Why read The Covenant of the Wild?

Book cover of The Covenant of the Wild: Why Animals Chose Domestication

Book description

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.

"Budiansky's slim, elegant discourse…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Covenant of the Wild as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Jan Dohner

Author

I cannot imagine my life with animals without the understanding I have drawn from this book. While biologists and the public have long viewed domestication as a form of forced servitude, Budiansky details another revolutionary theory that some special animal species “choose” to throw their futures in with humans.

How this happened is a fascinating story that challenges our long-held assumptions and reveals our huge debt and responsibility to these animals who chose to live with us. This book is the foundation stone of my work with dogs and other domesticated animals.

From Jan's list on dogs domesticated humans irreplaceable partners.