Animals and psychology

Are we as different from animals as we used to think? And why remember our similarity with them? We offer a selection books on animal and human psychologyto help you find answers. 

Konrad Lorenz “A Man Finds a Friend”

Konrad Lorenz – Austrian scientist, one of the founders of ethology, Nobel Prize winner. However, his books are written in a very simple, lively language and are understandable to anyone who is interested in the behavior and psychology of animals. Man Finds a Friend is probably Lorenz’s most famous book on companion animals: dogs and cats. You will find out where the roots of dog devotion “grow”, whether animals have a conscience and why the expression “cat nature” is unfair. And, besides, you will get a lot of pleasure and you will surely smile more than once.

Konrad Lorenz “King Solomon’s Ring”

If you liked the book “A Man Finds a Friend”, feel free to take on this one. What does some ancient king have to do with animals, you ask. The most direct! There is a legend that King Solomon could understand the language of animals. However, is this amazing ability the lot of wizards, magicians and sorcerers? Not at all! It turns out we can learn this too. You just need to be able to observe what animals are trying to tell us about themselves and their lives. Lorenz succeeded, and after reading his book, you can be convinced of this.

Konrad Lorenz “Aggression, or the So-Called Evil”

This book is not very similar to the previous ones. It is written in a more scientific language and deeper. It analyzes such a phenomenon as aggression from different angles: biological, social and philosophical. The author, together with the reader, is looking for answers to questions about what aggression is, where does it come from, and is it as bad as we used to think? After all, if Mrs. Evolution invented aggression, it means that she was needed for something.

Victor Dolnik “Naughty child of the biosphere. Conversations about human behavior in the company of birds, animals and children”

This book is a collection of articles by biologist Viktor Dolnik. It is about where our strange addictions come from, why we laugh at monkeys (spoiler: because they are terribly similar to us!), what instincts sexual behavior obeys, and how instincts and reason are connected. Some are delighted with the book, others are ready to hoarsely challenge the author’s point of view. Well, here’s your chance to form your own opinion on how scientific and fair the book is to humans and animals.

Karen Pryor “Don’t Grow at the Dog”

Karen Pryor is a talented scientist, specializing in two fields (biology of marine mammals and behavioral physiology). While training dolphins, in the 60s of the 20th century she developed a non-violent training technique, which she later applied to dogs, horses and … people. Yes, yes, people too! Because we are not so different from those who are used to being considered “little brothers.” This book is about teaching anyone, pet or yourself, anything. You will learn how to make sure that the cat does not encroach on the kitchen table, and your beloved grandmother does not grumble, and why punishment is far from the best method of interacting with anyone, and encouragement is much more effective. After all, as Karen Pryor argues, only someone who can teach a chicken to dance can have children – you can’t force a little chick by force.