SusanOrlean--thebelovedNewYorkerstaffwriterhailedas“anationaltreasure“byTheWashingtonPostandtheauthoroftheNewYorkTimesbestsellerTheLibraryBook--gathersalifetimeofmusings,meditations,andin-depthprofilesaboutanimals.“Howweinteractwithanimalshaspreoccupiedphilosophers,poets,andnaturalistsforages,“writesSusanOrlean.Sincetheageofsix,whenOrleanwroteandillustratedabookcalledHerberttheNear-SightedPigeon,she’sbeendrawntostoriesabouthowwelivewithanimals,andhowtheyabidebyus.Now,inOnAnimals,sheexaminesanimal-humanrelationshipsthroughthecompellingtalesshehaswrittenoverthecourseofhercelebratedcareer.Thesestoriesconsiderarangeofcreatures--thehouseholdpetswedoteon,theanimalsweraisetoendupasmeatonourplates,thecreatureswhocouldeatusfordinner,thevarioustamedanduntamedanimalsweshareourplanetwithwhoarecentraltohumanlife.Inherownbackyard,Orleandiscoversthedelightsofkeepingchickens.Inadifferentbackyard,inNewJersey,shemeetsawomanwhohastwenty-threepettigers--somethingnoneofherneighborsknewaboutuntiloneofthetigersescapes.InIceland,theworld’smostfamouswhaleresiststheeffortstosethimfree;inMorocco,theworld’shardest-workingdonkeysfindrespiteataspecialclinic.Wemeetashowdogandalostdogandapigeonwhoknowsexactlyhowtogethome.Equalpartsdelightfulandprofound,enrichedbyOrlean’sstylishproseandpreciseresearch,thesestoriescelebratethemeaningfulcross-speciesconnectionsthatgraceourcollectiveexistence.
