Beastly Brains: Exploring How Animals Think, Talk, and Feel

by Nancy F. Castaldo

In Beastly Brains, Castaldo delves into the minds of animals and explores animal empathy, communication, tool use, and social societies through interviews and historical anecdotes. Researchers from Charles Darwin to Jane Goodall have spent years analyzing the minds of animals, and today’s science is revolutionizing old theories and uncovering surprising similarities to our own minds. Humans are not alone in our ability to think about ourselves, make plans, help each other, or even participate in deception. You’ll think differently about the animals on this planet—maybe it’s their world and we’re just living in it!  

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Science, Childrens, Middle Grade, Nature, Audiobook

160 pages, Hardcover

First published February 7, 2017

About the author

Nancy Castaldo is an award winning author of children's books, a certified National Geographic educator, and photographer.

She loves writing books for curious readers that get them thinking about the world around them.

Reviews

[Michelle L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much more than I thought it was going to be. Impressed. Neuroscience. Cognition and behavior. Consciousness. And the author addresses arguments on all sides regarding whether animals only operate on instinct, whether they think, and how they think. If you love animals this is definitely for you. If you are wondering about what science really knows about animals, and what questions we still have, this is also for you. There are also just a few fun citizen science and game resources at the end that reminded me this could be a fun companion for families to read together.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excited to have finally got my hands on a copy to read and glad I purchased a second copy because I'll definitely be recommending it. The recent phenomenon of publishing science narrative nonfiction or biographies of the science community have enamored me (ones like Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America, the series by Gail Jarrow, Lab Girl, Misunderstood: A Book About Rats, Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas).

This one is sweetly succinct but expansive yet does focus on dolphins, primates, and elephants more than any of the other animals, yet does explain certain behaviors or thoughts using others: things like hive mind or empathy. The book is organized systematically and I was never overwhelmed by the information it was sharing. The pages alternated in color, which was unique and while it may be distracting to some, I noticed it, but wasn't bothered by it. There were plenty of pictures (including my favorite: the front cover and anything with an elephant) but shared fascinating details about self-awareness, the fact that the dolphin has the biggest brain for it's size (we're second), and that monkeys can use "money". Then there are horse ears and crows! So much information!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. This is the latest in several books I've read lately about animal intelligence. It makes me wonder if we should pay more attention to the life we have on this planet and focus a little less on potential life elsewhere.

The chapters are short, detailed, and engagingly written. I particularly appreciated that the sidebars did not interrupt the narrative, and rarely forced strange formatting.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of full-color photographs and text boxes with fun facts make this a fun book to browse. However, trying to read this book cover to cover was a challenge for me, despite my background in science and general love of animals. I just didn't find it that engaging. however, I am hopeful that there are students out there that will love it. Writing is clear and well-researched; examples are numerous. Instructions are given at the end so readers can develop their own (safe) animal research studies. There is also a list of organizations that help animals and suggestions for how to be an advocate for animals. Also included: additional resources to watch, listen, and read; a glossary; source notes; thorough bibliography; index.

[Micha O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating study of animal intellect, however, not written for children. Better suited for YA or even the adult collection, though chock full of interesting information. Might be a good resources for upper level elementary/middle school students writing a paper, but not really a read for fun. Very well organized and researched however.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, appealing look at what researchers have discovered about animal intelligence and behavior. Includes great information for readers on how they can conduct studies of their own.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book about a topic that is quite complex and, to some, confrontational. I trained as a zoologist and specialised in animal behaviour, so much of the content in this book was familiar to me. I can therefore appreciate that it was very well researched and presented to suit a MG - YA audience (complete with great colour photos and fact boxes). The newest research cited in the book was entirely new to me (I trained quite a while ago!) and learning about those studies was fascinating.
Interesting, well presented, and with a smattering of first-hand experiences in which the author visited study locations and met test animals, this book is a great exploration of animal intelligence, awareness and emotion.
I also love how it encourages readers to go outside and observe/study animals for themselves.

[James Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely fascinating! I learned so much about how animals think, feel, and communicate. The book is full of interesting research studies done with different animals. At least a dozen times, I stopped reading and had to share the different studies with my family. My two favorite studies were how bonobos combined lexigrams together to communicate and how monkeys would get jealous when not treated fairly! This is definitely going on my principal’s bookshelf and in the school library!

[Seamus · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enlightening journey through animal brains and how they relate to ours.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[KLB · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderfully simple, yet enlightening non fiction book. "Beastly Brains" by Nancy F. Castaldo explores the complex and surprising ways animals think, feel, and communicate. It challenges the idea that humans are unique by presenting scientific evidence that animals are capable of self-awareness, empathy, and problem-solving. The book uses stories and research to show that animals' brains and behaviors are more advanced and similar to our own than previously thought.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clear explanation of scientific processes and studies used when researching animal intelligence and emotions.

[Christine D · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good, well written resource for young adults.

[Brooke]

Amazingly in-depth look at how animals think, talk, and feel. Ideas such as do monkeys yawn when another monkey yawns is explored! Very child friendly while also being informative. Great for upper elementary and middle grade students and beyond.

[Debbie Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great photos, overall pretty well written. Negatives: sometimes repetitive and the 'voice' was sometimes clearly addressing children and then sometimes got a bit complicated so a uneven in terms of audience. One sentence gave me pause 'imagine being pulled away from your mother and having her watch as you are put in chains,prodded, and beaten with batons.' (p.19). ...reminiscent of slavery no?, but here we are talking about elephants. The fact that human rights have been evolving somewhat faster but not perfectly along with other animal rights could have been brought up at some juncture ..because one can't happen without the other. Without improving lives of people in some countries, animal trafficking will continue, for example. But getting off track here, for positives: lots of interesting topics for discussion and further research. It includes possibilities for action at the end so that the reader isn't left feeling helpless!

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in a narrative format, this science text uses eye-catching photographs and text on alternating pastel backgrounds to engage readers in its content. Though the topic is broad and a wealth of information is provided, the format ensures that readers will not become bored. The work of well-known researchers, such as Charles Darwin and Jane Goodall, is explored alongside many lesser-known, but just as intriguing, studies. Students in grades 6 and up can easily find enough information for a school project in this volume, especially when assisted by the table of contents and index, along with a bibliography, glossary, and other text features. The author also includes tips on how readers can do their own animal studies, along with information for how to contact established, ongoing studies and organizations.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of how scientists have and now think about animal intelligence. Castaldo takes intelligence facets of making decisions, emotion and empathy, fairness, communication, self awareness, mental time travel and problem solving, and discusses them and provides a host of fascinating examples of animals exhibiting those behaviors. Lucid explanations and very interesting descriptions of the work being done today.

Lots of great photographs and excellent back matter including a glossary and large bibliography.

[Alexa Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

An illuminating look at a broad range of studies about how animal brains compare to each other and our brains--what do they understand about themselves and others? What kind of tools can they use? What psychological tests bring this to bear? How smart are dolphins or birds? It's a real overview of a lot of information. It's really interesting to flip through and could have a lot of good, serious, scientific information based on studies for kids who are researching these animals.

[Chelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pictures are phenomenal, but the text is repetitive at times, and the moments when the author inserts herself in first person are a bit jarring. I also found the section about animals using tools to accomplish tasks a bit juvenile. However, many of the anecdotes are interesting, and the exercises at the end encourage action and further learning.

[Anne Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too conversational for my taste, also a bit choppy. But it does contain a lot of interesting information about animals and experiments which have been conducted on them to prove that they think, reason, have empathy, have a concept of self and other, can delay gratification, etc.

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting

[Sue Poduska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating overview of research in the way animals think. Great resource.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating and well-researched guide to what animals really know and can learn.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book about animal intelligence. A little young for high school, but sections could be used as a great open activity for a guided inquiry unit in science, psychology or even philosophy.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cross-posted from Kiss the Book reviewer's personal Goodreads account

Beastly Brains : Exploring How Animals Think, Talk, and Feel by Nancy D. Castaldo, 152 pages. NON FICTION . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017. $17.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Many animals are intelligent, some more than you think. Researchers are finding that dolphins, primates, elephants, birds, even dogs and cats exhibit intelligence in decision making, having emotions, showing empathy, communicating, problem solving or other areas. Have we underestimated the abilities and feeling of animals?

Castaldo follows the current research, as well as reflecting on the past. Using photographs of researchers and subjects, she describes the experiments and what the results may mean. This is a fascinating read for animal lovers and conservationists. Includes an index, bibliography, glossary, and ways to get involved.

Lisa Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many animals are intelligent, some more than you think. Researchers are finding that dolphins, primates, elephants, birds, even dogs and cats exhibit intelligence in decision making, having emotions, showing empathy, communicating, problem solving or other areas. Have we underestimated the abilities and feelings of animals?

Castaldo follows the current research, as well as reflecting on the past. Using photographs of researchers and subjects, she describes the experiments and what the results may mean. This is a fascinating read for animal lovers and conservationists. Includes an index, bibliography, glossary, and ways to get involved.

Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is quite a curious read and one that will make anyone take a step back and consider how they interact with other animals. For it confirms what some scientists and regular people have thought for a while. That is that other animals, not just Humans are capable of thought and feeling emotions. For instance, we know some creatures, especially Canines and Primates, are pack-oriented creatures meaning they are social and don't like to be alone and, in most cases, can not be alone for long periods. It is often the case, especially in these pack-oriented groups, that two members mate for life. This book also discusses other creatures' use of tools and how dogs recognize their own names, recognize some of their toys' names, and feel a plethora of emotions from love and loyalty to sadness or jealousy. It also touches on many arguments, both present and past, that scientists have made for and against animals with emotional and intellectual intelligence.

This story is written so that a 5th-7th grader could pick it up and understand it and is stated to be for the age range of 10-12. I think any middle-schooler with a pet and/or a genuine love of animals could pick it up and connect with the ideas presented within. It may even confirm their own thoughts about animals or their pets specifically. What all of this suggests in the end, however, as related to my concept, is that it is our responsibility to treat animals with respect and acknowledge that they have their own form of understanding and comprehension along with full sets of emotions.

This book can work great across a few different classes; on the one hand, it would work wonders in a biology/environmentalist class when discussing the animal kingdom. In English, however, this book can be used as a text to help answer the question posed by Gallagher's "I would like to know more about..." strategy. Using this strategy, my students will write a short paper on something about the animal kingdom they would like to know more about. I feel this is a great task for both those who love animals generally and those who may be keener on the life sciences that look at animals and their ecosystems. If they don't fit either of these categories well, I am sure they can find something. I might also encourage my students to show this to their science teacher, or I might do that myself as this book can work across at least those two content areas.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This interesting non-fiction book is full of examples of experiments that have been done to prove that animals are more than just machines, but rather that many of them are self-aware, sensitive toward others, and can learn from the past and plan for the future. I didn't really like the way the chapters kind of ran into each other, and some of the extras on the page were kind of irritating. I never know when to read those bits. But the experiments themselves were so interesting that I kept reading. Also I think it was wise to make the pages so many different colors. It was probably some experiment on me, to see if I'd keep turning them. It worked!

[Sean Fishlock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dumbed down, relies heavily on the work of better books. Obviously written for teenagers who are into animals. Focuses a lot more on non-human rights than most, but lacks the science to back it up, beyond asking the reader to do their own. Found the interspecies Internet to be the most interesting piece.
Spends a lot of time rejecting anthropocentrism, then argues for primate rights on the basis that they can use iPads. I've seen a hell of a lot of apes using iPads and the Internet - and not all of them are smart or ethical!
This book would be OK for high school students, but adults looking for a bit more substance might like to look elsewhere.

[Jakub Ferencik · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's nice to see that certain studies such as that of Dr. Diana Reiss (author of Dolphins in the Mirror) and that of Franz de Waal - of course - keep coming up.

In this book, Castaldo briefly outlines all the major advancements in animal behavior studies, from monkeys, chimpanzees, dogs, elephants, dolphins, parrots, Ravens, and others. I was surprised to see that self-awareness goes beyond dolphins and extends to elephants and primates. Social behavior is also common among rodents. I guess you could say we all evolved in a similar way and have prospered because of reciprocal altruism. I'm enjoying this research. .