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A review by amandasbookreview
The Inner Life of Animals by Peter Wohlleben
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
“No, I believe that the unimaginably lively lives of millions of species have adapted so well to one another only because overly selfish species end up recklessly exploiting all available resources, destabilizing ecosystems, and irrevocably changing them and their inhabitants.”
THE INNER LIFE OF ANIMALS
My goal is to finish last year’s summer reading list before this summer. Peter Wohlleben has become one of my favorite authors. I love The Hidden Life of Trees and The Secret Wisdom of Nature. These books, as well as, The Inner Life of Animals are all a part of his The Mysteries of Nature Series. Unlike the other two books that focus on ecosystems and how plants and animals work together for survival, this book focuses on animals. Whether they are pets or wildlife, Peter Wohlleben is a keen observer who wants to shine a light on animal instincts that could be comparable to human instincts. If we share certain instincts with bees, deer, or horses. Could we share similar emotions or how we react to certain stimulations in our environment?
The author who wrote in the intro to this book is Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson who wrote When Elephants Weep, which I also read last summer. When it comes to observing animals, whether or not it is from a scientific point of view is anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism is attributing human behavior to animals or even objects. There is a very thin line when it comes to anthropomorphism. Masson clearly states in this introduction that Peter Wohlleben writes this book as an observer and not as a scientist. So if you are looking for cold hard scientific data, this is not it. While he does provide some background research, it is not at the forefront.
Each chapter focuses on different subjects that we are familiar with as humans. For instance, love, grief, compassion, empathy, pain, fear, etc…
I truly loved all of his stories about the animals. Some are heartbreaking, some are inspirational. While I do see people’s point of it flirting with the line of anthropomorphism, I also think this book is important. It shows us that we need to reignite our respect for animals. They feel pain and they know fear. That is not projection. The world could be a much better place with more respect for the people, animals, and nature around us. 5 out of 5 stars.
The author who wrote in the intro to this book is Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson who wrote When Elephants Weep, which I also read last summer. When it comes to observing animals, whether or not it is from a scientific point of view is anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism is attributing human behavior to animals or even objects. There is a very thin line when it comes to anthropomorphism. Masson clearly states in this introduction that Peter Wohlleben writes this book as an observer and not as a scientist. So if you are looking for cold hard scientific data, this is not it. While he does provide some background research, it is not at the forefront.
Each chapter focuses on different subjects that we are familiar with as humans. For instance, love, grief, compassion, empathy, pain, fear, etc…
I truly loved all of his stories about the animals. Some are heartbreaking, some are inspirational. While I do see people’s point of it flirting with the line of anthropomorphism, I also think this book is important. It shows us that we need to reignite our respect for animals. They feel pain and they know fear. That is not projection. The world could be a much better place with more respect for the people, animals, and nature around us. 5 out of 5 stars.