Much Like Us

Surprising, humourous and thought-provoking, Much Like Us invites us on a journey to explore the inner lives of animals.

What really differentiates us from our relatives in the animal world? And what can they teach us about ourselves? Taking these questions as his starting point, Norbert Sachser presents fascinating insights into the inner lives of animals, revealing what we now know about their thoughts, feelings and behaviour. By turns surprising, humourous and thought-provoking, Much Like Us invites us on a journey around the animal kingdom, explaining along the way how dogs demonstrate empathy, why chimpanzees wage war and how crows and ravens craft tools to catch food. Sachser brings the science to life with examples and anecdotes drawn from his own research, illuminating the vast strides in understanding that have been made over the last 30 years. He ultimately invites us to challenge our own preconceptions - the closer we look, the more we see the humanity in our fellow creatures.

Autorentext
Norbert Sachser is Professor of Zoology and Head of the Department of Behavioural Biology at the University of Münster, Germany. Widely-considered to be one of Germany's leading behavioural biologists, he is known particularly for his pioneering work on stress, social behaviour and welfare indicators in mammals.

Zusammenfassung
What really differentiates us from our animal cousins? And what can they teach us about ourselves? By turns surprising, humourous and thought-provoking, Much Like Us invites us on a journey around the animal kingdom to explore the inner lives of animals.

Inhalt

Preface; 1. Typical human, typical animal?: Reconceptualising the animal - an Introduction; 2. Ginger boris doesn't like to be alone: On behaviour, stress, and the blessing of socially stable relationships; 3. Cats are happy when they're playing: On the well-being, emotions, and humane treatment of animals; 4. Nature vs Nurture: Genes, environment, and behaviour: New answers to an old question; 5. Clever dogs and ingenious ravens: All animals can learn, many can think, and some can even recognise themselves in a mirror; 6. Animal personalities: The development of behaviour and the discovery of individuality; 7. Altruistic squirrels and egotistical lions: The sociobiological revolution; 8. Animals like us: A summary; Bibliography.