Helpful Score: 6
This book is a must read for and animal lover out there. The thought and insight into the minds and emotions of animals from the author leaves you pondering the wonderful question "Can animals feel much like humans?" This book is a wonderful story and documented journey of that very question.
Lora R. (lorabanora) reviewed When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals on + 157 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
I have mixed feelings about this book. I really appreciate that animals are getting their 'say' out there. They have feelings, memory, experience, etc. But is this book what they would actually say? Somehow I doubt this on too many levels. I kind of get the feeling from this book that bad people eat animals; but what does that make animals who eat animals? I was not convinced by the hit-over-the-head idea that eating animals is bad. I really do agree that we need to deal with them humanely. I mean, even the lion lets his food go free range and organic.
Chris H. (redheadindian) reviewed When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals on + 55 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
A masterpiece - the most comprehensive and compelling argument for animal sensibility ever written.
Helpful Score: 3
This book is a very intellectual, insightful documentation of man verses science. This book unfortunately did not hold my attention and I found myself reading it in short spurts without finishing it.
Helpful Score: 3
As a lifelong dog lover, I agree 100% with the book's premise that animals have vivid and complex emotional lives. However, I was completely turned off in the early pages by the author's obvious disdain for those who stand behind the scientific method! I'm sure it's a wonderful book for someone not bothered by an editorial tone of that nature.
Helpful Score: 2
Fascinating book written by classics/psychoanalyst expert turned animal freak Masson.
Lori L. (keywestlori) -
Helpful Score: 2
A touching look at how we feel about animals and how we determine what they can or cannot feel themselves.
Amelia P. (apavlov) reviewed When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals on + 17 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Eye-opening, moving, amazing.
Carole O. (gatorgumbogirl) reviewed When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals on + 28 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is a book that I'd want to keep if I didn't have so many books that need sharing!
I suppose it's easy to identify with the emotional lives of animals, especially if an animal such as a pet dog lives with you.
This book goes beyond the family pet to include higher order animals such as elephants, chimps and crows. We are given scientific illustrations of some emotional antics that give credence to genuine emotional expression as we know it. What I learned in this book was the extent that some animals are able to express "emotions", no matter what we call this expression of feeling. It sure helps validate my understanding that animals are important to our life and our world and that we are not the only creatures for which this world exists.
Very insightful book.
I suppose it's easy to identify with the emotional lives of animals, especially if an animal such as a pet dog lives with you.
This book goes beyond the family pet to include higher order animals such as elephants, chimps and crows. We are given scientific illustrations of some emotional antics that give credence to genuine emotional expression as we know it. What I learned in this book was the extent that some animals are able to express "emotions", no matter what we call this expression of feeling. It sure helps validate my understanding that animals are important to our life and our world and that we are not the only creatures for which this world exists.
Very insightful book.
This is a very in depth look at the evidence of emotions in animals. The pacing is not great--first half or so of the book is just the statement of the premise, and how the scientific establishment denies the existence of not only animal emotions but also animal suffering, because it reduces the moral implications of experimenting upon them.
The second half of the book is better and contains lots of anecdotes. However, the overall tone of the book is depressing, and one gets the sense that the person who would most benefit from receiving this information is the very person who would never pick up the book.
The second half of the book is better and contains lots of anecdotes. However, the overall tone of the book is depressing, and one gets the sense that the person who would most benefit from receiving this information is the very person who would never pick up the book.
Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals on + 515 more book reviews
This tells us how animals are like humans, in some ways. Very nice to think about.
Barbara P. (gotchagal) -
Chris H. reviewed 1/7/2007...
A masterpiece - the most comprehensive and compelling argument for animal sensibility ever written.
A masterpiece - the most comprehensive and compelling argument for animal sensibility ever written.
John O. (buzzby) -
"A masterpiece, the most comprehensive and compelling argument for animal sensibility that I've yet seen." ELIZABETH MARSHALL THOMAS
Bonnie F. (harmony85) reviewed When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals on + 982 more book reviews
"This is not only an important book, it is marvelous! If animal could read they would be filled with joy and gratitude to the authors-as I am. It is scholarly, vivid, and compelling. Please read it." -Jane Goodall
