Winning by Losing or Animals in Translation

Winning by Losing: Drop the Weight, Change Your Life

Author: Jillian Michaels

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See also: The Planning and Drafting of Wills and Trusts or Sarbanes Oxley and NonProfit Management

Animals in Translation

Author: Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin's Animals in Translation speaks in the clear voice of a woman who emerged from the other side of autism, bringing with her an extraordinary message about how animals think and feel.

Temple's professional training as an animal scientist and her history as a person with autism have given her a perspective like that of no other expert in the field. Standing at the intersection of autism and animals, she offers unparalleled observations and groundbreaking ideas about both.

Autistic people can often think the way animals think — in fact, Grandin and co-author Catherine Johnson see autism as a kind of way station on the road from animals to humans — putting autistic people in the perfect position to translate "animal talk." Temple is a faithful guide into their world, exploring animal pain, fear, aggression, love, friendship, communication, learning, and, yes, even animal genius. Not only are animals much smarter than anyone ever imagined, in some cases animals are out-and-out brilliant.

The sweep of Animals in Translation is immense, merging an animal scientist's thirty years of study with her keen perceptions as a person with autism — Temple sees what others cannot.

Among its provocative ideas, the book:

• argues that language is not a requirement for consciousness — and that animals do have consciousness

• applies the autism theory of "hyper-specificity" to animals, showing that animals and autistic people are so sensitive to detail that they "can't see the forest for the trees" — a talent as well as a "deficit"

• explores the "interpreter" in the normal human brain thatfilters out detail, leaving people blind to much of the reality that surrounds them — a reality animals and autistic people see, sometimes all too clearly

• explains how animals have "superhuman" skills: animals have animal genius

• compares animals to autistic savants, declaring that animals may in fact be autistic savants, with special forms of genius that normal people do not possess and sometimes cannot even see

• examines how humans and animals use their emotions to think, to decide, and even to predict the future

• reveals the remarkable abilities of handicapped people and animals

• maintains that the single worst thing you can do to an animal is to make it feel afraid

Temple Grandin is like no other author on the subject of animals because of her training and because of her autism: understanding animals is in her blood and in her bones.

Publishers Weekly

Philosophers and scientists have long wondered what goes on in the minds of animals, and this fascinating study gives a wealth of illuminating insights into that mystery. Grandin, an animal behavior expert specializing in the design of humane slaughter systems, is autistic, and she contends that animals resemble autistic people in that they think visually rather than linguistically and perceive the world as a jumble of mesmerizing details rather than a coherent whole. Animals-cows, say, on their way through a chute-are thus easily spooked by novelties that humans see as trivialities, such as high-pitched noises, drafts and dangling clothes. Other animals accomplish feats of obsessive concentration; squirrels really do remember where each acorn is buried. The portrait she paints of the mammalian mind is both alien and familiar; she shows that beasts are capable of sadistic cruelty, remorse, superstition and surprising discernment (in one experiment, pigeons were taught to distinguish between early period Picasso and Monet). Grandin (Thinking in Pictures) and Johnson (coauthor of Shadow Syndromes) deploy a simple, lucid style to synthesize a vast amount of research in neurology, cognitive psychology and evolutionary biology, supplementing it with Grandin's firsthand observations of animal behavior and her own experiences with autism, engaging anecdotes about how animals interact with each other and their masters, and tips on how to pick and train house pets. The result is a lively and absorbing look at the world from animals' point of view. (Jan.) Forecast: Anyone who's enjoyed the work of Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson-and especially those who liked it but felt it a bit warm and fuzzy in spots-should appreciate this valuable, rigorous book. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

How do animals think? How do people think? How do people with autism think? Why do these three groups have so much trouble communicating? This wonderful book throws together humorous animal stories, personal anecdotes, and scientific data to provide some intriguing answers. Grandin is autistic and a well-known expert on animal behavior; she argues that animals are detail thinkers, most humans are "big picture" thinkers, and individuals with autism fall somewhere in between. There are insights into animal behavior, practical advice on animal discipline, and even some examples of jobs for which being autistic is an advantage. Obviously written for the nonscientist, this work clearly defines technical terms and breaks down the most complicated information into simple, easy-to-understand sentences. Shelley Frasier gives a low-key reading that is entirely appropriate to the authors, text, and subject matter. Already a best seller in print, the audiobook deserves the same status. Recommended for all libraries.-I. Pour-El, Des Moines Area Community Coll., Boone, IA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Table of Contents:

Ch. 1	My story	1
Ch. 2	How animals perceive the world	27
Ch. 3	Animal feelings	69
Ch. 4	Animal aggression	131
Ch. 5	Pain and suffering	179
Ch. 6	How animals think	241
Ch. 7	Animal genius : extreme talents	285
	Behavior and training troubleshooting guide	309