Being a Beast: Adventures Across the Species Divide
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.60 (553 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1250132215 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-11-07 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Beazle said “I want to know what it is like to be a wild thing. First sentence in author Charles Foster’s Prologue: “I want to know what it is like to be a wild thing.”Unfortunately, if that is the goal this book fails at almost every level. It offers few useful insight into how animals “think” or whether or whether or not (or how) humans can come to any kind of realistic understanding. Spoiler: he doesn't really like animals. Jess S I really didn't enjoy this. It was difficult to accept any "naturalist" observations from a person who makes no attempt to hide his contempt for so many animals in the kingdom. He also doesn't have any respect for the natural environment and minimizing his presence while out and doing his "experiments", which were basically comprised of rolling around . Thought-provoking, but not quite what I wanted Margot Ramsey This book is quite strange, which I expected and sought out. Many of the descriptions of Foster's experiences and his thoughts on those experiences are nimbly written and very interesting.On the other hand, Foster spends substantial chunks of the book wallowing around inside his own head. Sometimes this feels relevant and worthwhile, but more often it
This approach, along with his willingness to address and avoid the temptation for anthropomorphism, makes his book interesting and informative." Publishers Weekly"When it comes to wilderness porn, it's going to be very hard to beat Being a Beast." London Evening Standard"Being a Beast is a strange kind of masterpiece: the song of a satyr, perhaps, or nature writing as extreme sport. It isn't. Groundbreaking? Definitely." The Scotsman"A highly original attempt to break free from the anthropocentrism that often characterizes nature writing A rich, joyful, and inspiring book." The Independent (UK). In Being a Beast, he nearly convinces us that su
Charles Foster set out to know the ultimate other: the non-humans, the beasts. And he followed the swifts on their migration route over the Strait of Gibraltar, discovering himself to be strangely connected to the birds.A lyrical, joyful, and completely radical look at the life of animalshuman and otherBeing a Beast mingles neuroscience and psychology, nature writing and memoir to cross the boundaries separating the species.. He lived alongside badgers for weeks, eating earthworms and learning to sense the landscape by smell rather than sight. And to do that, he tried to be like them, choosing a badger, an otter, a fox, a
He is a qualified veterinarian, teaches medical law and ethics, and is a practicing barrister. Charles Foster is a Fellow of Green Templeton College at the University of Oxford. Much of his life has been spent on expeditions: he has run a 150-mile race in the Sahara, skied to the North Pole, and suffered injuries in many desolate and beautiful landscapes. He has written on travel, evolutionary biology, natural history, anthropology, and philosophy.