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bookwoods's review
2.0
The topic of animal intelligence is fascinating, but unfortunately I couldn't help but feel bored by Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?. The writing didn’t keep me hooked and there didn’t seem to be a clear overarching story line. Instead this felt like an endless list of examples proving how different animal species can be smart and social – and that’s a revelation I’ve already had ages ago. As an introductory book to the topic this could work, but I was looking for something deeper. I also would have preferred more of an even balance between different animal groups, even though the focus on primates is understandable considering de Waals’ expertise.
ollieo's review
4.0
I've always been a big believer that there's more to animals than we give them credit for and this book just intensified that belief. A really fascinating read!
It is pretty heavy on the information and it took me a while to get through as I was also taking notes...
It is pretty heavy on the information and it took me a while to get through as I was also taking notes...
tori_storydelver's review
5.0
I loved reading this! Frans de Waal is trying to make a point. We should be testing animals capabilities by designing these tests in ways that make sense for that specific animal. For example, one species of monkey would not use a tool other species could use. Finally they realized the monkey couldn't possibly use the tool because their hands are shaped differently. When they designed the tool to fit the physical needs of the monkey they used the tool as all the other species had. That is just one of many examples de Waal gives on how we've unfairly tested animal cognition. It was like a tour through the history of tests and observations of animals cognitive abilities, and how they have been debunked over time using methods like I mentioned. A very fascinating read!
agnexperience's review against another edition
4.0
The answer is yes, kind of, but scientists seem to be a lot worse at this than regular people. I mean, the point of this book is that most of the anthropomorphising that we now do in everyday life is probably not THAT far fetched. However, science has chosen to make humans special and this has led to unnecessary self-aggrandizement. There are lots of examples of how the scientific method used to measure animals' intelligence was less than reasonable.
The book is well written and not too basic either.
Also, was reminded of my favourite video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meiU6TxysCg
The book is well written and not too basic either.
Also, was reminded of my favourite video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meiU6TxysCg
eickler's review
5.0
Brilliant! A must read for anyone interested in cognition. As a student of the humanities, de Waal's call to action for the removal of the barriers which artificially separate human and animal cognition is imperative if the end goal is a true understanding of how organisms respond to and construct their umwelt.
yournexttrap's review
5.0
An eye-opening book about how animals are not merely instinct-driven and reacting to immediate stimuli. It is written in such a way that anyone can understand. Before reading this book, I realized I knew very little about animal intelligence, and while I still have much to learn, I am now aware that humans are not the center of everything. Our mental capabilities being the highest is very overestimated. I recommend this book to everyone.
pennysprefrences's review
4.0
Quite an intriguing and challenging way of thinking about communication and our relationship with animals.