Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel by Carl Safina

"If you look at side-by-side drawings of human, elephant and dolphin brains, the similarities overwhelm the differences.  We are essentially the same, merely molded by long experience into different outer shapes for coping with different outer surroundings, and wired inside for special talents and abilities.  But beneath the skin, kin.  There is no other animal like us.  But don't forget: there are no other animals like each of them, either."

Have you ever watched an animal pacing back and forth in their cage at the zoo and wondered if it understood and was sad about its captivity? Have you ever given your dog a treat and considered whether she truly likes you or if she is merely reacting to the prospect of food?  Can animals experience joy, humor, and love?  These idle curiosities are what author and ecologist Carl Safina writes about in Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel. He examines the idea of whether animals have complex emotional lives and personalities, and if they do, what implications that would have regarding the way humans treat them.

While Safina discusses many different types of animals throughout his book, he focuses in on elephants, wolves and whales.  He tags along with scientists who observe these animals, and conveys their research and experiences, along with his own observations.  His writing reveals that these animals lead surprisingly rich lives and have distinct personalities.  For example, he discusses how elephants mourn and even bury their dead, showing a depth of feeling and awareness that humans generally consider to be unique to themselves.  He also shares the story of Twenty-one, a wolf so successful at leading his pack that those observing him considered him to be a "super wolf."  This wolf never lost a single fight, and also never killed any wolf he defeated, an unusual act of magnanimity that served to strengthen his leadership and ensure that his bloodline survived after his death (which, by the way, was caused by old age - almost unheard of for a wild wolf).  Of course he also tell the tragic story of Tilikum, Seaworld's most famous killer whale, who was most likely driven insane by his capture and captivity-- killing a total of three people.  It is worth noting that a free-living killer whale has never killed a human.  It has happened several times with whales in captivity.  All of these examples, plus numerous others, serve to illustrate the idea that animals have more going on in their heads than humans are willing to give them credit for.         

While a book about animal emotions could easily drift into non-scientific territory, Safina is careful to base his assertions on research and observations from scientists.  He establishes in the beginning of the novel that humans are a type of animal - a unique animal, of course, but an animal nonetheless.  He also asserts that all other animals are unique and capable of experiencing human-like emotions in their own different ways, on a sliding scale of complexity.  This is an interesting idea that immediately got me thinking about animals in a slightly different way.  I've always been interested in "smart" animals, like elephants and chimps, but I hadn't really considered the deep similarities that people share with them. Whether we are human, elephant, dolphin or wolf, we are all striving for the same general things in life - to survive, to reproduce, and to thrive.  We face different circumstances, have differently shaped bodies, and communicate in different ways, but what we share with each other is far more profound than what we don't.  It is harmful for humans to consider themselves as the pinnacle of all life.  It would be better to consider ourselves as uniquely suited to be successful in our environments - something that could be said of any animal, from a honeybee to a hyena.  Mutual respect and admiration should characterize our interactions with other animals.  It is a tragedy that it doesn't, as evidenced by how many species are being pushed slowly to extinction due to human actions.

Anyone who loves animals will be intrigued by Beyond Words.  It offers several thought-provoking insights that leave readers thinking about animals in a new way - as partners and friends instead of subordinates.  At times, the chapters seem to drag on a bit too long, but overall, the novel held my interest.  I really enjoyed this one and learned a lot of new information.  I think I actually like animals even more after reading this, and I didn't think that was even possible. I suppose I couldn't offer any higher praise than that.