Zoobiquity

What Animals Can Teach Us About Health and the Science of Healing

By: Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, Kathryn Bowers

Narrated by: Karen White

Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

In the spring of 2005, cardiologist Barbara Natterson-Horowitz was called to consult on an unusual patient: an Emperor tamarin at the Los Angeles Zoo. While examining the tiny monkey's sick heart, she learned that wild animals can die of a form of cardiac arrest brought on by extreme emotional stress. It was a syndrome identical to a human condition but one that veterinarians called by a different name and treated in innovative ways.

This remarkable medical parallel launched Natterson-Horowitz on a journey of discovery that reshaped her entire approach to medicine. She began to search for other connections between the human and animal worlds: Do animals get breast cancer, anxiety-induced fainting spells, sexually transmitted diseases? Do they suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, bulimia, addiction?

The answers were astonishing. Dinosaurs suffered from brain cancer. Koalas catch chlamydia. Reindeer seek narcotic escape in hallucinogenic mushrooms. Stallions self-mutilate. Gorillas experience clinical depression.

Joining forces with science journalist Kathryn Bowers, Natterson-Horowitz employs fascinating case studies and meticulous scholarship to present a revelatory understanding of what animals can teach us about the human body and mind.

Zoobiquity; is the term the authors have coined to refer to a new, species-spanning approach to health. Delving into evolution, anthropology, sociology, biology, veterinary science, and zoology, they break down the walls between disciplines, redefining the boundaries of medicine.Zoobiquity explores how animal and human commonality can be used to diagnose, treat, and heal patients of all species. Both authoritative and accessible, offering cutting-edge research through captivating narratives, this provocative book encourages us to see our essential connection to all living beings.

©2012 Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, Kathryn Bowers (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"If common ancestors with worms, fish, and apes lie in our past, then Zoobiquity points the way to our future. The connections we share with the rest of life on our planet are a source of beauty and, in Natterson-Horowitz and Bowers luminous new account, the inspiration for an emerging and powerful approach to human health. Zoobiquity is a book that explodes barriers and myths all in the purpose of bettering the human condition." (Neil Shubin, paleontologist and author of Your Inner Fish)

" Zoobiquity is full of fascinating stories of intersection between human and nonhuman medicine fish that faint; dinosaur cancers; human treatments that cure dogs of melanoma; lessons from adolescent elephant behavior that explain human teenagers. I was beguiled." (Atul Gawande, M.D.)

"Centered on an insight rich with consequences, this beautifully written book is loaded with fascinating material that makes a compelling case for viewing human health and disease comparatively. We have more to learn from other species than I had ever suspected. Gripping and memorably engaging, it belongs in the hands of anyone with an ounce of curiosity about the biological sources of the human condition." (Stephen Stearns, PhD., Edward P. Bass Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University)

"Fascinating reading about the similarities in both the physiology and behavior of people and animals." (Temple Grandin, Ph.D.)

Mind overload- but not for the average person

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, but only a certain kind of friend. One who could handle all the sex talk and who is interessted in what animals and humans have in common.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The little girl with bulimia. I had never before consideded her fear and how it could relate to the fear animals have when they have to do something risky to eat.

Have you listened to any of Karen White’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Any additional comments?

It covers everything from sexy body language comparisons to weight problems. Truly comprehensive and enlightening.

It is overwhelming how much we have to learn from each other. Animal doctors and human doctors. Having worked in a few vet clinics, I knew something was up, but I would have had no idea that they did not communicate more.

There is some odd and disgusting stuff in this book too. I found myself blushing as I was walking around with my headphones on fearing the reaction of those around me if the headphones popped out and they could suddenly hear the odd stuff I was listening to. Listening to it a second time helped me, as I was so distracted the first time, I was shocked at how much I had missed.

excellent listening.

The topic and the delivery were very well done. Such a good book, I wish there was a sequel.

Calling all doctors, nurses, vets and vet techs

If you are a doctor, nurse, pathologist, vet, vet tech, science teacher, parent or lover of animals.... you MUST read this book! It was absolutely mind blowing!

wonderful

wonderful I couldn't stop listening as I was intrigued, curiously interesting and funny. I couldn't stop listening.....

LOVED

I absolutely loved this book! I'm a veterinary student and I found it stimulating and fascinating!!

a slow start, but still a GREAT book

The introduction and the first few chapters are a bit too shallow. It was re-stating many of the common understanding of readers such as how human is not special, we are just animals ... Anyone who would buy this book would already hold this view and don't need the book to convince them of this fact (while people who need convincing will not be interested in this book in the first place) thus the first few chapters that establishes the "moral foundations" of the book is redundant, unnecessary, and very uninformative. Since the book was written in 2005, I guess I can forgive it a bit more since the one-health idea is very innovative at the time. I would advise skipping the introduction and the first 2 chapters for new readers.

The second half of the book is AMAZING, lots of interesting anecdotes and theories. I would still really recommend this book regardless of the slow start.

Great read!

Educational, informative, and entertaining. Informative as a text book, but entertaining like a novel. They really did their research.

Spectacular!

I loved the clever and logical way BNH and KB wove the story of two professions that rarely interact with one another. Arrogance, power and ignorance, once again, will not serve survival of creatures on this planet. Grand sense of humor in telling these powerful and compelling tales.

Really the worst evolutionary psychology book ever

I'm fascinated by all the recent discoveries about the scientific nature of consciousness, but I'm getting pretty sick of the evolutionary psychology books, which seem to make sweeping generalizations based on scant data. And this book was the worst. The author cherry picked examples of animal behavior from all over the place and made direct comparisons to human behavior. It is one thing to try to understand human sexuality by looking at chimps and bonobos, but insects? And even horses seemed like quite a stretch.

I also really didn't like how the author started almost every section by saying, I thought X was the weirdest behavior ever, and then I learned that animals did it too, so it seemed less crazy. She's talking about a lot of stigmatized behaviors -- sex, drugs, mental illness. It would be nice if she showed a little more empathy.

Also her theory that yogurt causes bulimia still has me shaking me head.

It's too bad, the book sounded like it was going to be really good when I heard Natterson-Horowitz interviewed on Fresh Air.

very good read

the narrator was robotic sounding, great writing style and content though. it was very interesting.