Meet the Neighbors
Animal Minds and Life in a More-than-Human World
23 August 2024
Territory Rights — Worldwide.
Description
What does the science of animal intelligence mean for how we understand and live with the wild creatures around us?
Honey bees deliberate democratically. Rats reflect on the past. Snakes have friends. In recent decades, our understanding of animal intelligence has exploded—but the way we relate to wild animals has yet to catch up. Meet the Neighbors asks: What would it mean if we took animal minds seriously?
Science shows that the creatures who share our everyday landscapes—from devoted geese to clever raccoons to playful turtles—are thinking, feeling individuals. Should we then see them as fellow persons, even citizens? Weaving in the latest research, Brandon Keim takes us into courtrooms and wildlife hospitals, under back garden decks and into deserts, to meet the philosophers, rogue pest controllers, ecologists, wildlife doctors and others who are reimagining our relationships to animals and to nature.
A beguiling invitation to discover an expanded sense of community and kinship beyond our own species, Meet the Neighbors opens our eyes to the world of vibrant intelligence just outside our doors.
Reviews
"A heartfelt and unique look at the inner life of animals and how we so often fail to understand them…Sure to be an instant classic." — Jeff VanderMeer, best-selling author of Annihilation
"Few writers plumb the lives of our nonhuman brethren with more sensitivity and originality than Brandon Keim…You’ll surely feel new empathy for your local raccoons, robins, and rats after reading this profound, big-hearted book." — Ben Goldfarb, author of Crossings and Eager
"An indispensable companion…Keim’s book opens our eyes to the wonder in our midst, from the smallest bee to the wittiest coyote. What we learn should change how the law treats animals, how society treats them, and how we treat them as neighbors." — Alexandra Horowitz, best-selling author of Inside of a Dog and Our Dogs, Ourselves
"Does your love of animals fill you with wonder about how they experience being alive? And do you wonder what to do with your feelings for animals? Author Brandon Keim has filled these pages with intelligence and generosity. This is a mind-opening, heart-healing book. " — Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words and Alfie and Me
"Meet the Neighbors invites each of us to reimagine how we view and treat our animal kin. Rich in behavioral insights and crafted with unstinted empathy, [it] calls for a profound cultural shift…Open minds and hearts will be rewarded." — Sean B. Carroll, biologist and author of The Serengeti Rules and A Series of Fortunate Events
