We Are Animals and Therein Lies Hope for a Better Future

This past year was remarkable in terms of what we have learned about the cognitive, emotional and moral lives of nonhuman animals. A new and outstanding book called We Animals by award-winning photojournalist
 and activist Jo-Anne McArthur whose work also is featured in the wonderful documentary The Ghosts in Our Machine and a recent TEDTalk entitled "If We Could Talk To the Animals" by biologist Denise Herzing about the clearly smart and emotional dolphins she and her team study and her talk made me think of an incredible number of larger themes and "big" questions centering on the fascinating lives of the other animals with whom we share our magnificent planet. By paying attention to who other animals are we learn lessons about ourselves.

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