While this is a book full of examples of animal sentience and how they think and feel, it is more about how humans look on wild animals and their attitudes on living with them. Science has finally proved repeatedly and resoundingly that animals are not the mindless, instinct only driven creatures they were labeled for hundreds of years in Western civilization and others. The author explores the variety of intelligent thought among animal, as well as how the attitudes toward animals by humans has guided out actions over the centuries, with examples so brutal you will beg to unsee them. But things are changing, and certainly can change more. Keim follows coyotes in the city, donkeys in the desert, frogs in puddles and so much more. He concentrates most on the intersection of urban and wild creatures as this is where human attitudes play the larger role, with examples of where humans are learning to cohabitate with animals before considered dangerous or vermin. The section on humane pest control was especially enlightening. This is a dense read that tends to meander a great deal, and concentrates on humans far more than animals. Animal lovers well be absolutely devastated in some extremely graphic sections. There is much fascinating research and many important ideas to be found here, and well worth exploring.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review—a well-written book about our animal neighbors and ways we can live with them. I love the fun stories of how each animal is smart, way smarter than any human for sure.

This is a very interesting book about living in harmony not just with animals but with the natural world in general. It is not easy to read, as it covers the damage that humans have caused through our ignorance. But now we are waking up to just how like us many animals are and hopefully this will lead to better treatment of our non-human neighbours. This is a book for anyone who wants to learn more about how to change our attitudes towards nature, and just how wonderful it is out there.

Meet The Neighbors by Brandon Kind If anyone is like me they probably first thought this book was a thriller about devious neighbors and secrets but no this is about our furry and winged neighbors we live so closely with. The author has filled his book with experts court cases and reasons why we should do our best to live peacefully with animals that aren’t so different from ourselves. In the book we learn how coyotes socialize we learn about rats who have remorse elephants who mourn their dead in birds whose sum mate for life and we even hear about those people who think nothing of killing them and going about their day. I have always loved animals but until recently I really did view them as just dumb animals and it’s books like this that’s definitely changing my view of these creatures we co-exist with on this planet. I did think there was way too much talk about rights not that I don’t believe animals deserve them but when you go overboard peoples vision tends to glaze over and they stop listening or at least I know that’s the case with me. I did fine a lot of the talk about happy the elephant was very interesting and I absolutely would recommend this book I found it very entertaining and informative most of it was all so interesting. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.#WWNortonandCompany, #NetGalley,#BrandonKind, #MeetTheNeighbors,

This book is not just about animals, but of the natural world. It is about what the world was to animals and humans and what humans took because they thought they were the only smart ones. People did not and do not realize that they are part of the natural world. It tells of the tortured history up to present day of various species in this world dominated by man. And what we have lost and learned because of this thinking. It tells of trying to save what we have decimated. This is a hard book to read. I thank Net Galley and W. W. Norton & Co. for the advance read.