Animals in translation- Temple Grandin

[D.Schäferhund]

Hi guys,
i was wondering if someone, had read this book...??
I was thinking about buying it, because it kinda sounded like it would be a different viewpoint into the animals mind, and a lot of autism people swaer by her.
But i checked arround and read the reviews....
Is it really worth buying?
How much insight will I really get? Is it basic uneducated like stated it some of the reviews?
Does anione know???


Here's the link:
Amazon.com: Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior: Temple Grandin, Catherine Johnson: Books

Thanks

[Sweetpea]

Wow sounds like a great book to me. I've read a lot about Temple Grandin. I know she has worked on farms to help design runs to move cattle. I've been working with children with Autism for over 20 years. I have a lot of respect for her. Granted she is on the higher end of Autism / Asbergers. I really do feel she may have a better viewpoint into animals, from what I've read about Temple Grandin. That's just my opinion. I know many people feel different about it. I'm going to try and pick the book up this weekend.

[D.Schäferhund]

Yeah she is supposed to be good, with autism... but them reviews kinda made me think how valuable is it to me as a animal freak.
Jobwise I get in contact with Autistic people, but I am not that interested in it right now, I was hopeing for a good viewpoint regarding the animals...

If you pick up that book, and you read it, let me know how it s, will you?
Thanks
Kat

[GSD]

I thought it was a great book. It does offer some good insights. I really enjoyed it. I don't pay much attention to reviewers so I don't even know what they had to say.

I could loan you mine, if you promise to send it back if you don't want to buy it yet. I liked it though and plan to keep it in my library. It's not a text book type thing like the Lindsay series, but does give some different views.

[Sweetpea]

Thanks GSD but i think I'll try to pick it up. I usually end up lending it out at work after. I'm starting to get a pretty good library. Now I just need to start looking for a bigger bookshelf

[D.Schäferhund]

hi sweet pea, did you get a chance to get the book?


@ GSD: Can you mention some drawing ponts of the book? What did impress you or what gave you a new insight?

[GSD]

in relation to autism, basically she gets into how every situation is like a new "snapshot" or picture to her, not much different from dog training, or other animals. They tend to see situations as "snapshots". It's not really "new" insight, we both know that teaching a dog to sit in your living room is different for the dog than having them sit in a crowded store with people all around, or even that sit doesn't mean come sit in front of me to get a treat, it means sit, put your butt down where ever I tell you. Whether it's in front of me or 20 feet away.

She relates it to her autism and how she's had to learn and experience so much to keep all those "snapshots" in order. It wasn't really mind blowing stuff, but I thought it was interesting.

Also she touches on how animal behavior studies show how animals behave in a controlled lab setting, but gives examples of animals doing things they never though possible or have any clue as to how or why they do certain things in the wild. Not everything can or is accurately explained thru science.

She does get into a lot about seeing situations from an animals point of view, and how autism helps her do that because they see things in a similiar light (in theory). She mostly mentions livestock and dogs.

She does touch on some dominace type stuff too. She tells how a bull raised with human contact from birth is more dangerous to humans than a bull that was raised with no human contact. Her reasoning, which makes sense to me, is that in that window when young, the bull see's the human and it becomes a part of their "herd". To me not much different than ducks raised by geese, cats raised by dogs, chickens and foxes that grow up as "brother" and "sister". Anyway, as the bull matures it starts it's dominance type stuff, not even serious stuff, but a 1000+ lb animal throwing its weight around on a human is dangerous. Whereas a bull raised devoid of human contact, sees the human as something different and not something to strut it's stuff for.

She also goes into how breeding for one trait is never good. How certain feed lots would breed chickens for a certain trait that would help their current problem (it's been almost 2 years since I've read it, i don't remember what it was for), and in so trying to narrow that gene pool ended up with crazed rapist roosters that would wreak havoc on the flock. She gave other examples of this as well. I think we all know that breeding for anything less than the total dog is bad news, but she does give several interesting examples in other animals on unintended consequences for having very short tunnel vission when it comes to breeding.

I did read some of the reviews on Amazon for this book, and i've gotta say it always amazes me how two people can read the same thing and come up with two totally different impressions of it. I was wondering if half those reviews even read the same book as me.

But anyway the book didn't suddenly unlock my mind to a whole new world, but it's only like 20 bucks and does have some pretty interesting things that reinforce some things you already know and will give a slightly different perspective on other things.

[D.Schäferhund]

Thank you GSD, that post was most helpfull!
I have a much better idea now, what to expect from that book.... And it sounds like it might be worth a spot on my bookshelf!

I guess since you have read these reviews... you know why I was confused.... ;o)

Recently i just ordered a book, that sounded great on the outside but was not really what I had expected.... Actually i would have never bought it, if i had known... OK i will read it anyways... but yeah... could have saved me the money and time...