The Animals Companion, Jacky Colliss Harvey
The Animals Companion, Jacky Colliss Harvey
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The Animal's Companion
People & Their Pets, a 26,000-Year Love Story

Author: Jacky Colliss Harvey

Narrator: Nicola Barber

Unabridged: 8 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/02/2019

Synopsis

A New York Times bestselling author's compelling portrait of the universal human need for animal companions -- from dogs and cats to horses, birds, house-rabbits, and even exotica such as lizards and snakes.In The Animal's Companion, the acclaimed author of Red: A History of the Redhead, Jacky Colliss Harvey turns her keen eye for cultural investigation and her remarkable story-telling skills to a pet project: the history of animals as our companions in every-day life. It's a history that dates back as far as 26,000 years ago to a cave in France where anthropologists have since discovered evidence of a boy and his dog taking a walk together. From this point forward Colliss Harvey takes us on a sweeping journey through centuries and across continents to examine how our relationships with our pets have developed, but also stayed very much the same. Along the way she shares delightful stories of the most famous, endearing, and sometimes eccentric pet owners throughout history.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Katie on April 10, 2019

Parts of this history of pets were fun and charming. When I enjoyed multiple anecdotes in a row, it became quite engaging. At other times though, there were litanies of sentence-long anecdotes that were simply boring. On top of that, while the chapters were organized by theme, none had a clear thesi......more

Goodreads review by Laurie on March 11, 2019

To be honest, I don't read all that much nonfiction, and most of what I do is narrative. The Animal's Companion manages a nice balance between the author telling stories about her own pets and her experience with pet ownership and getting into a more intellectual history of the human-pet relationshi......more

Goodreads review by Thea on June 25, 2019

I read this on none rainy Winter's day in front of the fire. What a joy for pet lovers everywhere. From the young boy exploring a dark cave 26,000 years ago accompanied by his proto-dog companion for safety and reassurance, to today's animal companions who show our love for our animals by showering......more

Goodreads review by Glen on August 23, 2019

An entertaining and interesting book that is a reiteration of what every pet owner knows already, bolstered by anecdotes and quotes from writers and philosophers through history. Not scientific, a bit dry, but compelling for anyone who has loved an animal. A good read.......more

Goodreads review by Amy on December 15, 2023

This is one of the most enjoyable nonfiction books I've read this year, what a wonderful topic to tackle, to turn the egotistical microscope humans usually use to view other species and point it at ourselves for a change! This is a highly in-depth look at people and our odd journey of making other m......more

Quotes

"When you read a book by Jacky Colliss Harvey, you learn a lot. And with the way she writes, deeply researched and with wit and erudition, you also have fun as you learn.—Veteranscribes

"[Jacky Colliss Harvey] writes, with affection and wit, of man and beast's enduring relationship, focusing on all aspects of our bond - from choosing to losing - and has great stories about notable people and their animal companions."—Toronto Star

[A]...lively exploration of people and their pets... Numerous colourful animal tales enliven Colliss Harvey's latest book, but her real subject is their human companions, whom she considers through a lens of history, literature and art, as well as smatterings of science and psychology, all interwoven with diverting personal reminiscences... Colliss Harvey has an eye for surprising details and a lovely way with a description."—The Sunday Times

"[Jacky Colliss Harvey]'s beautifully illustrated book is organized thematically and is perhaps best thought of as a series of essays on the various themes that the relationship between kept animals and humans throw up, such as choosing, naming, communication, and losing. However, for all its research into deeper matters, the real pleasure of The Animal's Companion lies in its stories. And they come thick and fast."—The Spectator

"A well-researched, deeply crafted, wry and witty compendium on the importance of pets in our lives.... Our species' fondness for pets seems to be the one clear distinction we can claim as our own -- indeed, a case can be made for pets making us human. We urge you to read (or listen to) The Animal's Companion. You will come away as enthralled and entertained as we were."—Bark.com

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