Animal Minds: Beyond Cognition to Consciousness

The creator of the controversial field of cognitive ethology, Donald R. Griffin (The Question of Animal Awareness) has spent more than three decades researching animal cognition. In a completely revised and updated edition of his classic, Animal Minds: Beyond Cognition to Consciousness, Griffin, now an associate of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, discusses his own and others' research findings including those of his critics. Although he admits ""it is very difficult to gather convincing evidence about whether conscious experiences may occur in animals,"" he maintains that scientists like him have ""show[n] that many animals behave in ways that strongly indicate that they are aware of their situation and how their behavior can affect it."" Intended for others in the field, Griffin's book will enlighten, delight and even ruffle some feathers. ( May)