Rate this book

The Genius Of Dogs - Discovering The Unique Intelligence Of Man's Best Friend (2014)

by Brian Hare(Favorite Author)

3.85 of 5 Votes: 3

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Oneworld Publications

review 1: This audiobook was both a fascinating and fun listen! It was definitely the highlight of my commute - and brightened some household chores as well! I first encountered Hare’s studies in a magazine article and later in a documentary special (on PBS, I think). And though there was more context into the studies, there wasn’t quite as much detail and new information as I had hoped for. Despite some of this overlap, though, this was still a very interesting listen. The authors offered more of a historical perspective and also studies that showed conflicting results. Though the author’s obvious affection for dogs might seem like it would obviously skew the results, their devotion to the scientific method and maintaining genuine objectivity was still quite evident. Amongst ... morethe clear descriptions of experiments, the authors offered anecdotes and examples of dog genius outside of the lab. I especially enjoyed the section of speculation on the true history of the domestication of the wolf and development of the dog. The conversational style worked well in the audio format, and I sincerely hope that the authors continue to publish their findings in this mainstream medium. While the narrator was not the most dynamic, his voice worked well for this non-fiction topic. A physical format, though, would lend itself better as a stepping stone for further independent research, so I will be keeping an eye out for the physical format as well. All in all, though, this was a great listen and I will continue to follow their research into dog-nition.
review 2: Did you ever wonder about how dogs became the species devoted to man? In fact, possibly the only time in the history of the world that an entire species is premised on the fact that its members are devoted to another species more than members of their own species? (btw, don't get all huffy about the dependence of head and pubic lice on people, they're not devoted to their host - they just eat from them, slowly.)Can you stand on your head? Is it possible that canis lupus domesticated homo sapiens?Brian Hare, an evolutionary anthropologist, offers some interesting insight into these questions in the first part of this three part book he co-wrote with his wife, Vanessa Woods. The second part shares the results of scientific studies used to determine the boundaries of canine brain function, or dognition, as he dubs the concept. The third part begins to apply this new data to the actual training of dogs.Unfortunately, the third section doesn't provide prescriptive answers to those looking for a fool-proof training regimen for Phydeaux. Fortunately, the third section's weakness only highlights the opportunities presented because that nut has not been cracked. Brian and Vanessa are early in their careers. I look forward to reading about their forthcoming discoveries. less

Download links for: The Genius of Dogs - Discovering the Unique Intelligence of Man's Best Friend

Advertising