Why would a cow lick a tractor? Why are collies getting dumber? Why do dolphins now and again kill for fun? How can a parrot learn how to spell? How did wolves teach man to evolve? Temple Grandin draws upon a long, distinguished career as an animal scientist and her own experiences with autism to deliver an peculiar message about how animals act, think, and feel. She has a perspective like that of no other expert in the field, which allows her to offer unparalleled observations and groundbreaking ideas.

People with autism can ceaselessly think the way animals think, putting them in the perfect position to translate “animal talk.” Grandin is a faithful guide into their world, exploring animal pain, fear, aggression, love, friendship, communication, learning, and, yes, even animal genius. The sweep of Animals in Translation is immense and will eternally change the way we consider animals.

*includes a Behavior and Training Troubleshooting Guide
 
Among its provocative ideas, the book:
argues that language is not a requirement for consciousness–and that animals do have consciousness applies the autism theory of “hyper-specificity” to animals, showing that animals and autistic people are so sensitive to detail that they “can’t see the forest for the trees”–a talent as well as a “deficit” explores the “interpreter” in the normal human brain that filters out detail, leaving people blind to much of the reality that surrounds them–a reality animals and autistic people see, now and again all too clearlyexplains how animals have “superhuman” skills: animals have animal geniuscompares animals to autistic savants, declaring that animals may in truth be autistic savants, with special forms of genius that normal people do not possess and now and again cannot even see examines how humans and animals use their emotions to think, to come to a decision, and even to predict the future reveals the remarkable abilities of handicapped people and animals maintains that the single worst thing you’ll do to an animal is to make it feel afraid