Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals

When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals
reviewed on + 177 more book reviews


This is a very in depth look at the evidence of emotions in animals. The pacing is not great--first half or so of the book is just the statement of the premise, and how the scientific establishment denies the existence of not only animal emotions but also animal suffering, because it reduces the moral implications of experimenting upon them.

The second half of the book is better and contains lots of anecdotes. However, the overall tone of the book is depressing, and one gets the sense that the person who would most benefit from receiving this information is the very person who would never pick up the book.