Nature documentaries often depict animal life as a grim struggle for survival, but this visually stunning book opens our eyes to a different, more scientifically up-to-date way of looking at the animal kingdom. In more than one hundred thirty striking images, The Exultant Ark celebrates the full range of animal experience with dramatic portraits of animal pleasure ranging Nature documentaries often depict animal life as a grim struggle for survival, but this visually stunning book opens our eyes to a different, more scientifically up-to-date way of looking at the animal kingdom. In more than one hundred thirty striking images, The Exultant Ark celebrates the full range of animal experience with dramatic portraits of animal pleasure ranging from the charismatic and familiar to the obscure and bizarre. These photographs, windows onto the inner lives of pleasure seekers, show two polar bears engaged in a bout of wrestling, hoary marmots taking time for a friendly chase, Japanese macaques enjoying a soak in a hot spring, a young bull elk sticking out his tongue to catch snowflakes, and many other rewarding moments. Biologist and best-selling author Jonathan Balcombe is our guide, interpreting the images within the scientific context of what is known about animal behavior. In the end, old attitudes fall away as we gain a heightened sense of animal individuality and of the pleasures that make life worth living for all sentient beings.
The Exultant Ark: a Pictorial Tour of Animal Pleasure
Nature documentaries often depict animal life as a grim struggle for survival, but this visually stunning book opens our eyes to a different, more scientifically up-to-date way of looking at the animal kingdom. In more than one hundred thirty striking images, The Exultant Ark celebrates the full range of animal experience with dramatic portraits of animal pleasure ranging Nature documentaries often depict animal life as a grim struggle for survival, but this visually stunning book opens our eyes to a different, more scientifically up-to-date way of looking at the animal kingdom. In more than one hundred thirty striking images, The Exultant Ark celebrates the full range of animal experience with dramatic portraits of animal pleasure ranging from the charismatic and familiar to the obscure and bizarre. These photographs, windows onto the inner lives of pleasure seekers, show two polar bears engaged in a bout of wrestling, hoary marmots taking time for a friendly chase, Japanese macaques enjoying a soak in a hot spring, a young bull elk sticking out his tongue to catch snowflakes, and many other rewarding moments. Biologist and best-selling author Jonathan Balcombe is our guide, interpreting the images within the scientific context of what is known about animal behavior. In the end, old attitudes fall away as we gain a heightened sense of animal individuality and of the pleasures that make life worth living for all sentient beings.
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Terri –
Loved the pictures!!! The narrative was definitely written by an animal lover...his study of 'do animals love, laugh, care, feel' made him a vegetarian,..but his stories, sometimes received from other people, do make a great argument that animals have feelings. Although there are lots and lots of pictures, this is not mainly a coffetable book...there is quite a lot of narrative that goes to make the author's point, also. But, the pictures are great. Loved the pictures!!! The narrative was definitely written by an animal lover...his study of 'do animals love, laugh, care, feel' made him a vegetarian,..but his stories, sometimes received from other people, do make a great argument that animals have feelings. Although there are lots and lots of pictures, this is not mainly a coffetable book...there is quite a lot of narrative that goes to make the author's point, also. But, the pictures are great.
Katrina –
It was okay... would have preferred more pictures, less text
Melisa –
A beautiful book that makes you, at the very least, question what animals think and exactly what motiviates them to do what they do. Beautiful pictures!
Story –
A beautiful book about the emotional lives of animals.
Kristin –
Paul Vittay –
Liz –
Bronwen –
Maria –
Laura Paxson –
Katy –
Susan –
Katie ze Kiten –
Sarah-Jean Krahn –
Pinky –
Shawn –
June Lay –
Leah –
Amy –
Donna Van winkle –
Stacey –
Vamsee –
Kari –
Marcelle –
Liz –
Sue Stern –
Jessica Bolton –
Gina –
Frédéric –
Catarina –