, and Misty a six-month-old spaniel who runs back into a burning house to rescue the family's two-year-old toddler. Their stories are extraordinary, but readers who have owned pets will also find echoes of their own experiences, illuminated by a larger context-and will never look at animals in quite the same way again. Passionately argued, vividly told, and rich and varied in its stories, this book catches a wave of human empathy for animals and contributes enormously (and entertainingly) to our enlightenment.

Rating:
Summary: A BOOK OF MAGIC, BEAUTY AND WONDER!
Review: This book is one of my absolutely, all-time favourites books. I loved each and every page and to me the book will forever remain one of life's greatest treasures. It is one of the most sensitive and touching books ever written. For animal lovers around the world, "Beauty in the Beasts" will evoke wonder, awe, saddness, compassion, love and a bundle of other emotions all merged into one. Bring out the tissues before you begin; for all that it is a beautiful book, the tears will silently flow. The stories of each of these beautiful, magnificent animals will touch you to the centre of your soul and remain with you forever. Stories of courage, compassion, love, devotion and faith will leave you with the feeling that these intelligent beings are really no different from us. They love, feed, protect and nurture their families, they feel all the emotions that humans are capable of feeling, and they ask for so little in return. There is no price that could ever be too high for this memorable, extremely sensitive and deeply moving book. Buy one for every animal lover you know, and if you have a special animal companion of your own, love himher with all your heart....while he or she is still here to enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: A BOOK OF MAGIC, BEAUTY AND WONDER!
Review: This book is one of my absolutely, all-time favourites books. I loved each and every page and to me the book will forever remain one of life's greatest treasures. It is one of the most sensitive and touching books ever written. For animal lovers around the world, "Beauty in the Beasts" will evoke wonder, awe, saddness, compassion, love and a bundle of other emotions all merged into one. Bring out the tissues before you begin; for all that it is a beautiful book, the tears will silently flow. The stories of each of these beautiful, magnificent animals will touch you to the centre of your soul and remain with you forever. Stories of courage, compassion, love, devotion and faith will leave you with the feeling that these intelligent beings are really no different from us. They love, feed, protect and nurture their families, they feel all the emotions that humans are capable of feeling, and they ask for so little in return. There is no price that could ever be too high for this memorable, extremely sensitive and deeply moving book. Buy one for every animal lover you know, and if you have a special animal companion of your own, love himher with all your heart....while he or she is still here to enjoy.