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First Sentence
People who aren't autistic always ask me about the moment I realized I could understand the way animals think. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
People who aren't autistic always ask me about the moment I realized I could understand the way animals think. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Temple Grandin was profiled in a BBC Horizon documentary a year or two back as `the woman who thinks like a cow'. A somewhat uncomplimentary portrayal you might think, until you appreciate that Grandin is a gifted professor of animal science and champion for autism, and that cows are far more interesting creatures than might often be assumed.
Grandin discovered that her way of viewing the world corresponded very closely to the perceptions of many animals. As a trouble-shooter on farms and ranches across the USA, she found that she could very often just `see' the problems which were scaring cattle and bringing their owners to the brink of despair. Combined with her prolific research and writings, autism has been a rare gift, enabling her remarkable work.
As a novice in the field of animal science, I felt fascinated and challenged by the wide mix of ideas this book presents. Topics as diverse as why pigs enjoy snuggling up to each other and genetic aggression are introduced in easy, layman's terms, giving interesting details about the research but also recognising that scientists don't yet have all the answers. Grandin challenges us to question a lot of what we might believe about animal behaviour - and for that matter autism - and does so with humility and humour.
A wealth of down-to-earth anecdotes ground the research and open questions posed. For example, we learn about a friend's cat who knew when `mother' was entering the lift of their apartment block some 12 floors below and of the prairie dogs of Arizona who've not only evolved a language involving nouns, verbs and adjectives, but even different dialects amongst local colonies!
At the same time, familiar stories are looked at a new light. For example, the story of the German `counting' horse Clever Hans is looked at not as a disappointing scam (it was revealed that Hans couldn't really count), but remarkable for the fact that a horse had taught himself to tune into subtle human cues in the first place. This is just one example of what is often unseen `animal genius'.
Grandin appeals for humane treatment of all animals, which she argues must come through a new understanding of how they interact with their world and how we deal with our husbandry of them.
The joint writing with Catherine Johnson works well, coming across as a conversation between friends (including the reader). But what is remarkable is that Grandin and Johnson manage to present deep insights into both autism and animal communication, as well as linking the two together. Rarely does a book inspire us to think both about the animals around us and our fellow human beings in a new way.
This is a truly wonderful book, and one which I have found myself constantly wanting to recommend to others.
Grandin discovered that her way of viewing the world corresponded very closely to the perceptions of many animals. As a trouble-shooter on farms and ranches across the USA, she found that she could very often just `see' the problems which were scaring cattle and bringing their owners to the brink of despair. Combined with her prolific research and writings, autism has been a rare gift, enabling her remarkable work.
As a novice in the field of animal science, I felt fascinated and challenged by the wide mix of ideas this book presents. Topics as diverse as why pigs enjoy snuggling up to each other and genetic aggression are introduced in easy, layman's terms, giving interesting details about the research but also recognising that scientists don't yet have all the answers. Grandin challenges us to question a lot of what we might believe about animal behaviour - and for that matter autism - and does so with humility and humour.
A wealth of down-to-earth anecdotes ground the research and open questions posed. For example, we learn about a friend's cat who knew when `mother' was entering the lift of their apartment block some 12 floors below and of the prairie dogs of Arizona who've not only evolved a language involving nouns, verbs and adjectives, but even different dialects amongst local colonies!
At the same time, familiar stories are looked at a new light. For example, the story of the German `counting' horse Clever Hans is looked at not as a disappointing scam (it was revealed that Hans couldn't really count), but remarkable for the fact that a horse had taught himself to tune into subtle human cues in the first place. This is just one example of what is often unseen `animal genius'.
Grandin appeals for humane treatment of all animals, which she argues must come through a new understanding of how they interact with their world and how we deal with our husbandry of them.
The joint writing with Catherine Johnson works well, coming across as a conversation between friends (including the reader). But what is remarkable is that Grandin and Johnson manage to present deep insights into both autism and animal communication, as well as linking the two together. Rarely does a book inspire us to think both about the animals around us and our fellow human beings in a new way.
This is a truly wonderful book, and one which I have found myself constantly wanting to recommend to others.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Animals in Translation is an amazing book. This book states that by looking at human autism, we can better under animals, the way they think, the way they behave, and how they see the world. The author is an animal scientist who works primarily with slaughter houses. She is also autistic.
Before reading this book, I had very little comprehension about the way that autistic people see the world. I simply had no idea that seeing the world in a visual way was that much different than the way that I think. I now see that this different way of thinking has a lot of really interesting benefits, particularly when it comes to understanding other visual thinkers like the animals around us. As I read this book, I started to comprehend how much detail in life we normally ignore. So much of what we need to understand animals is simply looking at life from their perspective, both literally and figuratively speaking.
Before reading this book, I had very little comprehension about the way that autistic people see the world. I simply had no idea that seeing the world in a visual way was that much different than the way that I think. I now see that this different way of thinking has a lot of really interesting benefits, particularly when it comes to understanding other visual thinkers like the animals around us. As I read this book, I started to comprehend how much detail in life we normally ignore. So much of what we need to understand animals is simply looking at life from their perspective, both literally and figuratively speaking.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
To be quite honest, at first, I couldn't associate autism with animal behavior. However, I felt as if animals had taught human beings how animals live. And I gradually noticed something in common between people with autism and animals: Both of them are non-verbal but are able to think in pictures. Because of that sort of intuition, they are more sensitive to the surroundings than non-autistic people.
When it comes to animals, they have to cope with fear if they sense the predators coming closer. That is one of the ways to survive and ironically without fear, animals would be a target for predators. I found the example of the tragedy of fearless guppies on P.196. Perhaps for piranha fearless guppies are the easiest targets because they didn't sense any danger until they got eaten. That explains why fear is necessary to sense danger.
How about people with autism? They do have speech delay, which makes it difficult for parents to socialize them. But for autistic people, solitude is one of the ways to protect their own world. The main reason is that they are hypersensitive to normal school or office environment, which sound like the noises in construction sites. In short, they have such a terrible sensory overload that they can't stand loud noises. That's why people with autism prefer quieter places to mixing with their peers. Autistic people feel fear like animals when they recognize something unpredictable. Of course not all non-autistic people look scary to autistic ones, just in case.
Overall, I'm not sure enough what it is like to think in pictures. However, I'd say Temple Grandin knows quite well how to deal with animals because of her pros of autistic traits.
When it comes to animals, they have to cope with fear if they sense the predators coming closer. That is one of the ways to survive and ironically without fear, animals would be a target for predators. I found the example of the tragedy of fearless guppies on P.196. Perhaps for piranha fearless guppies are the easiest targets because they didn't sense any danger until they got eaten. That explains why fear is necessary to sense danger.
How about people with autism? They do have speech delay, which makes it difficult for parents to socialize them. But for autistic people, solitude is one of the ways to protect their own world. The main reason is that they are hypersensitive to normal school or office environment, which sound like the noises in construction sites. In short, they have such a terrible sensory overload that they can't stand loud noises. That's why people with autism prefer quieter places to mixing with their peers. Autistic people feel fear like animals when they recognize something unpredictable. Of course not all non-autistic people look scary to autistic ones, just in case.
Overall, I'm not sure enough what it is like to think in pictures. However, I'd say Temple Grandin knows quite well how to deal with animals because of her pros of autistic traits.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Interesting book
This book highlights some interesting facts about animal behaviour and if you like animals, work with animals or have animals a lot of it you will have observed. Read more
Published 14 months ago by A. Taylor
Book
Item arrived in the time specified,was packed well and in good condition.This item is for a present so cant comment on the merits of the book.
Published 18 months ago by Patricia Cloke
Interesting and insightful read for animal lovers and philosophers...
Though I have no particular love of or interest in animals, I read this book when it was lent to me by a friend. Read more
Published 20 months ago by C. Stapenhurst
Very Interesting
This book was worth the money spent and very interesting.
Only downside was the condition of the book. Read more
Only downside was the condition of the book. Read more
Published on 24 Mar 2010 by Miss KS Sellers
Extraordinary Insights
Fascinating insight from the perspective of an extraordinary autistic woman, into the minds and emotions of animals. Dr. Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2010 by Book Scout
great book!
got this book in hawaii for somthing to read for the trip back home and i could not put it down until i finnished it, this is an excellent book for people who would like a new view... Read more
Published on 26 May 2006 by N. Clark
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