Beyond Words
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Is Carl Safina a good writer?
Bonnie
Jan 21, 2017 05:35PM
Several reviews of Beyond Words comment on what a good writer Safina is. The book is characterized as entertaining and informative. But I have to say, I find the book irritating. I agree with Safina that animals have emotions. After all, we are animals too. It's rather his way of making the case. Instead of giving a straightforward argument for animal emotions, supported by anecdotes and data, he asks a lot of hypothetical questions. Anyone else have this reaction?
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Yes, I too was frustrated with his writing and did not even find it entertaining or very informative. What irritated me the most was his inserting details that had nothing to do with the story but that were unnecessarily distressing to read, such as the lion who cried out each time someone shot it in the head. Why do I need to know that? I gave up after reading about half of the book; it was just too damn depressing and rambling. As someone said, it was more about his impressions and less about the science.
Agreed. Rambling and unstructured. I agree with his basic arguments but found the style very difficult. recommend 'Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?' by Frans De Waal -- much better.
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