A New York Times Notable Book of the Year!

With an Introduction by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Dogs

Highly respected author, philosopher, and animal trainer Vicki Hearne offers a treasure trove of animal anecdotes, all written in her unique and poetic style.

Through entertaining stories about cats, horses, an ornamental carp, a scorpion, and tortoises, Hearne focuses on how each of these various creatures experiences happiness in its own special way. She takes issue with Ludwig Wittgenstein on lions and language, discusses the naming of pets, and considers the process of mourning a loved dog’s death.

Hearne believed that animals are much more like ourselves that we thought. They have emotions, intelligence, and humor. Her writing here makes her case.