Leaving the Wild: The Unnatural History of Dogs, Cats, Cows, and Horses

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Pets, Cats, Nature, Animals
Cover of the book Leaving the Wild: The Unnatural History of Dogs, Cats, Cows, and Horses by Gavin Ehringer, Pegasus Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Gavin Ehringer ISBN: 9781681776064
Publisher: Pegasus Books Publication: December 5, 2017
Imprint: Pegasus Books Language: English
Author: Gavin Ehringer
ISBN: 9781681776064
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Publication: December 5, 2017
Imprint: Pegasus Books
Language: English

A thought-provoking and surprising book that explores the ever-evolving relationship between humans and domesticated animals.

The domestication of animals changed the course of human history. But what about the animals who abandoned their wild existence in exchange for our care and protection? Domestication has proven to be a wildly successful survival strategy. But this success has not been without its drawbacks. A modern dairy cow’s daily energy output equals that of a Tour de France rider. Feral cats overpopulate urban areas. And our methods of breeding horses and dogs have resulted in debilitating and sometimes lethal genetic diseases. But these problems and more can be addressed, if we have the will and the compassion.

Human values and choices determine an animal’s lot in life even before he or she is born. Just as a sculptor’s hands shape clay, so human values shape our animals—for good and or ill. The little-examined, yet omnipresent act of breeding lies at the core of Gavin Ehringer's eye-opening book. You’ll meet cows cloned from steaks, a Quarter horse stallion valued at $7.5 million, Chinese dogs that glow in the dark, and visit a Denver cat show featuring naked cats and other cuddly mutants. Is this what the animals bargained for all those millennia ago, when they first joined us by the fire?

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A thought-provoking and surprising book that explores the ever-evolving relationship between humans and domesticated animals.

The domestication of animals changed the course of human history. But what about the animals who abandoned their wild existence in exchange for our care and protection? Domestication has proven to be a wildly successful survival strategy. But this success has not been without its drawbacks. A modern dairy cow’s daily energy output equals that of a Tour de France rider. Feral cats overpopulate urban areas. And our methods of breeding horses and dogs have resulted in debilitating and sometimes lethal genetic diseases. But these problems and more can be addressed, if we have the will and the compassion.

Human values and choices determine an animal’s lot in life even before he or she is born. Just as a sculptor’s hands shape clay, so human values shape our animals—for good and or ill. The little-examined, yet omnipresent act of breeding lies at the core of Gavin Ehringer's eye-opening book. You’ll meet cows cloned from steaks, a Quarter horse stallion valued at $7.5 million, Chinese dogs that glow in the dark, and visit a Denver cat show featuring naked cats and other cuddly mutants. Is this what the animals bargained for all those millennia ago, when they first joined us by the fire?

More books from Pegasus Books

Cover of the book The Girl Who Wrote Loneliness: A Novel by Gavin Ehringer
Cover of the book Magic Words by Gavin Ehringer
Cover of the book The Great Life Diet by Gavin Ehringer
Cover of the book Diet Cults: The Surprising Fallacy at the Core of Nutrition Fads and a Guide to Healthy Eating for the Rest of Us by Gavin Ehringer
Cover of the book In Our Own Image: Savior or Destroyer? The History and Future of Artificial Intelligence by Gavin Ehringer
Cover of the book Cezanne's Quarry: A Mystery by Gavin Ehringer
Cover of the book The Hardmen: Legends and Lessons from the Cycling Gods by Gavin Ehringer
Cover of the book Lady Tigers in the Concrete Jungle: How Softball and Sisterhood Saved Lives in the South Bronx by Gavin Ehringer
Cover of the book Buzz: The Stimulating History of the Sex Toy by Gavin Ehringer
Cover of the book My Darling Winston: The Letters Between Winston Churchill and His Mother by Gavin Ehringer
Cover of the book The Burning Answer: The Solar Revolution: A Quest for Sustainable Power by Gavin Ehringer
Cover of the book Dinosaurs Without Bones by Gavin Ehringer
Cover of the book The Story of Britain: A History of the Great Ages: From the Romans to the Present by Gavin Ehringer
Cover of the book Give Me Liberty: Speakers and Speeches that Have Shaped America by Gavin Ehringer
Cover of the book The Riviera Set: Glitz, Glamour, and the Hidden World of High Society by Gavin Ehringer
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy