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Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior
Harvest Books
January 2006
On Sale: January 2, 2006
372 pages ISBN: 0156031442 EAN: 9780156031448 Paperback
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Non-Fiction Pet-Lover
I don't know if people will ever be able to talk to animals
the way Doctor Doolittle could, or whether animals will be
able to talk back. Maybe science will have something to say
about that. But I do know people can learn to "talk" to
animals, and to hear what animals have to say, better than
they do now. --From Animals in Translation Why would a cow lick a tractor? Why are collies getting
dumber? Why do dolphins sometimes kill for fun? How can a
parrot learn to spell? How did wolves teach man to evolve?
Temple Grandin draws upon a long, distinguished career as
an animal scientist and her own experiences with autism to
deliver an extraordinary message about how animals act,
think, and feel. She has a perspective like that of no
other expert in the field, which allows her to offer
unparalleled observations and groundbreaking ideas. People with autism can often think the way animals think,
putting them in the perfect position to translate "animal
talk." Grandin is a faithful guide into their world,
exploring animal pain, fear, aggression, love, friendship,
communication, learning, and, yes, even animal genius. The
sweep of Animals in Translation is immense and will forever
change the way we think about animals.
*includes a Behavior and Training Troubleshooting Guide
Among its provocative ideas, the book: argues that language is not a requirement for consciousness-
-and that animals do have consciousness
applies the autism theory of "hyper-specificity" to
animals, showing that animals and autistic people are so
sensitive to detail that they "can't see the forest for the
trees"--a talent as well as a "deficit"
explores the "interpreter" in the normal human brain that
filters out detail, leaving people blind to much of the
reality that surrounds them--a reality animals and autistic
people see, sometimes all too clearly
explains how animals have "superhuman" skills: animals have
animal genius
compares animals to autistic savants, declaring that
animals may in fact be autistic savants, with special forms
of genius that normal people do not possess and sometimes
cannot even see
examines how humans and animals use their emotions to
think, to decide, and even to predict the future
reveals the remarkable abilities of handicapped people and
animals
maintains that the single worst thing you can do to an
animal is to make it feel afraid.
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