The Covenant of the Wild: Why Animals Chose Domestication

ISBN: 0300079931

Author: Budiansky, Stephen

Condition: New

Animal rights extremists argue that eating meat is murder and that pets are slaves. This compelling reappraisal of the human-animal bond, however, shows that domestication of animals is not an act of exploitation but a brilliantly successful evolutionary strategy that has benefited humans and animals alike.Budianskys slim, elegant discourse is a persuasive counterweight to the pastoral delusions of sentimentalists intent on seeing humans as malevolently at odds with the noble animal kingdom.-Manuela Hoelterhoff, Wall Street JournalForcefully argued and eloquent.-Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, New York TimesA subtle look at the mysteries of evolution and a stinging response to animal-rights extremists. . . . Ambrosia for anyone-whether in agreement with Budiansky or not-who appreciates the beauty of an argument that combines careful scholarship with common sense.-Kirkus ReviewsBudiansky argues his thesis clearly and cogently.-Daily Telegraph