Thursday, September 26, 2024

Book Review - Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death - Princeton University Press

 


        It is not so many years ago that animals were regarded as distinct from humans, lacking in emotion or even capable of experiencing pain, and horrific practices such as vivisection were practiced with alarming regularity. Thank goodness we have moved beyond that dismal, cruel perspective and are now even willing to concede that other animals (remember, we are but one), are able to understand the concept of death, and the finality entailed by the cessation of life.
     Susana Monsó has written an erudite account of the way animals relate to death, from the perspective of both predator and prey, and even the recognition of the end of life by those animals fortunate to live a long life, ultimately succumbing from natural causes. In a step by step manner, she takes us through the stages of cognition, demonstrating that animals have a concept of death, differing in detail from species to species, but present nonetheless. Natural history is not divorced from the end of life, the ultimate fate for all of us. Death is the great common denominator.
     The book is written in a style that is easy to read, yet compelling in its complexity. Along the way, a little humour is added for good measure. It's perhaps necessary that a chuckle here and there is part of a discussion of death, a topic that many are unable to discuss with equanimity. Many humans are incapable (or perhaps unwilling) of facing it with composure, assigning rituals to it, and inventing myths of afterlife and exalted status in the deep beyond. You may rest assured that the flowers left at the graveside will never be smelled, the offering of food will not be consumed by the deceased. While some animals appear to ritualize death, none approach the ceremonial complexity of humans.
    It might at first appear that this book falls squarely and exclusively within the realm of philosophers and deep thinkers, but it is germane to all of us, particularly those among us with daily connections to wild nature; arguably even more so to pet owners who provide an artificial world free from the perils of life for their domestic animals. 
     One minor distraction from the general excellence of the book is the fact that the illustrations are often very small and almost universally dark, rendering the detail difficult to see.
     As a scholarly text it ranks highly and is relevant to a universal audience.
     Enhorabuena y muchas gracias, estimada Doctor Monsó!



Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death - Princeton University Press
Susana Monsó 
Hardcover - US$29.95 - ISBN: 9780691260761
264 pages - 5.5 x 8.5 inches (13.75 x 21.25 cm)
18 black-and-white illustration, 2 tables
Publication date: 15 October, 2024



David M. Gascoigne,
David M. Gascoigne,

I'm a life long birder. My interests are birds, nature, reading, books, outdoors, travel, food and wine.

38 comments:

  1. What a fascinating topic. Thank you.

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  2. Thoughts I've contemplated myself. Sounds quite interesting David.

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  3. ...the dead possums that I see aren't playing.

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  4. The subject of that book is interesting.

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  5. This sounds like an interesting read!

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  6. we have had several occasions to encounter possums playing possum.. not the ones idiots run over because of not caring for critters, but the ones that are frightened by dogs. maybe I will do a post on the 4 occasions, they can be funny and I agree their should be humor when discussing it. now I have to learn to draw a possum, ha ha

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  7. Sounds interesting. When we lived in the country in Illinois, one of our dogs brought a possum in the house. My ex-husband got the dog to drop it. X thought the possum was dead, but when he went to get something he could use to pick it up, it disappeared. Fortunately Mr. Possum went out on the porch to hide under our grill. After that X was able to chas it out and wave goodbye.

    Love,
    Janie

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  8. I've thought my pets understand death, old, sick cats indicating to me they're ready. My birds were more pragmatic, knocking a dying bird off its perch and taking its place. Mammals seem to miss departed friends, though, particularly if they were close for many years.

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  9. Death and grief fascinate me. I think I found find this one very interesting,

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  10. There are still too many people who think that animals do not suffer or have the concept of death.
    Gracias David

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  11. Sounds like an interesting read.

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  12. It sounds like a very interesting book, David. Animals have a lot of feelings and emotions. I have two cats, and I can see every day how much joy and happiness they can show me. I'm glad that the world is moving forward in understanding animals.
    Hugs and kisses, Marit

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    1. I think that people with pets would find it exceptionally interesting, Marit.

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  13. Yo siempre he tenido entendido que los animales sufren y padecen lo mismo que el ser humano.
    En casa he tenido gatos y siepre acudían a mis llamadas y muchas veces se dormía, cuando sentada en una silla, los ponía en mi falda.
    Un abrazo.

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  14. It sounds like an interesting book. I often find myself reading up on insects and how they relate to pain. For instance, people who kill slugs with salt - such a terrible and slow death for them :-(. And the way people kill ants too, terrible terrible. Saddens me and I wish more and more people saw the world and nature the way I do. I know crows are very special and how they see death. I have met a lot of crows that are smarter than many humans haha!

    I downloaded that Merlin app last night that you mentioned in a post a wee while ago, so looking forward to using it. It seems like a very good app :-D

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  15. Hi David, que tal!
    death unites us all; no matter if we are human or animal, we all share that final experience. Animals can understand the end of life and that disarms our arrogance.
    They accept the end of life calmly.

    On another note, your spanish is brilliant!

    Enhorabuena, as the Spanish say. Argentines say: felicidades or felicitaciones jajaja Spanish class included today XD

    Kisses dear friend xoxo

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    1. Thank you for Spanish 101.I need all the help I can get! Xoxo

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  16. A very, very interesting idea!

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  17. I almost started crying when I have seen the topic of this book because I have a soft spot for elephants, and their behaviour that very much seems like mourning and crying is very touching. I also believe that cats and dogs perceive their owners health issues and grieve for them.
    Sounds like a wonderful reading and the cover of the book is spot on in a fun way.
    Thanks again, David!

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  18. I know that monkeys and elephants morn. And Scarlet Macaws, too. And all the poor birds that mate for life. Animlas and birds are so much smarter than we think. I used the book, The Genius of Birds, to breathe life into the alien characters in my book, The Levitation Game. Being a bird brain is a compliment!

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  19. I am almost afraid to read this book because death of an animal, any animal, though most certainly a family pet is something I have great difficulty with. Perhaps I don't want to know their awareness or have a sense of how they feel ... on the other hand, perhaps I should be aware. Maybe the awareness would ease the pain ... who knows. But, that said, I will buy this book and read it as it needs to be read by all who deal with nature and with pets. Thank you for finding all of these wonderful books that now stock my bookshelves with very little room left for what you might find next. You have opened the minds of many and for the good, I am sure. But, there are many more who are oblivious to nature and the important role it plays in our lives. Keep reaching out, David ... there is hope that you will turn more heads.
    And, you will be pleased to know that your comments have been present on my last two posts. Not sure what changed. I hope that contacting Blogger helped, but I don't care why, I just appreciate hearing from you again :) Stay well ...

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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    1. Glad things are working now, Andrea. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

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  20. This book sounds fascinating. It sickens me when I think of the experiments that have been done on helpless animals:(

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  21. Fascinating. We humans would do well to remember that we're animals, too.

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    1. Yes we are, Shari. And it’s time we got over this notion that we are so special!

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  22. Sounds like an interesting book and topic! I do not like to see any animal suffering in pain.
    Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a wonderful weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

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    1. I think it’s a given that anyone with even a small residue of compassion does not “like” to see animals suffering. That is a different topic entirely from animals having an awareness of death.

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  23. I'm intrigued by the idea that animals understand death. Thanks for the review!

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  24. I've been stopping by a few blogs as I have time. I wanted to tell you that sadly we couldn't figure out how to get out to I'lle Bonaventure. The park building was totally cordoned off and under construction and none of the little ticket booths were manned. WE couldn't figure it out, but it also was drizzling so we called it a pass-sadly. I was quite disappointed, but then when were in Forillon I saw all kinds of gannets. Hopefully my camera photos will be much better than the one on my phone. Thanks for sharing this latest book. And thank goodness people are seeing animals as not blind, dumb and stupid things. They're actually often smarter than we are in some situations. Have a super end of your month. hugs-Erika

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  25. Me parece un libro muy interesante y me gustaría leerlo. Abrazos.

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  26. Nasza modliszka dzięki dobremu życiu w moim pokoju z roślinami tropikalnymi przeżyła dwa miesiące więcej i dwa razy założyła kokon. Ale czy tak powinno być...
    No i trochę się do niej przywiązaliśmy, a koniec przyjść musiał...

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  27. What an interesting topic. I have often wondered how animals perceive death and of course I have heard about elephants and other mammals mourning. Cats that feel when they have reached the end of their life etc. This is definitely a book I want to read. Thank you for writing about it here. Hugs -Carola

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