Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat [Second Edition]: Why It's So Hard to Think Straight About Animals

by Hal Herzog

Overview

“A fascinating, thoughtful, and thoroughly enjoyable exploration of a major dimension of human experience.”— Steven Pinker, author of How the Mind Works 

A maverick scientist reveals the inconsistent and often paradoxical ways humans think, feel, and behave toward animals in this engaging, informative, and though-provoking book, now newly revised.

Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat is a highly entertaining and illuminating journey through the full spectrum of human-animal relations. Drawing on his groundbreaking research in the field of anthrozoology, Dr. Hal Herzog tries to make sense of our complex relationships with animals and the challenging moral conundrums we face regarding these creatures who share our world—and some, our homes. 

A blend of anthropology, behavioral economics, evolutionary psychology, and philosophy, updated to reflect evolving attitudes and the most recent findings, Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat  is a poignant, often challenging, and frequently laugh-out-loud funny trip through a world of animal rights activists, cockfighters, professional dog-show handlers, veterinary students, biomedical researchers, and more. It will forever change the way we think about other living creatures and, ultimately, how we see ourselves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063119284
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	12/07/2021
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	388,429
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Hal Herzog is recognized as one of the world’s leading anthrozoologists. He is a professor of psychology at Western Carolina University and lives in the Great Smoky Mountains with his wife Mary Jean.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction: Why Is It So Hard to Think Straight About Animals? xiii

1 Anthrozoology: The New Science of Human-Animal Interactions 1

2 The Importance of Being Cute: Why We Think What We Think About Creatures That Don't Think Like Us 23

3 Pet-O-Philia: Why Do Humans (and Only Humans) Love Pets? 57

4 Friends, Foes, and Fashion Statements: The Human-Dog Relationship 93

5 "Prom Queen Kills First Deer on Sixteenth Birthday": Gender and the Human-Animal Relationship 129

6 In The Eyes of the Beholder: The Comparative Cruelty of Cockfights and Happy Meals 149

7 Delicious, Dangerous, Disgusting, and Dead: The Human-Meat Relationship 177

8 The Moral Status of Mice: The Ethics of Animal Research 211

9 The Cats in Our Houses, The Cows on Our Plates: Are We All Hypocrites? 247

10 Dealing with the Carnivorous Yahoo within Ourselves: Are We All Hypocrites? 275

Acknowledgments 295

Notes 297

Index 331

Editorial Reviews

A wonderful book—wildly readable, funny, scientifically sound, and with surprising moments of deep, challenging thoughts. I loved it.” — Robert M. Sapolsky, Neuroscientist, Stanford University, and author of Monkeyluv and A Primate's Memoir

“Everybody who is interested in the ethics of our relationship between humans and animals should read this book.” — Temple Grandin, author of Animals Make Us Human

“Hal Herzog does for our relationships with animals what Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma did for our relationships with food. . . . The book is a joy to read, and no matter what your beliefs are now, it will change how you think.” — Sam Gosling, Professor of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, author of Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You

“Reminiscent of Freakonomics. . . . An agreeable guide to popular avenues of inquiry in the field of anthrozoology.” — The New Yorker

“Wonderful. . . . An engagingly written book that only seems to be about animals. Herzog’s deepest questions are about men, women and children.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer

“A fun read. . . . What buoys this book is Herzog’s voice. He’s an assured, knowledgeable and friendly guide.” — Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers

“A fascinating, thoughtful, and thoroughly enjoyable exploration of a major dimension of human experience.” — Steven Pinker, Harvard College Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of How the Mind Works and The Stuff of Thought

“An instant classic. . . . Written so accessibly and personally, while simultaneously satisfying the scholar in all of us.” — Arnold Arluke, Anthrozoös

“An intelligent and amusing book that invites us to think deeply about how we define-and where we limit-our empathy for animals.” — Publishers Weekly

“Herzog argues that moral absolutes are not readily available in a complex world—one that exists in shades of grey, rather than the black and white of animal rights activists and their opponents. . . . Herzog has a clear eye for the essence of a scientific study, but he leavens his narrative with illuminating personal stories and self-deprecating humor.” — Nature

“Both educational and enjoyable, a page-turner that I dare say puts Herzog in the same class as Malcolm Gladwell and Michael Lewis. Read this book. You’ll learn some, you’ll laugh some, you’ll love some.” — BookPage

“Herzog writes about big ideas with a light touch. . . . Insightful, compassionate and humorous.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Fascinating. . . Herzog looks at the wild, tortured paradoxes in our relationship with the weaker, if sometimes more adorable, species.” — Salon

“In his quest to make sense of our complex relationships with animals, psychologist Hal Herzog explores the ethics of E.T. and explains why guys with cute dogs get more dates.” — Parade

“Professor Hal Herzog writes lucidly and sometimes with a good touch of humor about the ethics of the relationships between humans and animals. . . . No matter which side of the question you find yourself on, this book is illuminating, and dare I say quite entertaining.” — Biloxi Sun Herald

“Engaging and pleasantly cerebral. . . . When [Herzog is] talking to people about their views, the book is fascinating.” — Time Out Chicago

“Hal Herzog deftly blends anecdote with scientific research to show how almost any moral or ethical position regarding our relationship with animals can lead to absurd consequences. In an utterly appealing narrative, he reveals the quirky…ways we humans try to make sense of these absurdities.” — ARTnews

“One of a kind. I don’t know when I’ve read anything more comprehensive about our highly involved, highly contradictory relationships with animals, relationships which we mindlessly, placidly continue no matter how irrational they may be. . . . This page-turning book is quite something—you won’t forget it any time soon.” — Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of Deer

“Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat is one of a kind. I don’t know when I’ve read anything more comprehensive about our highly involved, highly contradictory relationships with animals, relationships which we mindlessly, placidly continue no matter how irrational they may be. Readers will welcome Herzog’s eye opening discussions, presented with compassion and humor. This page-turning book is quite something—you won’t forget it any time soon.” — Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of Deer: Lessons from the Natural World

From the Publisher

Hal Herzog does for our relationships with animals what Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma did for our relationships with food. . . . The book is a joy to read, and no matter what your beliefs are now, it will change how you think.

Sam Gosling

Wonderful. . . . An engagingly written book that only seems to be about animals. Herzog’s deepest questions are about men, women and children.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

A wonderful book—wildly readable, funny, scientifically sound, and with surprising moments of deep, challenging thoughts. I loved it.

Robert M. Sapolsky

A fascinating, thoughtful, and thoroughly enjoyable exploration of a major dimension of human experience.

Steven Pinker

An instant classic. . . . Written so accessibly and personally, while simultaneously satisfying the scholar in all of us.

Arnold Arluke

Reminiscent of Freakonomics. . . . An agreeable guide to popular avenues of inquiry in the field of anthrozoology.

The New Yorker

Everybody who is interested in the ethics of our relationship between humans and animals should read this book.

Temple Grandin

A fun read. . . . What buoys this book is Herzog’s voice. He’s an assured, knowledgeable and friendly guide.

Lisa Ko

Herzog argues that moral absolutes are not readily available in a complex world—one that exists in shades of grey, rather than the black and white of animal rights activists and their opponents. . . . Herzog has a clear eye for the essence of a scientific study, but he leavens his narrative with illuminating personal stories and self-deprecating humor.

Nature Lib

Herzog argues that moral absolutes are not readily available in a complex world—one that exists in shades of grey, rather than the black and white of animal rights activists and their opponents. . . . Herzog has a clear eye for the essence of a scientific study, but he leavens his narrative with illuminating personal stories and self-deprecating humor.

Nature

Reminiscent of Freakonomics. . . . An agreeable guide to popular avenues of inquiry in the field of anthrozoology.

The New Yorker

Fascinating. . . Herzog looks at the wild, tortured paradoxes in our relationship with the weaker, if sometimes more adorable, species.

Salon

In his quest to make sense of our complex relationships with animals, psychologist Hal Herzog explores the ethics of E.T. and explains why guys with cute dogs get more dates.

Parade

Hal Herzog deftly blends anecdote with scientific research to show how almost any moral or ethical position regarding our relationship with animals can lead to absurd consequences. In an utterly appealing narrative, he reveals the quirky…ways we humans try to make sense of these absurdities.

ARTnews

Professor Hal Herzog writes lucidly and sometimes with a good touch of humor about the ethics of the relationships between humans and animals. . . . No matter which side of the question you find yourself on, this book is illuminating, and dare I say quite entertaining.

Biloxi Sun Herald

Both educational and enjoyable, a page-turner that I dare say puts Herzog in the same class as Malcolm Gladwell and Michael Lewis. Read this book. You’ll learn some, you’ll laugh some, you’ll love some.

BookPage

Engaging and pleasantly cerebral. . . . When [Herzog is] talking to people about their views, the book is fascinating.

Time Out Chicago

One of a kind. I don’t know when I’ve read anything more comprehensive about our highly involved, highly contradictory relationships with animals, relationships which we mindlessly, placidly continue no matter how irrational they may be. . . . This page-turning book is quite something—you won’t forget it any time soon.

Elizabeth Marshall Thomas

Hal Herzog deftly blends anecdote with scientific research to show how almost any moral or ethical position regarding our relationship with animals can lead to absurd consequences. In an utterly appealing narrative, he reveals the quirky…ways we humans try to make sense of these absurdities.

Irene M. Pepperberg

Herzog delivers provocative popular science at its witty ‘gee-whiz’ best. With headings such as ‘Feeding Kittens to Boa Constrictors,’ the book challenges the reader to think through the knotty ethics of human interactions with other species. While it might make you squirm, you’ll have fun reading this informal, often-humorous survey of the emerging, interdisciplinary field of anthrozoology.

Columbus Dispatch

Professor Hal Herzog writes lucidly and sometimes with a good touch of humor about the ethics of the relationships between humans and animals. . . . No matter which side of the question you find yourself on, this book is illuminating, and dare I say quite entertaining.

Sun Journal (North Carolina)

Wonderful. . . . An engagingly written book that only seems to be about animals. Herzog’s deepest questions are about men, women and children.

Karen Sandstrom