People and Other Animals: Real Differences, Real Similarities

Donner (a former teacher of animal husbandry) reviews what she sees as the differences between humans and animals. She finds that animals are much closer to us than westerners tend to believe. Exploring issues of communication, emotion, sexuality, and even morality, she argues that differences tend to be only in matters of degree, not in kind. The major difference she finds is the global threat humans pose to the environment and the survival of numerous species, including our own. She ends on a hopeful note however, suggesting that human beings also have the flexibility to solve environmental problems. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Norma Donner was a teacher of animal husbandry. Now retired she devotes her time to writing about her favorite subject. She has contributed to many magazines and has written a column for a New York newspaper. She lives in a small town in the Pacific Northwest.