The Science of Pets
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- USD 14.99
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- USD 14.99
Descripción editorial
In the tradition of The Inside of a Dog, top science writer and TV personality Jay Ingram shares new insights into the hearts, minds, and bodies of the animals who love us (or do they?).
More than one billion pets live in homes around the world, sleeping on dog beds, clawing at cat trees, swimming in bowls, crawling around in aquariums. Canada, the United States, Brazil, the EU, and China make up half of those households, with half of the world’s population owning a pet of some sort. Yet despite the ubiquitous animals that lick our faces and steal food off the counter, we really don’t know a lot about the scientific side of their existence: why do dogs spin around when excited, do our cats really love us, do lizards make good pets, can single-celled organisms be considered pets (you can cut the hydra in two and have two pets!), what are parrots thinking, and can a horse be considered a pet? Or pigs (even those sent to market)? Or praying mantises? Or how about robot pets in Japan, caring for the elderly?
Veteran science broadcaster and journalist Jay Ingram, author of twenty popular science titles, including the bestselling Science of Why series, has researched the latest science behind our beloved furry, and not-so-furry, creatures that sleep on our sofas and eat our pizza crusts. Along the way, he discusses the myths and misconceptions about our companions: do dogs always do their business facing north? Why are we seeing a rise in exotic pets such as tigers and bears? Are the deer and foxes we see “rescued” on Instagram considered pets and could they be domesticated? Did dogs entirely evolve from wolves, and why? Can you communicate with a turtle? Do highly intelligent octopi make good pets? And why are baby animals, like baby humans, so darned cute: have they evolved to be born cute as a survival mechanism, and would that cuteness matter to others of their own kind who might consider them their next lunch?
Full of fabulous insights, humorous asides, and the wisdom of decades in science reporting, The Science of Pets will elucidate as it entertains. You will never look at your pets the same way again (but be sure they’re watching you closely).
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Science writer Ingram (The Future of Us) provides an intriguing if idiosyncratic exploration of the creatures humans keep as pets. He covers a wide range of questions, including what constitutes a pet, why people keep them, and how species like dogs and cats have evolved to live with humans. People have different ideas about the definition of "pet," Ingram contends, noting that some people only see domesticated animals, like dogs and cats, as pets, while others consider any animal with whom they have an emotional attachment a pet (say, a praying mantis or a crow). How exactly these relationships began is a mystery, but Ingram shares theories. In regard to dogs, which evolved from wolves, for example, he explains that wolves may have taken the initiative to establish a bond after finding food scraps left behind by hunter-gatherer groups. Today, humans keep pets for many reasons, with some people claiming they ease depression and promote empathy. Many consider their pets members of the family, sometimes with equal status as human members. Ingram doesn't shy away from inconvenient truths, such as the treatment of pets as disposable possessions (millions enter shelters each year) and pets' impact on native wildlife (dogs may have contributed to 11 extinctions). There are some deficiencies; popular pets such as hamsters and guinea pigs are barely mentioned, while chapters are devoted to ants and hydras. Still, this solid work of popular science will likely have wide appeal.
