Bøger af Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson's groundbreaking bestseller, When Elephants Weep, was the first book since Darwin's time to explore emotions in the animal kingdom, particularly from animals in the wild. Now, he focuses exclusively on the contained world of the farm animal, revealing startling, irrefutable evidence that barnyard creatures have feelings too, even consciousness.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 important 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: An animal is happy if it can live according to its 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 twenty 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 unique 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. They 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 lacking in minerals, sheep will select the former, balancing their diet and correcting the 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 revolutionary book that is sure to stir human emotions far and wide.

Drawing from literature, history, animal behavioral research, and the wonderful true stories of cat experts and cat lovers around the world, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson vividly explores the delights and mysteries of the feline heart. But at the core of this remarkable book are Masson's candid, often amusing observations of his own five cats. Their mischievous behavior, aloofness, and affection provide a way to examine emotions from contentment to jealousy, from anger to love. The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats will captivate readers with its surprises, offering a new perspective on the deep connection shared by humans and their feline friends.

Dog lovers get ready Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, international bestselling author of Dogs Never Lie About Love (which the San Francisco Chronicle calls "e;winning and wise,"e; and "e;a charming paean to our best friends"e;), is back with an inspiring, heart-warming, and deeply personal exploration of the unique relationship between humans and dogs. As in When Elephants Weep, The Face on Your Plate, an The Pig Who Sang to the Moon, Masson blends cultural mythology, scientific research, and stories of his own experiences to tackle deep questions about the emotional lives of humans and animals. His compelling, elegant, and often humorous narrative about the love people feel for dogs (perfect for fans of John Grogan's Marley Me) gives a new perspective on the extraordinary relationship between our species.

A heartfelt exploration of human grief after the loss of a pet by the New York Times bestselling author of Dogs Never Lie About Love.

"It's a challenge to create transformative moments with books, but [Masson] does it."-Susan Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times