Animals in Translation or Under an Equatorial Sky

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

Author: Temple Grandin

How is Animals in Translation different from every other animal book ever published'Animals in Translation is like no other animal book because of Temple Grandin. As an animal scientist and a person with autism, her professional training and personal history have created a perspective like no other thinker in the field, and this is her exciting, groundbreaking view of the intersection of autism and animal.

Publishers Weekly

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, an animal behavior expert specializing in the design of humane slaughter systems, is autistic, and she contends that animals resemble autistic people in that they think visually rather than linguistically and perceive the world as a jumble of mesmerizing details rather than a coherent whole. Animals-cows, say, on their way through a chute-are thus easily spooked by novelties that humans see as trivialities, such as high-pitched noises, drafts and dangling clothes. Other animals accomplish feats of obsessive concentration; squirrels really do remember where each acorn is buried. The portrait she paints of the mammalian mind is both alien and familiar; she shows that beasts are capable of sadistic cruelty, remorse, superstition and surprising discernment (in one experiment, pigeons were taught to distinguish between early period Picasso and Monet). Grandin (Thinking in Pictures) and Johnson (coauthor of Shadow Syndromes) deploy a simple, lucid style to synthesize a vast amount of research in neurology, cognitive psychology and evolutionary biology, supplementing it with Grandin's firsthand observations of animal behavior and her own experiences with autism, engaging anecdotes about how animals interact with each other and their masters, and tips on how to pick and train house pets. The result is a lively and absorbing look at the world from animals' point of view. (Jan.) Forecast: Anyone who's enjoyed the work of Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson-and especially those who liked it but felt it a bit warm and fuzzy in spots-should appreciate this valuable, rigorous book. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Entertainment Weekly

"Neurology has Oliver Sachs, nature has Annie Dillard, and the lucky animal world has Grandin, a master intermediary between humans and our fellow beasts . . . At once hilarious, fascinating, and just plain weird, Animals is one of those rare books that elicits a 'wow' on almost every page. A."

The New York Times Book Review

"Inspiring . . . Crammed with facts and anecdotes about Temple Grandin's favorite subject: the senses, brains, emotions, and amazing talents of animals."

the Oprah Magazine O

"Grandin's focus in Animals in Translation is not on all the 'normal' things autistics and animals can't do but on the unexpected, extraordinary, invaluable things they can."

Library Journal

A high-functioning autistic, Grandin (animal science, Colorado Sate Univ., Thinking in Pictures) has spent a lifetime empathizing with animals. She has also served as a consultant to farmers, ranchers, and slaughterhouses, helping them understand animals and their behavior in order to make their care (and/or slaughter) more humane. Grandin's new book on animal behavior draws on her experiences as both a scientist and an autistic person. Her compelling thesis is that there is a lot we still don't know about animal thought and learning but that her condition provides her with an insight into the issues that other people lack. Autism, Grandin argues, closely mimics the psychological condition of animals, in part because both lack facility with language. Indeed, she asserts that animals are autistic savants whose intelligence is unseen by most people. Grandin deals with wildlife only in passing, but she details some interesting laboratory studies using wild animals. A provocative title for universities and larger public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/04.]-Alvin Hutchinson, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, DC Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Interesting textbook: Natural Food Cookery or Tassajara Dinner and Desserts

Under an Equatorial Sky

Author: Rebekah Trittipo

Question: What do you get when you drop a 40-something soccer Mom into the Brazilian Amazon jungle?Answer: An adventure of a lifetime. The Jungle Marathon of 2003 was a foot race that tested the limits of Rebekah Trittipoe. Never before had she run so far for so long. This wife and mother of two went to the jungle to compete in the inaugural Jungle Marathon, a self-sufficient, seven day race covering 250 km of sweltering jungle. With a week's worth of supplies strapped to her back, her journey began with a single step. The race thrust Trittipoe head first into a novel experience: six stages over a period of seven days, oppressive heat and humidity, poisonous snakes and spiders, chest-deep swamp crossings, swinging from jungle hammocks, relentless terrain, shoe-sucking mud and stalking jaguars. Far from her Virginia home, Rebekah found herself running with-and against-competitors from around the world through the harsh equatorial jungle. This book is about that race. It is a story of extreme sport. It is a story of highs and lows. It is a story of failure and success. It is a story of sustaining faith. It is a story meant to encourage, inspire and motivate. It is a story for the runner and non-runner, man and woman, adult and child. It is a story for you.