By Frans de Waal

Much of what we think we know about animals is based on myths that have been disproven by science a long time ago. We often believe humans are uniquely intelligent; we measure our importance by the very fact that we can use tools, communicate with each other, plan for the future and recognize ourselves in mirrors. But it turns out we are not unique. In fact, all these things have been seen in animals. Chimps and dolphins can recognize themselves in mirrors, pigs can play video games, chimps use tools, elephants grieve, Orca whales have a dialect that they use with their pods. The list of skills and emotions across the animal kingdom is hugely diverse, as is the range of skills and emotions seen in humans.

But we have been taught that the emotions we see animals experience, aren’t actually emotions. I mean, yes that dog is acting happy, but how do we really know they are happy? The accusation of “anthropomorphizing” animals has frequently stopped scientists from stating what we now know to be pretty obvious. Animals feel pain, they suffer, and they are conscious. They don’t want to be hurt and they certainly don’t want to be eaten.

Frans de Waal tackles our understanding of animal cognition in this excellent work, and leads the reader to reevaluate their preconceived notions of animal intelligence. 

Title: Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?

Author: Frans De Waal

ISBN: 978-0393246186

Publisher:  W. W. Norton & Company

Frans de Waal is a Dutch Primatologist and ethologist. He is the Professor of Primate behaviour in the Department of Psychology at Emory University.  

Abdourahamane Ly, guest curator for Veganuary at Global Literature in Libraries Initiative, has been vegan for the past seven years now. He is extremely passionate about animal rights and encouraging more humans, especially Africans, to go vegan. He was born in Guinea in West Africa but spent the last 13 years in China. He is currently in Rwanda spreading the vegan message. You can follow him on Instagram at @fulanivegan and X at @fulanivegan.