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157 reviews for:
Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior
Temple Grandin
4.01 AVERAGE
157 reviews for:
Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior
Temple Grandin
4.01 AVERAGE
i actually finished this a couple months ago. it's not a book that really sticks with you, so i'm finding it difficult to articulate why i liked it. it's a kind of empty comment to say it was "interesting," but it was. i doubt i'll read a clearer or more accurate description about how the mind of an autistic person and the minds of animals work.
I've read a few novels with autism as part of the theme, and I've read a very small bit about animal behaviour. This book is a unique blend of animals and autism, written by a woman who is a specialist in both - she herself is autistic, and she has a PhD in Animal Science. She was named one of the world's most 100 influential people by Times in 2010, having revolutionised animal handling in meat processing plants across the United States, and in fact the whole treatment of animals that we raise for food. On top of that she has done a tremendous amount to raise awareness of autism and of how autistic people think.
In this book she uses her own experiences and understanding of how she thinks in pictures, not in words, and relates this to animal behaviour. Using example after example, all explained very clearly, she shows how animals act, think, and communicate.
I might have found some of the subject matter in this book quite repulsive (being a vegetarian), but it was all so fascinating that I read every word. Grandin herself says towards the end of the book that some people might wonder why she isn't vegetarian, caring for animals the way she does, but she answers that really well. Humane treatment is the key thing, she says, in a world where eating meat is a simple fact of human life, so that is her focus.
Once again I have read a book, that I might never have noticed, because of being in a Goodreads group (All About Animals). Brilliant!
In this book she uses her own experiences and understanding of how she thinks in pictures, not in words, and relates this to animal behaviour. Using example after example, all explained very clearly, she shows how animals act, think, and communicate.
I might have found some of the subject matter in this book quite repulsive (being a vegetarian), but it was all so fascinating that I read every word. Grandin herself says towards the end of the book that some people might wonder why she isn't vegetarian, caring for animals the way she does, but she answers that really well. Humane treatment is the key thing, she says, in a world where eating meat is a simple fact of human life, so that is her focus.
Once again I have read a book, that I might never have noticed, because of being in a Goodreads group (All About Animals). Brilliant!
For people interested in animal behavior, this book is loaded with interesting facts about all kinds of animals. It draws some parallels between animals and autistic humans because the author is autistic herself, but that's not the whole book. I liked this book because there are tons of facts I didn't already know and they are all backed up with evidence, but in a very readable way. It's like having a conversation with someone who happens to be an expert on animal behavior.
Things I learned from this book:
This book taught me that cows get freaked out when a raincoat is left hanging on their fence. I also learned that some chickens are murderous and that all-white animals have a lot of problems.
Things I learned from this book:
This book taught me that cows get freaked out when a raincoat is left hanging on their fence. I also learned that some chickens are murderous and that all-white animals have a lot of problems.
So many interesting research findings about animal behavior. Temple Grandin is truly gifted.
Considering one of my favourite subjects is animal behaviour, I was looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.
Grandin is an autistic woman with a Ph.D. in Animal Science, so I thought this book might have a somewhat scientific bent to it. Instead, it is written in a conversational tone, poor grammar and all. That aside, it has some other major problems: Namely, despite the book being about the similarities in behaviour between animals and autistic people, the author never defines or explains autism. She occasionally refers to autistic people perceiving the world in a particular way, but the reader is left wondering what exactly autism is.
In addition, all of Grandin's information about autistic people comes from her own experiences. Not that her experiences aren't valid, but we have no idea if they are typical. And she also paints a big line and places autistic people on one side, and non-autistics on the other, and infers that non-autistics just can't see what autistics do, and that's just not always the case; I notice some of the things she says "only autistics" do, and as far as I know, I'm not autistic.
In general, there is some interesting information in here, and there are bits worth paying attention to. However, had it been written "right," it could have been a great book.
Grandin is an autistic woman with a Ph.D. in Animal Science, so I thought this book might have a somewhat scientific bent to it. Instead, it is written in a conversational tone, poor grammar and all. That aside, it has some other major problems: Namely, despite the book being about the similarities in behaviour between animals and autistic people, the author never defines or explains autism. She occasionally refers to autistic people perceiving the world in a particular way, but the reader is left wondering what exactly autism is.
In addition, all of Grandin's information about autistic people comes from her own experiences. Not that her experiences aren't valid, but we have no idea if they are typical. And she also paints a big line and places autistic people on one side, and non-autistics on the other, and infers that non-autistics just can't see what autistics do, and that's just not always the case; I notice some of the things she says "only autistics" do, and as far as I know, I'm not autistic.
In general, there is some interesting information in here, and there are bits worth paying attention to. However, had it been written "right," it could have been a great book.
One review says there is a "WOW!" moment on every page, and it's true. It's totally cool brain research, but fun to read because it's mixed with stories of animals. I learned a ton about autism, language, multiple intelligence, the brain...and if you have a dog it should be required reading!
did you know that cows are afraid of the color yellow? temple grandin does! this book is SO interesting. temple is a wonder, and she has amazing lessons for all of us about how to treat animals and autistic people.
Fascinating, wacky, and truly revelatory. The major accomplishment of Grandin's book is that she takes the world as we know it and presents it back in a way that we never conceived of it before. Full of insights and surprises, Animals in Translation illuminates both animals and the autistic in unexpected ways--and in ways, once pondered, that make perfect sense.
Temple Grandin sheds light on the similarities between the autistic person's brain function and that of animals. From her autistic perspective, she explains how she processes incoming information, how she adapts to unfamiliar situations and how she learns. She compares these brain functions to the science of animal intelligence and makes multiple connections between the two. She is not afraid to disagree with other scientists or previously-held beliefs and backs up her theories with strong scientific evidence. She truly has a different way of looking at animals and the reasons behind their actions and reactions.
Although I found the very technical science of brain function a little heavy at times, it was a gripping text, filled with real-life examples of animal communication, aggression, anxiety and fear. I found the chapter on animal language/communication especially fascinating. She gives an in-depth look at the ways that prairie dogs communicate different threats which I will not soon forget. I can see this kind of complex communication within my own small flock of chickens and believe whole-heartedly that they are sharing much more information than simply 'food' and 'danger'.
I listened to this as an audiobook and, although the narrator was mono-toned, I found it was a great way to float through the detailed research which may have bogged me down in a book.
Although I found the very technical science of brain function a little heavy at times, it was a gripping text, filled with real-life examples of animal communication, aggression, anxiety and fear. I found the chapter on animal language/communication especially fascinating. She gives an in-depth look at the ways that prairie dogs communicate different threats which I will not soon forget. I can see this kind of complex communication within my own small flock of chickens and believe whole-heartedly that they are sharing much more information than simply 'food' and 'danger'.
I listened to this as an audiobook and, although the narrator was mono-toned, I found it was a great way to float through the detailed research which may have bogged me down in a book.