Babylon’s Ark [Book Review]

I received this book from my lovely sister as a birthday present.  I finished it last week and am finally getting to the review.  Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title:  Babylon’s Ark: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo

Author: Lawrence Anthony

Synopsis: ”When the Iraq war began, conservationist Lawrence Anthony could think of only one thing: the fate of the Baghdad Zoo, located in the city center and caught in the war’s crossfire. Once Anthony entered Baghdad he discovered that full-scale combat and uncontrolled looting had killed nearly all the animals of the zoo.
But not all of them. U.S. soldiers had taken the time to help care for the remaining animals, and the zoo’s staff had returned to work in spite of the constant firefights. Together the Americans and Iraqis had managed to keep alive the animals that had survived the invasion.” 

ISBN: 0312358326

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 My Review:

When tragedy strikes, whether it is war or a natural disaster, the lives of people are everyone’s first priority.  However, humans are not the only ones affected during tough times, and it seems that animals, who suffer as much if not more, are often forgotten about or left behind.  In Lawrence Anthony’s Babylon’s Ark, the true-life rescue of the animals in war-torn Baghdad reminds us how truly devastating war can be on every being.

Beginning with the frantic rush to try to save Baghdad’s zoo, Lawrence Anthony captivates you from the first page.  His reasons for going to Iraq are honorable, and his struggles throughout his journey bring both tears of sorrow and sighs of relief as the lives of neglected animals are fought for in a city that is already fighting.  However, the book not only highlights the animal’s lives, but also the people of Baghdad and the city itself.  Brave soldiers, Iraqis, and foreigners are thrown together in an unlikely situation, as they not only help the zoo’s animals, but also the mistreated and abandoned animals of ex-dictator Saddam Hussein and his sons.

Lawrence Anthony writes with such passion that the 245 page book took me only days to read as I hesitated to put it down, and the pictures comprised in the middle bring all the scenes to life.  The ending was my favorite as Anthony dedicated a chapter to how everyone could make a difference not only for animals and people, but for Planet Earth in general.  Babylon’s Ark definitely sheds a different light on the Iraq war, and is a highly recommended read for all avid readers and animal lovers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Purchase it at Amazon.com here: Babylon’s Ark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Has anyone read this book?  If yes, what was your take on it?  If not, do you plan on reading it?  Let us know in the comment section below!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Note: The synopsis and photo were taken from Goodreads.com.  The review above is written by me.  © Kalie Lyn 2011*

Link of the Day: Recognizing All the Mothers

The Huffington Post: Mother’s Day 2012: Animal Parenting Styles, Pregnancies, and Child Rearings

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thought this would be the perfect post for Mother’s Day!

Happy Sunday and Mother’s Day All!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just want to tell my mom and step-mom how much I love them, and to thank them for everything they have done for me throughout my life!  I love you both, and HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Give your mom(s) a shout-out in the comment section below!

Link of the Day: Zebra or Baby?

The Huffington Post: Lion Tries to Eat Zebra-Striped Toddler at Oregon Zoo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I find this frighteningly cute.  All I can think of is imagine if that lion actually broke through the glass!

Hope this brings you a smile on this lovely Monday day!

Happy Monday All!

Link of the Day: Shelter Dog Photography Series

 

The Huffington Post: Sylvia Elzafon’s Incredible Shelter Dog Series

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is such a cool idea.  I absolutely love how she showcases dogs in need, and puts them in a good light where everyone can see their individual personality.  I just hope that in the actual series, the photographer puts all the dog information with each photograph!

Happy Sunday All!

Link of the Day: Goofy Animals

The Huffington Post:  Animals That Are Hard to Hate

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Animals make my day!

Happy Wednesday All!

Link of the Day: Rhino Poaching Laws Becoming Stricter

The Huffington Post:  South Africa Rhino Poaching Targeted by Tightened Hunting Rules

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank god!  It’s about time!  This is a great day for Rhinos and animal lovers everywhere!

Happy Monday All!

Link of the Day: Animal Photos & News

The Huffington Post:  Animal Photos of the Week

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here’s some cool animal news – I’m especially liking New Mexico’s governor opposing a horse slaughterhouse – and some adorable animal photos to end your weekend and start your week!

Happy Sunday All!

Born Free [Book Review]

I’m very pleased to present this review to you!  Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title:  Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds

Author: Joy Adamson

Synopsis: ”Joy Adamson’s story of a lion cub in transition between the captivity in which she is raised and the fearsome wild to which she is returned captures the abilities of both humans and animals to cross the seemingly unbridgeable gap between their radically different worlds. Especially now, at a time when the sanctity of the wild and its inhabitants is increasingly threatened by human development and natural disaster, Adamson’s remarkable tale is an idyll, and a model, to return to again and again.” 

ISBN: 0375714383

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 My Review:

I heard of the Adamsons – Joy (the author) and George (her husband) – when I read the book A Lion Called Christian, in which they had helped rehabilitate Christian back into the wild.  However, their work with lions had been going on for a while before Christian, so I was very excited to read Born Free and see how Joy and George got started.

And it all began with Elsa.  Born Free is the account and adventure of Elsa the lioness’s life, and the difficult task Elsa provided for her human parents, Joy and George Adamson.  Raised by the Adamsons since she was a baby, she treated them as her lion pride, and they treated her as their child, however never forgot the fact that she was a wild lion.  Her life with them flew by as she grew from a cub into a full-size, and eventually a wild, lioness.

Besides the story itself, my favorite part of the book was how it was written.  Joy Adamson has written quite a few books – all of which I hope to read – and her written language reads like she is having a face-to-face conversation with the reader.  Her writing flows, and it feels as if you are experiencing Elsa’s life with the Adamsons.  Joy is a professional painter and photographer, and her beautiful pictures of Elsa, Africa, and the unlikely family’s adventures are scattered throughout the pages, which makes it an even more intriguing read.  The ending of the book is comprised of letters which George sent from Africa to Joy when she was finishing the book in England, and this aspect gives an even more personal touch to the readers.  

I’m a sucker for animal stories – especially if they are true – so Born Free was one of those books that touched my heart and stayed in my mind for a while after I read it.  I was sad when they had to eventually try and release Elsa back into the wild because come on, who doesn’t want a lioness as a pet?!  However, the outcome made the entire book and I walked away with tears in my eyes and a happy heart.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Purchase it at Amazon.com here: Born Free

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Has anyone read this book?  If yes, what was your take on it?  If not, do you plan on reading it?  Let us know in the comment section below!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Note: The synopsis was taken from Goodreads.com.  The review above is written by me.  © Kalie Lyn 2011*

When Elephants Weep [Book Review]

This is the second time I have read this book.  The first was for pleasure a few years ago, and I finished it recently again because I wrote a summary and critique on it for my English class.  So here is my review, and most of it I took from my paper I wrote for school.  However, I spiced it up a bit for here.  Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title:  When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Elephants

Author: Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

Synopsis: ”From dancing squirrels to bashful gorillas to spiteful killer whales, Masson and coauthor Susan 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.” 

ISBN: 0385314280 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 My Review:

Every pet owner will admit to committing anthropomorphism – ascribing human emotions to animals – on a daily basis; I know I sure do!  We can see that our dog feels happy, that our cat feels playful, or that our turtle feels content; most people do not deny that non-human animals share some basic human emotions.  However, in the scientific community, committing anthropomorphism is essentially looked upon as a sin.

In When Elephants Weep, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson challenges people – scientists, researchers, and non-scientists alike – to come to terms with the fact that animals do seem to have emotions.  Focusing on the basic human emotions people are most able to relate to, such as joy, love, anger, fear, shame, etc., this book provides compelling examples of non-human animals portraying and experiencing emotions much like people do.  Some of these anecdotes that Masson provides as he argues that animals do have emotions and feelings include: the love shown in animals who mate for life, the fear evident in the animals’ eyes during dangerous encounters, and the sorrow they feel when one of their kind passes away.

Included with the examples are scholarly explanations from biologists, ethologists, and animal behaviorists of the emotions animals have been seen portraying.  Masson’s theory that animals do experience emotions is backed up by some of the leading people whom have dedicated their lives to studying animals.  While he gives detailed examples, and convinces the reader of his point, he is not biased in any way.  He also provides anecdotes and opinions from acclaimed scientists and researchers whom do not believe animals can feel emotions, and through this, he allows the reader to keep an open mind.

When Elephants Weep is one of those books that you continue to think about long after you have read it.  Granted, I am an animal lover so my opinions toward this book may be a little biased.  However, this is not just a book for those with passions for animals; this is also a book for those simply curious about emotions and how those emotions affect every living thing, and also for those wishing to dive into a world known little by humans.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Purchase it at Amazon.com here: When Elephants Weep

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Has anyone read this book?  If yes, what was your take on it?  If not, do you plan on reading it?  Let us know in the comment section below!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Note: The synopsis was taken from Goodreads.com.  The review above is written by me.  © Kalie Lyn 2011*

Link of the Day: War Dogs

The Huffington Post: Adorable War Dogs and Their Stories

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I do not agree that dogs should be deployed to war, and suffer the tragic outcome of such a thing.  However, these dogs are true heroes, and it’s great that a book has come out to tell their stories for them.

It’s definitely going on my TBR list and hope you check it out as well!

Happy Tuesday All!