Inspiration

Here are ten of the animal books that have left a mark on me, influenced my thinking about animal-human relationships and our origins.

Jane Goodall - In the Shadow of Man

Thé classic book about Jane Goodall’s historical observations of chimpanzees that broke through the academic taboo on animal minds.

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Peter Singer - Animal Liberation Now

Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation convinced me overnight to shift to a plant-based diet in 1988.

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Lori Gruen - Ethics and Animals: An Introduction

I always recommend to my students Lori Gruen’s Ethics and Animals as the best introduction to animal ethics.

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Jo-Anne McArthur - Hidden: Animals in the Anthropocene

Pictures say so much and this book by Jo-Anne McArthur and other courageous photojournalists is another classic. These visual testimonies will make you silent, but the treatment of these animals shouldn’t stay in darkness.

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Dale Peterson & Jane Goodall - Visions of Caliban: On Chimpanzees and People

Visions of Caliban outlines in detail how we’re treating our closest living relatives.

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Mark Bekoff - The Emotional Lives of Animals

A wonderful book about the rich emotional lives of animals by leading zoologist Marc Bekoff.

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Frans De Waal - Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us

The eminent primatologist Frans de Waal shares his views on animal emotions.

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Ian Tattersall - Understanding Human Evolution

It’s difficult to choose amongst Ian Tattersall’s legacy of books on our human origins.

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Richard Wrangham - Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human

Harvard anthropologist Richard Wrangham builds a thought-provoking case on our evolutionary origins. Read also Wrangham’s The Goodness Paradox.

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Melody Horrill - The Dolphin Who Saved Me

A remarkable book about domestic abuse, personal courage and friendship across species boundaries by my friend Mel Horrill.

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