Book Review: Thinking Straight About Animals

Here at GEE Funny Farm, we are passionate about animal education. Besides actually interacting with animals, what better way to increase animal education than through some great literature? Recently, among ourselves, we’ve passed around the book Some We Love, Some We Hate, and Some We Eat by Hal Herzog. It’s subtitled: Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight About Animals.

This book is entertainingly informative. Herzog is a professor in the psychology department at Western Carolina University. He’s especially interested in the field of anthrozoology, the study of the relationship between humans and animals. If that doesn’t sound complex enough to study, then you haven’t given enough thought to the nuances of our interactions with other species. Even if you do have some grasp of these nuances, Herzog will very likely broaden your view.

For instance, how did a gray wolf transform into all the variations of house pet dog that we now have? (103 – 109) In fact, Herzog investigates the human-pet relationship in many different ways. He discusses the issue of animal hoarding (138 – 141), as well as the reasons we keep pets (78 – 82), and the cost of pet-keeping (75 – 78).

Another angle to our relationship is, of course, our consumption of animals. Have you ever heard how the chickens you get from your local grocer were bred, raised, transported, and marketed to be brought to your table? If you are in the dark on this process, then don’t miss Herzog’s no-fluff description (167 – 170). Of course, when discussing meat consumption, an anthrozoologist would do well to learn about vegetarianism, why people are (or are not) vegetarians, as well as why they are no longer vegetarians (190 – 201). While these may be the obvious angles to humans and meat-eating, Herzog also discusses why eating one kind of meat (dog, or rat, or cat, or sheep brain, or pig intestines) in one place is repulsive in another place (182 – 187).

Herzog also introduces us non-scientist types to the complexities of using animals in scientific testing (Chapter 8). He looks at the benefits of dolphin therapy (18-23), shares tests given to people about whether they would save animals or people with their inconsistent results (54-57), and what we think about what animals are thinking (60-62).

Of course, if you want to learn the answers to these questions and others besides, then the best place to go is the book. While the book is marketed for popular reading, Herzog includes lengthy notes at the end for anyone who wants a more in-depth look at the studies and books he references. This makes it a great starting place for budding anthrozoologists, and also a perfectly acceptable ending place for someone who’s just slightly curious about the subject matter.

Mostly, this book is informative. But each subject he discusses really boils down to ethics in the end, so Herzog does conclude by encouraging us to all make a little more effort to make our actions more consistent with our beliefs about animals, whatever they may be. Herzog has both the merit and the fault of being slightly inconsistent himself, which helps him avoid the pitfall of being uncomfortably preachy. He’s honest about his own animal cruelty as a child and discusses how ethics plays into his meat-eating choices. He’s also open about the confusing nature of animal ethics. So ride along with Herzog on his investigations and discussions and decide for yourself whether your money and effort is better spent preventing cock fighting or improving the lives of Cobb 500 hens.