The pig who sang to the moon : the emotional world of farm animals / Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson.
Record details
- ISBN: 034545281X :
- Physical Description: xv, 277 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.
- Edition: 1st ed.
- Publisher: New York : Ballantine Books, 2003.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (p. 263-273) and index. |
Citation/References Note: | Bklst 10/01/2003 LJ 10/15/2003 PW 09/29/2003 Kirkus 09/01/2003 |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Domestic animals > Behavior. Emotions in animals. |
Available copies
- 4 of 4 copies available at Evergreen Indiana.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 4 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Danville-Center Twp PL - Danville | 636 MAS (Text) | 32604020119284 | AD Non-Fiction | Available | - |
Greentown PL - Greentown | 636 MASSON (Text) | 75342000054919 | Adult Non-Fiction | Available | - |
Perry Co PL - Tell City Main Library | 636 MAS (Text) | 70621000138239 | Adult - Non Fiction | Available | - |
West Lafayette PL - West Lafayette | 636.22 MAS (Text) | 31951002653977 | 2nd Floor - Non-Fiction | Available | - |
Loading Recommendations...
- Baker & Taylor
The author examines the complex emotional lives of barnyard creatures, exploring evidence of such feelings as love, friendship, and sadness, and draws on his own observations to reveal the intelligence and emotions of these animals. - Baker & Taylor
The author ofWhen Elephants Weep examines the complex emotional lives of barnyard creatures, exploring evidence of such feelings as love, loyalty, friendship, sadness, sorrow, and grief, and draws on his own experiences and observations, as well as scientific research, history, and literature to reveal the intelligence and emotions of these animals. - Blackwell North Amer
Weaving history, literature, anecdotes, scientific studies, and Masson's own vivid experiences observing pigs, cows, sheep, goats, and chickens over the course of five years, this book at last gives voice, meaning, and dignity to these gentle beasts that are bred to be milked, shorn, butchered, and eaten. Can we ever know what makes an animal happy? Many animal behaviorists say no. But Jeffrey Masson has a different view: Animals are happy if they can live according to their own nature. Farm animals suffer greatly in this regard. Chickens, for instance, like to perch in trees at night, to avoid predators and to nestle with friends. The obvious conclusion: They cannot be happy when confined six to a cage.
From field and barn to pen and coop, Masson bears witness to the emotions and intelligence of these remarkable farm animals, each one with distinct qualities. Curious, intelligent, self-reliant - many will find it hard to believe that these attributes describe a pig. In fact, there is much that humans share with pigs. Pigs dream, know their names, and can see colors. Mother cows mourn the loss of their calves when their babies are taken away to slaughter. Given a choice between food that is nutritious or food lacking in minerals, sheep will select the former, balancing their diet and correcting any deficiency. Goats display quite a sense of humor, dignity, and fearlessness (Indian goats have been known to kill leopards). Chickens are naturally sociable - they will gather around a human companion and stand there serenely preening themselves or sit quietly on the ground beside someone they trust.
For far too long farm animals have been denigrated and treated merely as creatures of instinct rather than as sentient beings. Shattering the abhorrent myth of the "dumb animal without feelings," Jeffrey Masson has written a book that is sure to stir human emotions far and wide.