05/11/2015
Considering the fascination human beings have with animal behavior, it’s little wonder so many books on the subject exist. Yet so many of these resources compare animal behavior with human behavior—apples to oranges—rather than comparing one type of animal behavior with another. Safina (Song for the Blue Ocean) chooses to concentrate on the latter approach to animal behavior, meeting up with animal behavior researchers in the field: first observing elephant families in Kenya, then the wolves of Yellowstone, and, finally, killer whale pods in the Pacific Northwest. In between his on-site adventures, Safina discusses the higher-intelligence characteristics of lemurs, chimpanzees, and domestic dogs, among others. In this mind-bending book, Safina takes the reader along with him on his adventures, enlightening and educating at each of his stops. Those interested in animal behavior, as well as anyone who has ever wondered about higher animal intelligence, will feel as if they’re right next to the author, learning along with him. B&w illus. (July)

Dr. Safina is a terrific writer, majestic and puckish in equal measure, with a contagious enthusiasm...Dr. Safina draws out haunting resonances between animal lives and our own... [Beyond Words] carries pleasing echoes of the poet Gary Snyder...Captivating.” —Gregory Cowles, The New York Times (Science)

“Once in a long while, a book is published that felicitously combines lambent writing with dazzling facts, while also illuminating our knowledge of significant and engaging subjects. Beyond Words by Carl Safina, a scientist who has won a MacArthur Fellowship and a Lannan Literary Award, is one of these exemplary books.
” —Susan Sheehan, Washington Post

“Brilliant... an unprecedented exploration of animals and...makes intimate these wild animals in vivid family portraits...each of Safina's beautifully limned animal portraits is the weight of human influence, and a challenge to exercise the power of empathy... [Safina] is a font of research, his wonder contagious.” —Elle

“A beautifully written, provocative case for seeing animals through their eyes.” —Discover Magazine

“Captivating...A profound, scientifically based appeal for recognition of the kinship of all living things.” —Kirkus, starred review

“...Excellent... compelling... brings forth powerful and illuminating insight into the unique personalities of animals...Wise, passionate, and eye-opening at every turn, Beyond Words is ultimately a graceful examination of humanity's place in the world... Dr. Safina's book truly is a gem — extremely thoughtful and important and most timely...
” —Psychology Today

“Safina's engaging writing takes readers along on his journey, so that we learn about these creatures as he does... The result is a meandering, entertaining tour of the animal kingdom, with pit stops for both amusing anecdotes and the latest scientific studies of animal behavior...entertaining and informative...” —Slate

“In this mind-bending book, Safina takes the reader along with him on his adventures, enlightening and educating at each of his stops.” —Publishers Weekly

“This well-researched book is a fascinating and thought-provoking investigation of different ways of viewing non-human creatures and their inner lives.” —Library Journal

“Carl Safina shows there is indeed intelligent life in the universe, and it's all around us. At once moving and surprising, Beyond Words asks us to reexamine our relationship to other species-and to ourselves.” —Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction

“This book breathes love of and respect for animals and is rich with observations and extraordinary travel experiences. It is a delightful and enlightening account of both how we relate to them and how they relate to each other.” —Frans de Waal, author of The Bonobo and the Atheist

“Safina offers a rich and often heart-touching account of his journeys with scientists exploring the minds and emotions of elephants, wolves, and dolphins. His compassion and empathy for animals shines throughout, and he uses both to illuminate the booming field of animal cognition. A beautifully written, accessible, and compelling read.” —Virginia Morell, author of Animal Wise: How We Know Animals Think and Feel

“Carl Safina's books contain a crucial jewel that refracts the experience of nature in a new and truthful way. In this emotional and scientific adventure, Safina somehow manages to produce a view of animal intelligence that is genuinely new, and truly enlightening.” —Paul Greenberg, author of American Catch and Four Fish

“Beyond Words is a must-read. Animals think, mourn, dream, make plans, and communicate complex messages in much the same way that we do. Readers who knew this already will rejoice, others will learn the truth, and the more of us who capture the message, the sooner we will change the world.” —Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of Dogs

“Beyond Words is a great read, seamlessly weaving scientific data with wonderful stories. People will feel 'rewilded' and motivated to do more on behalf of the innumerable animals who need our help. By expanding our compassion footprint we not only help other animals but also ourselves.” —Marc Bekoff, author of Rewilding Our Hearts and The Emotional Lives of Animals

“Beyond Words is such a beautiful book, deep and tender, and will make you stay up all night reading. Carl Safina has a rare gift for imparting scientific insight with a storyteller's grace, and he writes with great knowledge and compassion. This vivid, far-ranging, and compassionate work is destined to become a classic.” —Luanne Rice, author of The Lemon Orchard and Beach Girls

"This book breathes love of and respect for animals and is rich with observations and extraordinary travel experiences." —Frans de Waal, author of The Bonobo and the Atheist

05/15/2015
Award-winning author Safina (nature & humanity, Stony Brook Univ.; The View from Lazy Point: A Natural Year in an Unnatural World) explores, through anecdotes and scientific information, nonhuman animals and their sense of self. He believes that animals have an inner life; that they can think and feel, experience joy and grief, and recognize and communicate with family and friends; and that they are capable of empathy, reasoning, cooperation, and deception, among many other attributes. Safina interviews and accompanies in the field the foremost researchers of the behavior of elephants, wolves, and killer whales, learning about these creatures' lifestyles and relationships and observing how they experience their lives (he also includes examples from the lives of dolphins, apes, monkeys, birds, and even fish to support his premise). Following families of elephants, packs of wolves, and pods of whales, Safina introduces us to individuals and their myriad relationships. He shares information on the species' status in the wild and the conservation challenges they face. VERDICT This well-researched book is a fascinating and thought-provoking investigation of different ways of viewing nonhuman creatures and their inner lives and is recommended for everyone who is interested in those beings and their behavior. [See Prepub Alert, 2/2/15.]—Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL

★ 2015-05-05
Award-winning ecologist Safina (Nature and Humanity/Stony Brook Univ.; The View from Lazy Point: A Natural Year in an Unnatural World, 2011 etc.) disputes the dogma among scientists that forbids speculations about the "the inner lives of animals." As the author notes, "a young scientist is taught that the animal mind—if there is such—is unknowable." They are taught to always refer to animals as "it" rather than "who." Attributing emotions to animals is to commit the sin of anthropomorphism. Safina refutes this idea by examining the social behavior of primates, elephants, wolves, whales, and many others. "Not assuming that other animals have thoughts and feelings was a good start for a new science," he writes. "Insisting that they did not was bad science." To dissociate man from other animals is to deny the evidence. We recognize when animals are hungry, so why not admit "when animals seem joyous in joyful contexts, joy is the simplest interpretation of the evidence." The author cites experiments that demonstrate how electrical stimulation of the brains of animals and humans trigger similar emotional responses, and he based his examples on his personal observations of animals in the wild and discussions with experts with firsthand knowledge of them. For example, the matriarch in an elephant or wolf family depends on other adults for support, and they, in turn, depend upon her. Safina illustrates this with poignant descriptions of how the social lives of both adult and young animals are shaped by the interplay of individual adult personalities within the family. The author's chronicles of his observations of wild animals are captivating, but they also serve to make a larger point: why are people unwilling to admit that nonhuman animals also think and feel as we do? Safina suggests that perhaps it is "because acknowledging the mind of another makes it harder to abuse them." A profound, scientifically based appeal for recognition of the kinship of all living things.