The Antlion Pit Bookstore
Science and Nature: Animal Mind and Behavior

"This readable introduction to the study of cognition in animals reveals powerful evidence of human-like capacities for perception, thought, and language in non-human animals, suggesting that the gulf between human and animal consciousness isn't as wide as once believed. James Gould is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University. Carol Gould is a widely published science writer." [Book News]

"Taking the organization of behavior within the individual animal as its core, this clear, concise and readable foray into the fascinating world of animal behavior investigates Tinbergen's questions of causation, evolution, development and function. It provides lucid accounts of all levels of behavior from the nerve cell to that of the population."

Classic collection of stories, observations, and advice about animals by the father of ethology. Lorenz (1903–1989) was awarded the 1973 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.

"Following in the footsteps of Konrad Lorenz and Niko Tinbergen, Bekoff has spent the last 30 years studying animals of every stripe—from coyotes in Wyoming to penguins in Antarctica. He draws on this vast experience, as well as on the observations of other naturalists, to offer readers fascinating stories of animal behavior, including grooming and gossip, self-medication, feeding patterns, dreaming, dominance, and mating behavior. Many of these stories are truly incredible—chimpanzees medicating themselves with herbal remedies, elephants clearly mourning a dead group member—but this is not simply a catalog of amazing animal tales, for Bekoff also sheds light on many of the more serious issues surrounding animals. He offers a thought-provoking look at animal cognition, intelligence, and consciousness and he presents vivid examples of animal passions, highlighting the deep emotional lives of our animal kin."

"Do animals have ideas and do they think about objects that they cannot see or about situations that have occurred in the past? Do they consciously make plans for the future or do they simply react unthinkingly to objects as they appear and to situations as they arise? Are animals aware of themselves and of others or is this an ability unique to humans? Minds of Their Own addresses these questions by looking at the different behaviour characteristics of a variety of animals, the evolution of the brain and when consciousness might have evolved."

"First published in the 1960s, On Aggression has been the target of criticism and controversy ever since. It is not Lorenz's careful descriptions of animal behaviour that are contentious, but his extrapolations to the human world that have caused reverberations resulting in a statement adopted by UNESCO in 1989 and subsequently endorsed by the American Psychological Association that appears to condemn his work. But does On Aggression actually make the claims implicit in the Seville statement? In a new introduction by Professor Eric Salzen, the debate about Lorenz's work is set in its social and political context and his claims and those of his critics reassessed. Human aggression has not lessened since this seminal work first appeared and there are no convincing new solutions. On Aggression should be read by all new students and re-read by more experienced scholars so that the important evidence he presents from ethnology may be reappraised in the light of the most recent research."

"A book about 'stories—not studies—of animal intelligence' would at first glance appear to be just another collection of warm and fuzzy tales about animals saving people from fires or other similar heartwarming accounts. However, on second glance, Linden (a journalist who has written extensively on the subject of animal intelligence) has produced something more useful to the lay reader—stories that reveal evidence of the consciousness of their animal subjects, set into the context of what is scientifically known about animal cognition. Dividing the book into thematic sections covering such 'human' attributes as game-playing, trade and barter, deception, or empathy and heroism, the author draws heavily on the anecdotes of zookeepers, animal trainers, and others working with exotic animals. The cumulative impact of these accounts, when interwoven with the author's distillation of the relevant ethological theories, creates a compelling argument in favor of consciousness in animals." [Booklist]

"The authors of this book, a philosopher and a cognitive ethologist, approach their work from the perspective that many animals have minds and rich cognitive lives. The heart of the book is [the] reciprocal relationship between philosophical theories of mind and empirical studies of animal cognition. All theoretical discussion is carefully tied to case studies, particularly in the areas of antipredator vigilance and social play, where there are many points of contact with philosophical discussions of intentionality and representation. The authors make specific suggestions about how to use philosophical theories of intentionality as starting points for empirical investigation of animal minds. They also discuss cognitive ethology's relevance to questions of ethics, as our beliefs about the mental lives of animals strongly affect our attitudes toward their moral status."

"From dancing squirrels to bashful gorillas to spiteful killer whales, Masson and co-author Susan McCarthy bring forth fascinating anecdotes and illuminating insights that offer powerful proof of the existence of animal emotion. Chapters on love, joy, anger, fear, shame, compassion, and loneliness are framed by a provocative re-evaluation of how we treat animals, from hunting and eating them to scientific experimentation. Forming a complete and compelling picture of the inner lives of animals, When Elephants Weep assures that we will never look at animals in the same way again."