Chasing Doctor Dolittle: Learning the Language of Animals
"[Slobodchikoff] seemlessly intersperses wry, fascinating animal examples of language use and style with examples of human interaction that illuminate the complexity of animal comminication. [He] puts the world of animal communication into a realm that readers can readily understand  appreciate, and marvel at. Highly recommended.--Library Journal “Con Slobodchikoff has done some fantastic work on animal communication. His research on prairie dog language is mind-blowing.”--Temple Grandin, author ofAnimals in Translation“Con Slobodchikoff is a highly respected scientist who is able to translate the results of groundbreaking scientific studies into a popular format that is easy for anyone without a scientific background to understand.Chasing Doctor Dolittleis written with clarity, persuasion, and singular authority. It is a wonderful, deeply insightful book.”-- Jeffrey Masson, author ofWhen Elephants WeepandDogs Never Lie About Love“Con Slobodchikoff has been studying the social behavior and language of prairie dogs for many years and and has shown clearly that these social, family-oriented rodents have one of the most complex communication systems among nonhuman animals who have been studied in detail. His popular writings call upon his vast research experience and they have an entertaining and easy-to-read style. Con is also able to simplify complicated ideas for non-scientists without losing their scientific validity.Chasing Doctor Dolittlewill appeal to anyone who wants to learn more about the fascinating lives of many of the animals with whom we share our planet.” - Marc Bekoff, author ofThe Emotional Lives of Animals, Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals,andThe Animal Manifesto: Six Reasons For Expanding Our Compassion Footprint“This is a revolutionary book. Con Slobodchikoff’s well-reasoned arguments that animals have language are a breath of fresh air.”—Jonathan Balcombe, author ofPleasurable KingdomandSecond Nature“With this bold book, biologist Con Slobodchikoff strides into that hushed corner of science where animal communication is studied intensely but the wordlanguageis rarely whispered.  Just as Donald R. Griffin tried to shake us out of stereotyped thinking about animals and their consciousness, Slobodchikoff asks us to reconsider our definitions of language, what it consists of, and what it does.  Amazingly, given the scientific complexities of his topic, he has written an easily accessible book with anecdotes that will cause any dog or cat fancier to take a long, speculative look at the animals in the house.”--Holly Menino, author ofCalls Beyond Our Hearing