Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat [Second Edition]

“A fascinating, thoughtful, and thoroughly enjoyable exploration of a major dimension of human experience.”— Steven Pinker, author of How the Mind Works

A maverick scientist reveals the inconsistent and often paradoxical ways humans think, feel, and behave toward animals in this engaging, informative, and though-provoking book, now newly revised.

Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat is a highly entertaining and illuminating journey through the full spectrum of human-animal relations. Drawing on his groundbreaking research in the field of anthrozoology, Dr. Hal Herzog tries to make sense of our complex relationships with animals and the challenging moral conundrums of animal ethics we face regarding these creatures who share our world—and some, our homes.

A compelling work of social science and a blend of anthropology, behavioral economics, evolutionary psychology, and philosophy, updated to reflect evolving attitudes and the most recent findings, Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat is a poignant, often challenging, and frequently laugh-out-loud funny trip through a world of animal rights activists, cockfighters, professional dog-show handlers, veterinary students, biomedical researchers, and more. It will forever change the way we think about other living creatures and, ultimately, how we see ourselves.

Why do our attitudes toward animals seem so inconsistent and illogical?

• Anthrozoology Explored: Delve into the fascinating, formal study of human-animal interaction and discover the complex psychology that governs our relationships with other species.
• Challenging Moral Conundrums: Confront the difficult ethical questions faced by everyone from animal rights activists and biomedical researchers to everyday pet owners.
• Evolutionary Psychology: Understand how our evolutionary past shapes our modern-day instincts to treat some animals as companions, others as threats, and still others as meals.
• Behavioral Economics at Play: See how surprising economic forces and unconscious biases influence our decisions in everything from the professional dog-show circuit to the meat aisle.