Nonfiction

On Animals

On Animals

  • Downloads：8557
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-10-03 03:19:21
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Susan Orlean
  • ISBN：1982181532
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Cindy ，

This book is comprised of a handful of essays Orlean has written， well， "on animals"。 The topics varied from mules used in the military to the rules governing the use of animals in the movies。 Orlean is a lovely writer and I enjoyed the whole book。 My favorite pieces， though， were her accounts of her own attempts at animal husbandry - pets and pets/farm animals， primarily chickens。 I'm not an animal lover on Orlean's level， but I found this book well worth my time。 This book is comprised of a handful of essays Orlean has written， well， "on animals"。 The topics varied from mules used in the military to the rules governing the use of animals in the movies。 Orlean is a lovely writer and I enjoyed the whole book。 My favorite pieces， though， were her accounts of her own attempts at animal husbandry - pets and pets/farm animals， primarily chickens。 I'm not an animal lover on Orlean's level， but I found this book well worth my time。 。。。more

Maya Brooks ，

Hello everyone， I’m so happy with this super team， they came to my rescue， I had payment irregularities on my report， being a single mother of 2 after I lost my job working with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration last two years here in Washington D C， to cater for the kids became another burden on me， 5 months ago my son was diagnosed of hepatitis B I couldn’t apply for a medical loan because I had a 516 poor score， I really needed help to fix my credit score， not until my ex husb Hello everyone， I’m so happy with this super team， they came to my rescue， I had payment irregularities on my report， being a single mother of 2 after I lost my job working with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration last two years here in Washington D C， to cater for the kids became another burden on me， 5 months ago my son was diagnosed of hepatitis B I couldn’t apply for a medical loan because I had a 516 poor score， I really needed help to fix my credit score， not until my ex husband’s family doctor disclosed this TEAM 760PLUS to me who helped me clear all irregularities and added a positive trade line on my report， my FICO score raised to 802 excellent score， all thanks to 760PLUS CREDIT SCORE for saving my son， if you ask me I’ll say they are reliable and the best team to work with， write them via: 760pluscreditscore at gmail dot com / 307 774 5902 cheers ！ 。。。more

Terry Earley ，

recommended ebook 10-1-2021 overdrive

Scarlett Harris ，

Chicken s̶o̶u̶p̶ for the soul

Kate TerHaar ，

16 essays on animals ranging from chicken to whales and even taxidermy。 Fascinating to read the interactions and history between humans and animals。 Fun read。

Patricia Becker ，

Susan Orlean can write about anything she wants to and it is going to be an engaging， interesting read。 I loved The Library Book and so I couldn't wait to read On Animals。 It did not disappoint。Each chapter could stand alone with one on dogs， another on mules and donkeys， and one on chickens （I'm still rolling with laughter over "Chicken Orlean。"） Don't miss the chapter on the Tiger Lady！ There are sixteen chapters and each is fascinating。Orlean's style is so accessible and as a reader I feel li Susan Orlean can write about anything she wants to and it is going to be an engaging， interesting read。 I loved The Library Book and so I couldn't wait to read On Animals。 It did not disappoint。Each chapter could stand alone with one on dogs， another on mules and donkeys， and one on chickens （I'm still rolling with laughter over "Chicken Orlean。"） Don't miss the chapter on the Tiger Lady！ There are sixteen chapters and each is fascinating。Orlean's style is so accessible and as a reader I feel like I'm sitting in the room talking with her。 You may also consider the audiobook as the author has done the reading for this one。Loved On Animals and thank NewGalley and the publisher for the ARC。 。。。more

Colleen ，

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book。 My initial thoughts were something similar to the popular "Chicken Soup for the Soul" type of books。 Nope， On Animal was not even close。 These were longer essays or articles on a variety of topics。 Once again， I thank NetGalley for introducing me to a "new to me" author who has been well published for years （decades）。 Like any assembly of essays， you are bound to like some more than others。 I really liked the homing pigeon essay; I had no idea that th I wasn't sure what to expect with this book。 My initial thoughts were something similar to the popular "Chicken Soup for the Soul" type of books。 Nope， On Animal was not even close。 These were longer essays or articles on a variety of topics。 Once again， I thank NetGalley for introducing me to a "new to me" author who has been well published for years （decades）。 Like any assembly of essays， you are bound to like some more than others。 I really liked the homing pigeon essay; I had no idea that there was a highly transmittable rabbit disease; it was interesting to read about all the controversy regarding the Free Willy killer whale （Keiko）。 There was a little bit of overlap in a couple of essays; that was bound to happen as well。 They were originally written over the course of decades and then I just read them all at the same time。 Anybody who has a love of animals will likely enjoy this book and find something new。Thank you to NetGalley， Susan Orlean the author and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this advance read copy of On Animals。 Release date is 12 Oct 2021。 。。。more

Whitney ，

New Yorker staff writer Susan Orlean is known for her accessible， learned writing style， and it shines in this collection of essay about her relationship with animals。 Written early in her career until fairly recently， these essays showcase her compassionate but realistic perspective on lives involving the raising and caring for a variety of animals， both common and exotic。 Due to Orlean's polished， effective prose， she can cover a number of topics that seem mundane and make them fascinating - I New Yorker staff writer Susan Orlean is known for her accessible， learned writing style， and it shines in this collection of essay about her relationship with animals。 Written early in her career until fairly recently， these essays showcase her compassionate but realistic perspective on lives involving the raising and caring for a variety of animals， both common and exotic。 Due to Orlean's polished， effective prose， she can cover a number of topics that seem mundane and make them fascinating - I was pulled into the world of dog shows， regaled about the differences between the horse and the mule。 I felt for a young woman forced to give up her homing pigeons。 I learned about the legal battles of keeping pet tigers in an age long before the greasy flash of the "Tiger King" television show。 And we got to see a little bit of Orlean's personal life too， as she describes what it's like caring for many creatures in her home。 This read was fascinating， quick， and tidy - a neat length for an essay collection。 You can tell that each essay was picked with care; there are no "lesser" entries。 I'd recommend this for any animal lover who wants to learn more about the history of husbandry as well as strange， forgotten quirks of forgotten animal-related history。 My favorite fact I walked away with？ For a brief time in the Victorian period， it was considered extremely manly to care for chickens。 However， the trend died once men realized how messy they are。 。。。more

Leslie Zemeckis ，

A dye producing read - a bunch of essays on animals from Keiko the whale to chickens - Lea in Afghanistan - pandas and a tiger woman who hoards the big cats - Orleans explores our connection to animals

Nancy ，

Master essayist and New Yorker staff writer Susan Orlean gives us a delightful and enlightening collection of her essays on animals dating from 1995 to 2020。 The essays first appeared in The New Yorker， The Smithsonian Magazine and something called Shutterstock。com。 Every single one is a brilliant foray into the world of animals and the people who love them， not the least of whom is Orlean herself。 She regales us with stories of life on her farm （not an actual working farm， but a large tract of Master essayist and New Yorker staff writer Susan Orlean gives us a delightful and enlightening collection of her essays on animals dating from 1995 to 2020。 The essays first appeared in The New Yorker， The Smithsonian Magazine and something called Shutterstock。com。 Every single one is a brilliant foray into the world of animals and the people who love them， not the least of whom is Orlean herself。 She regales us with stories of life on her farm （not an actual working farm， but a large tract of land containing a menagerie of life forms） in the Hudson Valley。 Perfectly written， these stories are charming， funny and bittersweet。 Her attitude and approach is best summed up when she sold the farm to move to L。A。: "I'd always dreamed that someday I would have animals all around me， in the house， in the yard， watching me in the garden， dotting the landscape， crowing in the morning， lowing in themoonlight， barking at the wind， and I had that there。 I had reveled in their friendship and their strangeness; the way that they were so obvious and still so mysterious; their colors and textures， their fur and feathers; the sounds and smells of their presence。 I liked the way their needs set the rhythm of every day， and how caring for them felt elemental and essential。 Living among them， as I had on the farm， was just as satisfying as I imagined it would be。"This is a very special collection， not just for animal lovers， but for anyone who appreciates good writing， humor and nature。Highly recommended。Thank you to Byrd's Books for a copy of this ARC。 。。。more

Brandon Miller ，

Got my hands on an advanced copy。 Orlean， as always， is a delight to read。 There's a chapter on dogs that had me thinkin' bout my dog and I got real close to bein' real sad。 Got my hands on an advanced copy。 Orlean， as always， is a delight to read。 There's a chapter on dogs that had me thinkin' bout my dog and I got real close to bein' real sad。 。。。more

Katie ，

Orlean's familiar and informative writing is so readable - it feels like I'm talking to a friend over coffee about an oddly specific story。  （My favorites were "Riding High" and "The It Bird。"）  I thought I loved The Library Book because of the subject matter， but it turns out I just love Susan Orlean。  If you have any interest in animals， science， or fun facts to bring out at a party， read this book！ Orlean's familiar and informative writing is so readable - it feels like I'm talking to a friend over coffee about an oddly specific story。  （My favorites were "Riding High" and "The It Bird。"）  I thought I loved The Library Book because of the subject matter， but it turns out I just love Susan Orlean。  If you have any interest in animals， science， or fun facts to bring out at a party， read this book！ 。。。more

Randy ，

The Amish population in America grew by 80% between 1992-2008， which consequently boosted the sale of mules （not John Deere tractors） to Amish farmers。 In the essay “Riding High”—one of 16 compiled in On Animals—longtime New Yorker contributor and author Susan Orlean （The Orchid Thief， The Library Book） begins with observing Afghanistan-bound soldiers taking a mule-packing military course in Nevada， moves on to the plowing habits of the Amish， and winds up with a modern-day mule auction—segueing The Amish population in America grew by 80% between 1992-2008， which consequently boosted the sale of mules （not John Deere tractors） to Amish farmers。 In the essay “Riding High”—one of 16 compiled in On Animals—longtime New Yorker contributor and author Susan Orlean （The Orchid Thief， The Library Book） begins with observing Afghanistan-bound soldiers taking a mule-packing military course in Nevada， moves on to the plowing habits of the Amish， and winds up with a modern-day mule auction—segueing seamlessly in a personable style that underscores her skill as a contemporary master of nonfiction journalism。 What ties together these disparate elements—besides mules—is an overriding theme: we shape and are shaped by the animals in our lives， whether as pets， workers， or food。 Some animals fall into multiple categories: rabbits， for instance， are the third most popular pet in America but are also the prime ingredient in rabbit fricassee （in fact， rabbit meat used to be a staple in grocery stores， until a certain Warner Bros。 animated bunny came along and shifted perspectives）。 These hare lore info-nuggets appear in “The Rabbit Outbreak，” which examines the spread of a lethal and highly contagious rabbit virus that has been killing bunnies while COVID-19 has been felling humans （in an eerily familiar vein， Orlean details the fears of rabbit owners， the government red tape that vaccine approvals faced， and the inevitable misinformation posted on social media）。 The lion’s share of essays here were originally published in The New Yorker， while a few appeared in Smithsonian， including—speaking of lions—“The Lion Whisperer，” a profile of Kevin Richardson， an amiable man in South Africa who likes to roughhouse。 With lions。 Other essay subjects include New Jersey’s Joan Byron-Marasek and her big cats （she was a Tiger Queen long before the Tiger King）， donkeys in Fez， Morocco （where narrow roads require the animals to serve as ambulances， garbage collectors， and the equivalent of Amazon delivery service）， the Animal Humane Society’s work on Hollywood films （fish thespians cannot be required to do more than three takes a day）， and pigeons （during WWII， pigeons were outfitted with mini-spy-cameras， serving the country as early drones）。 Orlean concludes with an often hilarious recounting of her years as a semi-farmer in upstate New York， where she had dogs， ducks， cattle， and chickens—the last including two Spring Flower birds of uncertain provenance （she was told they arrived from Sweden on a transatlantic flight courtesy of a woman with a “commodious” brassiere）。 While four of these pieces also appeared in Orlean’s earlier collections—The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup and My Kind of Place—most will be unfamiliar to the majority of readers。 Sure to appeal to both animal lovers and fans of literary nonfiction， this is highly recommended。 （Reviewed from an advance reading copy supplied by NetGalley）。 。。。more

Jan ，

I learned a whole lot of fascinating things about many different kinds of animals and their relationships with humans！Some stuff I sort of knew （like the training of USMC to utilize mules and other pack animals in mountainous terrains like Afghanistan）， and pigeons not used in war like they were in The War To End All Wars， but where racing pigeons have sold for over $200，000。 Then there's the history of chickens in the suburbs， a woman who had acres of tigers in New Jersey， the world of dog show I learned a whole lot of fascinating things about many different kinds of animals and their relationships with humans！Some stuff I sort of knew （like the training of USMC to utilize mules and other pack animals in mountainous terrains like Afghanistan）， and pigeons not used in war like they were in The War To End All Wars， but where racing pigeons have sold for over $200，000。 Then there's the history of chickens in the suburbs， a woman who had acres of tigers in New Jersey， the world of dog shows and proper breeding （as opposed to *puppy Mills*）， regulations and stories regarding animals （even locusts and worms！） while filming movies/TV （organization Animal Humane）。 The writing style is easy and characteristic of her New Yorker articles but does， rarely， sanitize a bit。I requested and received a free review copy from Simon and Schuster Publishers via NetGalley。 Thank you！Now I have to get a copy for Zelda with her farm！ 。。。more

Ruth ，

The newest work from prolific Susan Orlean is a series of essays on animals- mostly wild animals， farm animals- not usually thought of as pets。 Each essay is a unique glimpse into the history and life of each animal as well as an interesting anecdotal story。There is an essay about the lions in Africa， and one particular man who lives among a few as virtual pets。 Another essay is about the tigers of New Jersey （of which there are more than you'd think！）， and a woman who ran her own personal prese The newest work from prolific Susan Orlean is a series of essays on animals- mostly wild animals， farm animals- not usually thought of as pets。 Each essay is a unique glimpse into the history and life of each animal as well as an interesting anecdotal story。There is an essay about the lions in Africa， and one particular man who lives among a few as virtual pets。 Another essay is about the tigers of New Jersey （of which there are more than you'd think！）， and a woman who ran her own personal preserve， under public and legal pressure， for years。 We become informed about the various types of whales， and one individual whale named Keiko （the whale from the original 'Free Willy' film） who traveled across the globe before setting himself free。 There is also an essay about show dogs， dog breeders， and the life of a famous show dog with his trainers and his family， and an essay about the working donkeys of Morocco。The final chapter is about Orlean's own home and being caretaker to various species of animals。 She has a personal fondness for chickens and has transferred her family of animals from New York to Los Angeles multiple times as her human family has moved。 Highly recommended to animal lovers who wish to learn more about the less popular animals and animal cultures of the planet。 。。。more

Rachel ，

Thank you Edelweiss & Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for the advance reader copier in exchange for an honest review。This is a collection of stories about Susan's adventures with animals both on her farm and on her travels。 I especially liked the stories that involved non-Amercian cultures and their relationships with animals on an everyday basis。 I do wish at times there were more details or research involved， but overall the stories are light and fun to read。 Most importantly， most of the Thank you Edelweiss & Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for the advance reader copier in exchange for an honest review。This is a collection of stories about Susan's adventures with animals both on her farm and on her travels。 I especially liked the stories that involved non-Amercian cultures and their relationships with animals on an everyday basis。 I do wish at times there were more details or research involved， but overall the stories are light and fun to read。 Most importantly， most of the stories do not include any death of animals。 。。。more

Trish Ryan ，

This was a fun treat of a read！ It’s not particularly deep or intricately woven。 But each of these pieces is thoughtful and engaging。 A great book to keep nearby to dip in and out of in the rush of everyday life。 I’m excited to read this author’s backlist。 Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book。

Krista ，

I think I’ll always have animals and I think I’ll always write about them。 Their unknowability challenges me。 Our affection for them intrigues me。 I resist the urge to anthropomorphize them， but I do think they know something we don’t about living elementally。 I’m happy to be in their company。 I really liked what I’ve previously read by Susan Orlean （The Orchid Thief， The Library Book）， but I guess what I liked most about those books were their format: the intertwined threads that weave toge I think I’ll always have animals and I think I’ll always write about them。 Their unknowability challenges me。 Our affection for them intrigues me。 I resist the urge to anthropomorphize them， but I do think they know something we don’t about living elementally。 I’m happy to be in their company。 I really liked what I’ve previously read by Susan Orlean （The Orchid Thief， The Library Book）， but I guess what I liked most about those books were their format: the intertwined threads that weave together straight facts， singular events， and Orlean’s personal involvement with the material that synergise into something special。 I came into On Animals expecting more of the same， and it’s not。 Rather than plumbing the depths of one overarching story， this is a series of fifteen articles that Orlean published over the years （in The New Yorker， The Atlantic， and Smithsonian Magazine） which all feature a lightweight look at some “animalish” topic。 And taken one after another， this became a little repetitive and dull。 I appreciate that Orlean has had a greater than average fascination with animals throughout her life， and that she has had the good fortune to travel the world as a journalist to investigate animal-related stories， but this collection didn’t add up to a satisfying book。 Low three stars。 （Note: I read an ARC through NetGalley and passages quoted may not be in their final forms。）As Orlean explains in her introduction， she and her husband eventually left their Manhattan apartment for an acreage in upstate New York， which they then populated with chickens， ducks， turkeys， guinea fowl， dogs， cats， and cattle。 Despite having been raised in suburbia， Orlean took to farmlife and its duties， explaining that chicken-keeping seems to be enjoying a revival in the US: Chickens seemed to go hand in glove with the postfeminist reclamation of other farmwife domestic arts — knitting， canning， quilting。 Keeping chickens was a do-it-yourself hobby at a moment when doing things for yourself was newly appreciated as a declaration of self-sufficiency， a celebration of handwork， and a pushback from a numbing and disconnected big-box life。 And although she does reference the farm and her life there in some of the articles that follow， it doesn’t much serve as a true linking mechanism。 The articles explore everything from show dogs to captive panda breeding， and most did have some interesting tidbits。 In a story about a woman who hoarded tigers in deplorable conditions （long before anyone heard of the Tiger King）， Orlean notes， “There are at least fifteen thousand pet tigers in the country — more than seven times the number of registered Irish setters or Dalmatians。” In an article on taxidermy — which didn’t much interest me overall — my attention was grabbed by， “One display， a coyote whose torso was split open to reveal a miniature scene of the destruction of the World Trade Center， complete with little firefighters and rubble piles， was surpassingly weird。” In an article on the historic treatment of animals used in Hollywood， Orlean quotes the （then） director of American Humane’s Film and Television Unit， Karen Rosa: “If you show up on set with twenty-five thousand cockroaches， you better leave with twenty-five thousand cockroaches，” she said。 I wondered if she extended the same welcome to cockroaches at home。 She shook her head。 “A cockroach in my kitchen is one thing，” she said。 “A cockroach in a movie is an actor。 Like any other actor， it deserves to go home at the end of the day。” So， some of this was interesting and surprising， but as On Animals includes articles that go back to 1995， not all of the information is current。 In an article on the use of oxen in Cuba， Orlean notes the friendship between Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez that guaranteed Venezuelan oil would flow freely to supply the abundance of Soviet tractors employed by most Cuban farmers。 And after relating the whole inspiring story of Keiko the killer whale （of Free Willy fame）， Orlean notes that she was disappointed to have arrived in Iceland just a month after Keiko had been successfully released into the wild。 Keiko had followed a wild pod of orcas to Norway and Orlean ends this article on swelling violins: The children in Skaalvik Fjord who swam on his back and fed him fish reportedly found him delightful， as has everyone who has ever known Keiko。 He played with them for a night and a day， the luckiest whale in the world， and the great shroud of the sea rolled on as it rolled five thousand years ago。 （It takes only a minute on a search engine to learn that Keiko didn’t thrive in the wild and his case makes the whole rewilding enterprise appear suspect; that seems the more interesting story， but it’s beyond the scope of this book。） So， there were some interesting nuggets along the way， but I had to slog through the dross to find them; I was never excited to make that effort。 。。。more

bookmammal ，

Thank you Edelweiss Treeline for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。I love Susan Orlean’s writing and this collection did not disappoint。 If you’re an animal lover， and/or if you enjoy beautifully crafted essays， you need to read this book。 Simply wonderful from the first page to the last。