Reviews - Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior

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157 reviews for:

Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior

Fascinating read. If you are interested in autism or animal behavior this book is a great jumping off point to get you thinking (and if you're anything like me, a list of multiple things to research more!).

Temple Grandin really is an interesting woman. A appreciate her views on animals so much. She does a wonderful job of explaining how her brain works differently from the neurotypical.

izzyreadsstuff's review against another edition

4.0

challenging funny hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

marilynsaul's review against another edition

2.0

not very far into this book, but I have to shelve it for awhile. I appreciate the author's insights into visual vs verbal, but she seems IMO to be repeating herself over and over - perhaps her autism vs. verbals prevents her from realizing this. Also, all of her experience seems to be in the meat-packing industry, and I just can't take any more. Maybe I'll revisit.

sabeanbob's review against another edition

4.0

Found this book really interesting and easy to follow. The explanations of concepts that everyone can grasp and imagine as possibilities meant that the author’s reasoning for her opinions made sense. It gave insight to how autistic people think but also some of the difficulties that they may struggle with because of the comparisons between them and animal minds. Originally picked this book up for the references to Panksepp’s work and I’m glad I did, because it was enjoyable to read.

pattieod's review against another edition

5.0

Another book that can change (even slightly) the way you view the world. Temple Grandin, a woman with autism, is a world reknown animal expert. She believes that her different way of perceiving the world allow her to understand the way animals relate to the world (except for cats - she admits she doesn't really "get" predator animals like cats). Written in her unique voice, it backs up a lot of her speculation with research and information from neurology and psychology. Whether you agree with some of her theories or not, the book will get you thinking and viewing things differently.

may_brie's review against another edition

4.0

reflective medium-paced

i didn’t like the alpha theory bits but very interesting! i have found myself mulling over some things a month later, i’ll probably reread

twena2's review against another edition

4.0

informative reflective slow-paced

sortabadass's review against another edition

3.0

I picked this up because I wanted to learn more about autism.

While the book was interesting, there was less information about autism than I expected. I suppose the dog on the cover should have been my clue. Tidbits of animal perception and autism anecdotes pepper the book, but I think I was looking for an intellectual meal that was a bit more substantial. The next autism book I read will probably be more focused on neural biology.

As a long-time animal lover, much of Grandin's advice about animal behavior reinforced previously-held thoughts. However, I think it's good to get a reminder that my pets see the world very differently than I do, and I can't hold them responsible for not acting human. There is also a great resource appendix that deals with troubleshooting animal misbehavior; it would be a good idea for any pet owner to have access to something similar.