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mattia_ix's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? challenges our comfortable anthropocentric worldview with a sharp, thoughtful critique of our inflated sense of superiority. The author unpacks the many ways we've stubbornly refused to acknowledge the intelligence of other species, all while clinging to our fragile egos. What struck me most was how deeply ingrained our need to feel special is, to the point where we’d rather limit our understanding of animal cognition than face the uncomfortable truth that we might not be the only smart beings on this planet.
The writing is clean and compelling, pulling you along with a clarity that makes even complex ideas accessible. Toward the end, the book does repeat itself a bit, which slows the momentum, but overall, it’s an insightful, eye-opening read.
The writing is clean and compelling, pulling you along with a clarity that makes even complex ideas accessible. Toward the end, the book does repeat itself a bit, which slows the momentum, but overall, it’s an insightful, eye-opening read.
catbraganza's review
3.0
This book was definitely out of my comfort zone for many reasons but I finished it!
wb84's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
lhardy's review against another edition
1.0
Made it about 20% in and then it just started feeling like a chore to read. I had high hopes for this book but it turned out to be more of a history of the scientists that studied this topic which wasn’t nearly as interesting.
fizzbitch's review against another edition
5.0
Read this!
Summary:
Animalz r smarts.
You are a predujiced human being intent on proving your faulty superiority over other living beings in order to not break your microscopic ego.
I may be drunk when writing this review bit you still have a small ego. Also it's still a fantistic book.
And I did not read it when I was drunk.
Summary:
Animalz r smarts.
You are a predujiced human being intent on proving your faulty superiority over other living beings in order to not break your microscopic ego.
I may be drunk when writing this review bit you still have a small ego. Also it's still a fantistic book.
And I did not read it when I was drunk.
vollenda's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.75
Pretty interesting reading. A little dry at times but it inspired me to look up some of the animals and studies.
ondobooks's review
4.0
Love that this book reiterates over and over that there’s no single form of cognition and one isn’t better than another - cognition is as good as what is necessary for survival
This book really shows how animals are severely undervalued and mistreated because many humans think of them as unintelligent or lesser cognitively, but many studies past and present indicate otherwise. Great read! We certainly don’t know how smart they are
This book really shows how animals are severely undervalued and mistreated because many humans think of them as unintelligent or lesser cognitively, but many studies past and present indicate otherwise. Great read! We certainly don’t know how smart they are