I probably have about 40-50 unread books in my house. I think one of the oldest ones is When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson & Susan McCarthy. I got it in 2002 while taking an Ethology (Animal Behavior) class, but didn't end up reading it. I kept it in my classroom when I taught Animal Behavior at St. Pius, but still never read it. I don't know why I've never gotten around to it; it sounds really good.
Synopsis:
From dancing squirrels to bashful gorillas to spiteful killer whales, Masson and coauthor McCarthy bring forth fascinating anecdotes and illuminating insights that offer powerful proof of the existence of animal emotion. Chapters on love, joy, anger, fear, shame, compassion, and loneliness are framed by a provocative re-evaluation of how we treat animals, from hunting and eating them to scientific experimentation. Forming a complete and compelling picture of the inner lives of animals, When Elephants Weep assures that we will never look at animals in the same way again.
