Animal Minds

How did human minds become so different from those of other animals? What accounts for our capacity to understand the way the physical world works, to think ourselves into the minds of others, to gossip, read, tell stories about the past, and imagine the future? These questions are not new: they have been debated by philosophers, psychologists, anthropologists, evolutionists, and neurobiologists over the course of centuries. One explanation widely accepted today is that humans have special cognitive instincts.

As Charles Darwin suggested more than a century ago, the differences between animals and humans are of degree and not of kind. Not long ago, ethologists denied that animals had emotions or true intelligence. Now, we know that rats laugh when tickled, magpies mourn as they cover the departed with greenery, female whales travel thousands of miles for annual reunions with their gal pals, seals navigate by the stars, bears hum when happy, and crows slide down snowy rooftops for fun.

Dip below the ocean’s surface and you are soon confronted by forms of life that could not seem more foreign to our own: sea sponges, soft corals, and serpulid worms, whose rooted bodies, intricate geometry, and flower-like appendages are more reminiscent of plant life or even architecture than anything recognizably animal. Yet these creatures are our cousins. As fellow members of the animal kingdom — the Metazoa— they can teach us much about the evolutionary origins of not only our bodies, but also our minds.

Sciences from zoology to astrobiology, computer science to neuroscience, are seeking to understand minds in their own distinct disciplinary realms. Taking a uniquely broad view of minds and where to find them—including in plants, aliens, and God—Philip Ball pulls the pieces together to explore what sorts of minds we might expect to find in the universe.

In Search of Cleo follows Gina’s desperation and despair when her assistant loses her beloved cat, Cleo. Gina spends two months roaming the back streets of Los Angeles at all hours of the night, searching for Cleo and meeting several quirky and outrageous characters who help or hinder her in different ways, including Ellen DeGeneres, who searches with Gina and recommends her pet psychic, Sonia; Arthur, the newspaper delivery man who gives her advice; and the mysterious fortune-teller....

Ever wondered why your cat won't sit on your lap? Why she would suddenly watch the football on television, how she sees the world and what she thinks of you and your family? Prepare to enter the mind of your cat and revolutionise the way you see the world and your enigmatic pet. Bestselling cat author Celia Haddon and veterinary expert Dr Daniel Mills take you into the mind of your feline and, drawing on the latest scientific research, describe how your cat experiences the world.

Renowned voice actor Jim Weiss brings young listeners delightful tellings of Aesop's Fables, plus lively tales from Grimm, Chaucer, and others. Also features Jim's famous performance of "The Tortoise and the Hare." Perfect for children who are ready to move beyond music to recordings of the spoken word.

Recent studies into the minds of canines show that they have a rich social intelligence and a physical and vocal language as complex and subtle as our own. In this fun and fascinating guide, world-renowned trainer Victoria Stilwell explores the inner world of dogs. This book is your guide to understanding your pooch, communicating effectively, strengthening your bond, and helping dogs learn in the most effective way possible so they feel confident navigating the human world with success.

Whether you are new to the art of Reiki or a Reiki Master, Reiki for Animals by Monique Joiner Siedlak will introduce you to a new level of healing and well-being. Animals crave attention and love. From cats, dogs, horses, and birds to farm animals, senior animals, or dying animals, Reiki is ideal for helping to heal or bring relief to animals in need. It will significantly deepen the bond between you and the animals you encounter in your life.

More and more, riders are looking for effective mental strategies to improve their enjoyment and success in the saddle. This is a highly practical guide detailing techniques that are invaluable whilst unmounted and whilst mounted. In fact, there is a whole chapter devoted to methods to use whilst you are riding.

Enjoy over 180 mind-blowing fun facts and 200 trivia questions about animals! Both kids and adults will be entertained for hours. We have discovered over two million species of animals on Earth! Each and every animal plays a crucial part in taking care of our planet. From the spiders in our homes to the blue whales in the ocean, every species is like a puzzle piece that fits together to create our home, planet Earth. Our trivia and fun facts will teach you everything you need to know. We share our planet with so many incredible creatures, and we still have so much more to discover!

With vivid characters and an hysterically funny choice of words, Rudyard Kipling’s beloved stories “explain” how camels got humps, great whales got tiny throats, elephants got trunks, and more. These time-tested classics cause us to look at accepted qualities in new and creative ways, and even better, make us laugh out loud. With his menagerie of voices and warm, witty narrative presence, Jim Weiss brings Kipling’s own words to life.

As cognitive psychologist Brian Butterworth shows us in Can Fish Count?, many “simple” animals - such as bees, which count trees and fence posts, and guppies, which can size up groups - have a sense of numbers. And unlike humans, they don’t need to be taught. In telling animals’ stories, Butterworth shines new light on one of our most ancient questions: Just where, exactly, do numbers come from?

When the Browns go out for the day, Paddington decides to surprise them by baking a chocolate cake and spring-cleaning the house. However, it isn’t a good idea to try to do both things at the same time, as Paddington soon finds out.

"The Fascinating World of Dogs" is an informative and entertaining exploration of our beloved furry friends. From their origins and evolution to their fascinating behaviors and quirks, this book covers a wide range of interesting and weird facts about dogs.

With three hearts and blue blood, its gelatinous body unconstrained by jointed limbs or gravity, the octopus seems to be an alien, an inhabitant of another world. It’s baggy, boneless body sprouts eight arms covered with thousands of suckers—suckers that can taste as well as feel. The octopus also has the powers of a superhero: it can shape-shift, change color, squirt ink, pour itself through the tiniest of openings, or jet away through the sea faster than a swimmer can follow.

Shopping for a horse is unlike shopping for anything else. Not only are horses very big, but they can be very expensive, too. They have very specific needs and personalities that match their large size. Such a huge investment of time and money needs to be taken very seriously.

Cheryl Kwasigroch writes based on personal experience, and with a deep understanding of the feline mind, as well as the knowledge that a cat is a very special animal, whose health and medical needs are quite different from those of other pets. What does it involve to do rescue work with cats or just be a caring cat adopter? In these 19 short yet heartwarming stories, different cats as well as the people in their lives struggle to understand one another.

Learn Watercolor Animals with Mr. Simms. With Watercolor Animals, children are able to explore the animal kingdom of watercolor friends.

If you've ever wondered how you can get your entire family to enjoy something together, then you are in luck. This book brings you mind-blowing and fascinating facts covering every subject from animals to sports, science to delicious food, politics to celebrities, past history to future, and many more. This book will definitely help your kid in developing curiosity, devotion, and intellectual skills.