MEET THE NEIGHBORS

Sage lessons in coexistence among our planet's nonhuman species.

Keim, a Maine-based nature and science journalist, wants readers to develop empathy and consideration for our “neighbors” and see them as thinking, feeling beings with whom we share much in common. The author examines the science of animal intelligence and communication, citing scientific journals as well as empirical examples from the everyday world. He supplements descriptions of animal emotion from folk stories and personal accounts with Darwinian proof that this emotion is deeply rooted in evolutionary history. For example, he notes that the sounds of a baby’s distress resonate across species. Keim extensively covers the animal rights movement and advocacy groups such as the Nonhuman Rights Project, and he provides an in-depth analysis of the case of the Bronx Zoo's Happy the elephant: Should she have been considered a "person" under the law and treated as such? The author also follows efforts by managers of "domestic tensions with urban wildlife," commonly known as "pest control." Keim presents all of this information with insight and compassion, considering our animal neighbors from not only a legal but also a moral perspective. They include not only charismatic animals on the brink of extinction, but also common creatures encountered in our everyday environments, such as frogs and squirrels. In a characteristic formulation, Keim reflects, "As different as they are from me, they're still someone, living in the first-person." Although his polemic is well supported by scientific and scholarly references, his earnest plea is firmly rooted in a layperson's language; this is a consideration of animals, wild and domestic, as our fellows, not our property. Lanas’ delightful pen-and-ink illustrations drive the point home.

A comprehensive guide to thinking of animals not as anonymous creatures, but as individuals.