Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behaviour - Tapa dura

'In this insightful, quirky and often funny volume, Temple Grandin takes us deep inside the minds of animals. Her observations of dogs, cows, pigs, birds and horses are meticulous and humane ... Grandin opens new vistas that will be invaluable to anyone who cares about the creatures of the earth and sky' Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon 'Temple Grandin's insights are absolutely fascinating and groundbreaking contributions in the field of animal awareness, in which so much remains to be discovered. This book is deeply moving and a triumph on many levels, not least the understanding of herself and her condition that Ms Grandin has succeeded in achieving and conveying so lucidly and putting to such productive use. She is an inspiration to us all' Alex Shoumatoff, author of DispatchesFromTheVanishingWorld.com 'Philosophers and scientists have long wondered what goes on in the minds of animals, and this fascinating study gives a wealth of illuminating insights into that mystery ... Grandin and Johnson deploy a simple, lucid style to synthesize a vast amount of research and the result is a lively and absorbing look at the world from aninmal's point of view. Anyone who's enjoyed the work of Jeffrey Masson should appreciate this valuable, rigorous book. Kirkus Reviews

Profoundly attracted to animals from childhood, Temple Grandin began early on to make links between the autistic and the animal views of the world. Farmers and breeders were baffled that she could come in and invariably pinpoint the cause of any aberrant or troublesome behaviour in their animals. Grandin, in turn, was baffled that they couldn't spot the problems themselves - until she realized that they just weren't visually oriented the way she and the animals were: and that meant really taking in ALL of the details of the scene. 'Normal people', as she consistently calls them, might use their more prominent frontal lobes to tidy experience into language and concepts, but miss a whole 'register' of visual data that didn't fit their expectations. Animals in Translation is an astonishing tale of curing rapist roosters, honouring the genius of squirrels, the rhyming schemes of whale-song or diagnosing why a horse might be afraid of all men in black hats. Full of specific practical advice as well as startling information - with 'A Behaviour Troubleshooting Guide' for animals at the end, this book will be treasured by animal handlers, farmers and breeders, pet owners and all animal lovers - and it is as much a revelation about life with autism as it is about life with animals.