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Animal Series
Il gatto
Analizzando sia i significati culturali del gatto legati all’immaginario umano sia la sua storia naturale, questo libro segue le tracce della speciale fascinazione di questo animale attraverso il mutevole spettro di immagini proiettate durante l’evoluzione dei suoi rapporti con l’uomo: dalla dolcezza alla ferocia, dall’affetto all’indipendenza, dall’eleganza all’eros, da una rassicurante domesticità all’inquietudine del soprannaturale. Con 109 illustrazioni, 53 a colori.
265 pages, Paperback
First published December 27, 2006
15 people are currently reading
310 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 14, 2015
إن كنت تملك قطاً؛فهذا الكتاب سيجعلك تتوجس منه،وإن كنت لا تملك؛فسيجعلك تتوق للحصول عليه.
القط هنا قبل احترامه ككائن حي ،والقط هنا بعد عشقه.
القط في كل صوره.
القط في الفن،وفي الغواية،وفي الاستقلالية أيضاً-كرجل راشد وحر-.
الوجه الأخر من الانسان هنا،والوجه الآخر من القط.
كتاب موسوعي ،ممتع،وبالغ في الغرابة!
أنصحك بقراءته قبل و بعد اقتناءك للقط.
القط هنا قبل احترامه ككائن حي ،والقط هنا بعد عشقه.
القط في كل صوره.
القط في الفن،وفي الغواية،وفي الاستقلالية أيضاً-كرجل راشد وحر-.
الوجه الأخر من الانسان هنا،والوجه الآخر من القط.
كتاب موسوعي ،ممتع،وبالغ في الغرابة!
أنصحك بقراءته قبل و بعد اقتناءك للقط.
June 3, 2022
كتاب خفيف ومسلي عن تاريخ القطط وذكرها في الأفلام والكتب.. استمتعت بيه رغم إني كنت مستنية يتناول أكتر بعض التحليلات النفسية ليهم
October 31, 2011
A little thin in places, because the focus is so broad. Still, an enjoyable read if you remember that it's going to be a brief overview. It's part of a huge series published by Reaktion, called Animal, and they're all very similar.
January 2, 2012
The writer was strongest in her chapter on Cats and Women, in which she explores how both the perceived good and bad traits of felines have been attributed to women throughout history.
October 6, 2019
This is a strange book, and it's hard to say what its purpose and audience really are.
There's a ton of interesting information, supplemented by hundreds of wonderful illustrations, but that information comes so quick that none of it is really going to stick. Books, artworks, poems, advertisements, and religious sculptures from around the world and spanning all of human history are briefly analyzed in rapid succession. What's referenced here might point you toward some future reading or study, and therefore this book functions well as a sort of bibliographic reference list of interesting cat content, but things are covered so rapidly that you're probably not going to remember the details of more than one or two things you learned.
On the other hand, this is structured around several theoretical arguments, but these arguments are all quite obvious and not situated within any meaningful takeaway or agenda. Yes, cats are associated with mischief and aloofness. Yes, cats are often linked to female sexuality. Tell us something we don't know.
It's a fascinating little book full of wonderful little tidbits and pictures, but it should probably be treated not as a book to read from cover to cover but rather something one keeps on the coffee table or the toilet tank and casually flips through from time to time.
There's a ton of interesting information, supplemented by hundreds of wonderful illustrations, but that information comes so quick that none of it is really going to stick. Books, artworks, poems, advertisements, and religious sculptures from around the world and spanning all of human history are briefly analyzed in rapid succession. What's referenced here might point you toward some future reading or study, and therefore this book functions well as a sort of bibliographic reference list of interesting cat content, but things are covered so rapidly that you're probably not going to remember the details of more than one or two things you learned.
On the other hand, this is structured around several theoretical arguments, but these arguments are all quite obvious and not situated within any meaningful takeaway or agenda. Yes, cats are associated with mischief and aloofness. Yes, cats are often linked to female sexuality. Tell us something we don't know.
It's a fascinating little book full of wonderful little tidbits and pictures, but it should probably be treated not as a book to read from cover to cover but rather something one keeps on the coffee table or the toilet tank and casually flips through from time to time.
August 8, 2021
INTERNATIONAL CAT DAY
Cats took many millions of years to evolve into the beloved animals they are today. Only a few hundred years ago, humans were quite wary of cats: we suspected them to be mischievous or morally depraved creatures, and we horribly mistreated them. Only recently have we come to appreciate cats for the remarkable creatures they are.
---
Equipped with keen senses and sharp teeth, cats make superb hunters.
We all know that cats are great at catching mice, but did you know that they have some of the most specialized features of any meat-eating animal?
One reason for their status as a superior hunter lies in their extraordinary senses.
Let’s start with their eyes. Cats’ eyes are big and round with pupils that are so flexible they can be contracted down to a narrow slit or a small dot, or expand into a circle so large that it covers most of their outer eye. This gives them the ability to see perfectly whether it’s a bright sunny day or a dark and cloudy night. In fact, a cat can hunt in one-sixth of the light that a human eye requires in order to see.
But when cats hunt, sight isn’t their only advantage – they also have an incredibly acute sense of hearing that helps them navigate and detect prey. The cat’s outer ears can swivel around in all directions, amplifying every little sound, such as the scurrying feet of a mouse, telling it exactly where it needs to go.
Then there’s the cat’s sense of smell, which is around 30 times more sensitive than ours. So, even if there’s no light at all, and not a sound being made, a cat can still sniff out a mouse in hiding.
Clearly, all these traits make the cat a deadly and feared predator. But we haven’t even gotten to its teeth, which serve as an inescapable trap for its prey.
The canine teeth of a cat are razor sharp, and when they grab hold of their prey, these teeth clamp down between the victim’s vertebrae, instantly paralyzing them.
Compared to a human, a cat’s radar-like senses can make it seem practically supernatural. Some of the qualities that make a cat a superior hunter also gave it a bad reputation among our more superstitious ancestors.
---
Today, we consider cats to be individuals and celebrate their independence and intelligence.
Cats have indeed come a long way in just the past few centuries alone. And the good news for them is that, these days, they have come to be more like an adopted family member than a symbol of something sinister.
Today, many people regard cats as individuals. In the United States, there is even a movement to stop people using the term “pet owner,” which implies that cats are property, and start using the term “guardian.”
As society’s views on human gender and sexuality have evolved, our view on cats has also become more complex; they are no longer reduced to simple characterizations or strictly associated with female sexuality.
In fact, we’ve come to celebrate and admire cats for their independent attitudes and their ability to take care of themselves.
Instead of being intimidated or fearful, people respect cats for not caring about our instructions and for being less dependent on others than we are.
These traits have come to be seen as implying a certain intelligence that has been celebrated in books and literature.
Rudyard Kipling, the author of The Jungle Book, also wrote a book called The Cat That Walked By Himself, in which a cat uses charm and intelligence to convince a woman to let it share the safety of a cave with her and her child. The cat is let in after it makes a clever promise to entertain the baby by doing things like purring and catching mice – which obviously come naturally to a cat.
Here’s hoping we continue to give these fascinating animals and their long and varied history the respect they deserve.
Cats took many millions of years to evolve into the beloved animals they are today. Only a few hundred years ago, humans were quite wary of cats: we suspected them to be mischievous or morally depraved creatures, and we horribly mistreated them. Only recently have we come to appreciate cats for the remarkable creatures they are.
---
Equipped with keen senses and sharp teeth, cats make superb hunters.
We all know that cats are great at catching mice, but did you know that they have some of the most specialized features of any meat-eating animal?
One reason for their status as a superior hunter lies in their extraordinary senses.
Let’s start with their eyes. Cats’ eyes are big and round with pupils that are so flexible they can be contracted down to a narrow slit or a small dot, or expand into a circle so large that it covers most of their outer eye. This gives them the ability to see perfectly whether it’s a bright sunny day or a dark and cloudy night. In fact, a cat can hunt in one-sixth of the light that a human eye requires in order to see.
But when cats hunt, sight isn’t their only advantage – they also have an incredibly acute sense of hearing that helps them navigate and detect prey. The cat’s outer ears can swivel around in all directions, amplifying every little sound, such as the scurrying feet of a mouse, telling it exactly where it needs to go.
Then there’s the cat’s sense of smell, which is around 30 times more sensitive than ours. So, even if there’s no light at all, and not a sound being made, a cat can still sniff out a mouse in hiding.
Clearly, all these traits make the cat a deadly and feared predator. But we haven’t even gotten to its teeth, which serve as an inescapable trap for its prey.
The canine teeth of a cat are razor sharp, and when they grab hold of their prey, these teeth clamp down between the victim’s vertebrae, instantly paralyzing them.
Compared to a human, a cat’s radar-like senses can make it seem practically supernatural. Some of the qualities that make a cat a superior hunter also gave it a bad reputation among our more superstitious ancestors.
---
Today, we consider cats to be individuals and celebrate their independence and intelligence.
Cats have indeed come a long way in just the past few centuries alone. And the good news for them is that, these days, they have come to be more like an adopted family member than a symbol of something sinister.
Today, many people regard cats as individuals. In the United States, there is even a movement to stop people using the term “pet owner,” which implies that cats are property, and start using the term “guardian.”
As society’s views on human gender and sexuality have evolved, our view on cats has also become more complex; they are no longer reduced to simple characterizations or strictly associated with female sexuality.
In fact, we’ve come to celebrate and admire cats for their independent attitudes and their ability to take care of themselves.
Instead of being intimidated or fearful, people respect cats for not caring about our instructions and for being less dependent on others than we are.
These traits have come to be seen as implying a certain intelligence that has been celebrated in books and literature.
Rudyard Kipling, the author of The Jungle Book, also wrote a book called The Cat That Walked By Himself, in which a cat uses charm and intelligence to convince a woman to let it share the safety of a cave with her and her child. The cat is let in after it makes a clever promise to entertain the baby by doing things like purring and catching mice – which obviously come naturally to a cat.
Here’s hoping we continue to give these fascinating animals and their long and varied history the respect they deserve.
October 18, 2019
Una storia sociale ma non umana.
Il saggio è diviso in capitoli monotematici (es. il gatto e la donna, il gatto come individuo, etc.) che ripercorrono il tema dalle prime testimonianze storiche a oggi e mostrano, in particolare, come pochissime culture siano state così equilibrate da non proiettare sugli animali domestici vizi e virtù ascrivibili solo agli esseri umani.
Un notevole pregio dell'opera è lo spaziare tra culture diverse senza limitarsi all'Occidente: ci rendiamo così conto della considerazione diversissima verso questo animale in Europa, Cina, Giappone, India, Thailandia...
Molteplici anche i rimandi letterari, esaminati non per vezzo ma come precise testimonianze di cambiamenti socio-culturali.
Notevole infine l'apparato iconografico, con riproduzioni a colori di opere soprattutto pittoriche (tra cui troviamo opere note e altre meno famose ma non meno pregevoli) ma non solo: sculture egizie, poster ottocenteschi, cartoline postali del 900...
Il saggio è diviso in capitoli monotematici (es. il gatto e la donna, il gatto come individuo, etc.) che ripercorrono il tema dalle prime testimonianze storiche a oggi e mostrano, in particolare, come pochissime culture siano state così equilibrate da non proiettare sugli animali domestici vizi e virtù ascrivibili solo agli esseri umani.
Un notevole pregio dell'opera è lo spaziare tra culture diverse senza limitarsi all'Occidente: ci rendiamo così conto della considerazione diversissima verso questo animale in Europa, Cina, Giappone, India, Thailandia...
Molteplici anche i rimandi letterari, esaminati non per vezzo ma come precise testimonianze di cambiamenti socio-culturali.
Notevole infine l'apparato iconografico, con riproduzioni a colori di opere soprattutto pittoriche (tra cui troviamo opere note e altre meno famose ma non meno pregevoli) ma non solo: sculture egizie, poster ottocenteschi, cartoline postali del 900...
February 11, 2024
يقول جورج لويس ليكريك في كتابه التاريخ الطبيعي : القط حيوان أليف غير مخلص، يحتفظ به فقط لأن الفئران و الجرذان أكثر إزعاجا منه. و على الرغم من كون القطط الصغيرة جذابة بشكل سطحي، فإنها تكشف عن خبث داخلي، ونزعة فاسدة تتزايد مع البلوغ، يمكن تدريبها على إخفائها، لكن لا يمكن القضاء عليها. فكل ما يمكن للتهذيب أن يفعله بلص ظاهر اللصوصية، هو تحويله إلى لص متملق. إنها ماهرة في إخفاء خططها، واغتنام الفرص، و
الهرب من العقاب، و كل ما تمتلكه هو تظاهرها بالصداقة أو بالتعلق.
لا تطارد القطط فرائسها بشكل مباشر، بل تقبع منتظرة بخبث، لتباغتها. وبعد أن تتلاعب بها، و تعذبها وقتا طويلا، تقوم بقتلها من دون وجود ضرورة لذلك ، حتى و إن لم تكن جائعة، و ذلك فقط من أجل إرضاء شهيتها الدموية. و لا يمكن استثناء حتى أكثر القطط وداعة بشكل كامل.
القطّة، التاريخ الطبيعي و الثقافي - كاثرين روجرز
الهرب من العقاب، و كل ما تمتلكه هو تظاهرها بالصداقة أو بالتعلق.
لا تطارد القطط فرائسها بشكل مباشر، بل تقبع منتظرة بخبث، لتباغتها. وبعد أن تتلاعب بها، و تعذبها وقتا طويلا، تقوم بقتلها من دون وجود ضرورة لذلك ، حتى و إن لم تكن جائعة، و ذلك فقط من أجل إرضاء شهيتها الدموية. و لا يمكن استثناء حتى أكثر القطط وداعة بشكل كامل.
القطّة، التاريخ الطبيعي و الثقافي - كاثرين روجرز
December 5, 2021
Ms. Rogers takes us through history from the dim beginnings millions of years ago up to the present century. Then we get to investigate the use of cats in literature and in painting. We tour the world of women and cats and, to a much lesser extent, of cats and men. Little attention is paid to the biology of cats and we are not going to go into the jungle or zoo to spend time with the big felines. House cats are where we are. And where we are happy to be.
Resplendent with drawings, reproductions of artwork, posters and cartoons, many in full color, this paperback is bound with glue and stitched as many hardbacks are. A fine volume.
Recommended.
Resplendent with drawings, reproductions of artwork, posters and cartoons, many in full color, this paperback is bound with glue and stitched as many hardbacks are. A fine volume.
Recommended.
June 13, 2025
3.5
Mi problema más grande con este libro es la forma tan confusa que tiene la autora de citar. Por momentos, parecía la escritura de Sally Rooney, donde no se distinguía qué parte era una cita y qué parte eran palabras de la autora. El último capítulo no está a la altura de los dos primeros, pero se nota la capacidad investigativa; la cantidad de ejemplos y referencias a lo largo de todo el libro es impresionante. Dentro de todo, es el texto más completo sobre la historia de la figura del gato que he leído y, si se omite lo de las citas, es un libro muy fácil y rápido de leer.
Mi problema más grande con este libro es la forma tan confusa que tiene la autora de citar. Por momentos, parecía la escritura de Sally Rooney, donde no se distinguía qué parte era una cita y qué parte eran palabras de la autora. El último capítulo no está a la altura de los dos primeros, pero se nota la capacidad investigativa; la cantidad de ejemplos y referencias a lo largo de todo el libro es impresionante. Dentro de todo, es el texto más completo sobre la historia de la figura del gato que he leído y, si se omite lo de las citas, es un libro muy fácil y rápido de leer.
April 29, 2021
A splendid cultural overview of cats in history, ranging from ancient Egypt to Japan, via witchcraft and the cat as aristocratic pampered pet in Europe. Very well written by an author whose approach is academic (in the good sense).
What's more, it is lavishly and informatively illustrated; some chapters have an illustration per page. Perfect for ailurophiles and recommended remedial reading for ailurophobes.
What's more, it is lavishly and informatively illustrated; some chapters have an illustration per page. Perfect for ailurophiles and recommended remedial reading for ailurophobes.
May 12, 2024
喵~ Meow~
讓我們一起探索《貓的世界史》(Cat) 這本書，它是一部貓咪與人類幾千年來的共同歷史。作者不僅僅是翻閱了古老的文獻和無數的小說，他還深入了解了各種畫作和漫畫，帶我們穿越時空的隧道，回顧那些與貓的���遇。
從受到古埃及人深深崇拜的神聖貓咪，到被中世紀女巫當作使魔的黑貓；從法國貴族間流行的時尚寵物，到日本國民大作家夏目漱石筆下的《我是貓》，以及村上春樹的《海邊的卡夫卡》中的神秘貓；甚至是荷里活電影《教父》中那隻被撫摸的貓，貓咪們在歷史的舞台上扮演了多種多樣的角色。
當然我們也不能忘記那些帶來歡笑的貓咪：搞笑的茄菲貓 (Garfield)，以及在 Tom and Jerry 中那隻永遠追不到老鼠的惡霸貓。這些貓咪們給我們的生活帶來了無限的歡樂，也讓我們有了愛牠們或者怕牠們的理由。
曾經，我們可能會批評貓咪自私自利，但現在，這些特質反而成為了我們對它們的讚美。隨著動物權益意識的提高，那些曾經只是捕鼠工具或者人類的玩物的貓咪，如今已經成為了我們的朋友，牠們的優雅和高貴更是讓人欽佩。
讓我們一起探索《貓的世界史》(Cat) 這本書，它是一部貓咪與人類幾千年來的共同歷史。作者不僅僅是翻閱了古老的文獻和無數的小說，他還深入了解了各種畫作和漫畫，帶我們穿越時空的隧道，回顧那些與貓的���遇。
從受到古埃及人深深崇拜的神聖貓咪，到被中世紀女巫當作使魔的黑貓；從法國貴族間流行的時尚寵物，到日本國民大作家夏目漱石筆下的《我是貓》，以及村上春樹的《海邊的卡夫卡》中的神秘貓；甚至是荷里活電影《教父》中那隻被撫摸的貓，貓咪們在歷史的舞台上扮演了多種多樣的角色。
當然我們也不能忘記那些帶來歡笑的貓咪：搞笑的茄菲貓 (Garfield)，以及在 Tom and Jerry 中那隻永遠追不到老鼠的惡霸貓。這些貓咪們給我們的生活帶來了無限的歡樂，也讓我們有了愛牠們或者怕牠們的理由。
曾經，我們可能會批評貓咪自私自利，但現在，這些特質反而成為了我們對它們的讚美。隨著動物權益意識的提高，那些曾經只是捕鼠工具或者人類的玩物的貓咪，如今已經成為了我們的朋友，牠們的優雅和高貴更是讓人欽佩。
May 30, 2017
لم استمتع قط بقراءة كتب التاريخ الطبيعي كقرائتي لهذا الكتاب!
كتاب شامل وملم بالتاريخ الطبيعي والثقافي والاجتماعي عن القطط
ربما لان القطط من الحيوانات الأليفة التي تستهويني ؟ او ربما لأنني لم أكن في البداية متحمسة لهذا النوع من الكتب حيث قرأت القلة القليلة منها في صغري عن فأر الجينا Guinea pig و عن الفراشات ولَم استمتع بها..
يبدو انني سأقتني المزيد من الكتب من هذه السلسلة!
كتاب شامل وملم بالتاريخ الطبيعي والثقافي والاجتماعي عن القطط
ربما لان القطط من الحيوانات الأليفة التي تستهويني ؟ او ربما لأنني لم أكن في البداية متحمسة لهذا النوع من الكتب حيث قرأت القلة القليلة منها في صغري عن فأر الجينا Guinea pig و عن الفراشات ولَم استمتع بها..
يبدو انني سأقتني المزيد من الكتب من هذه السلسلة!
November 17, 2017
Cats took many millions of years to evolve into the beloved animals they are today. Only a few hundred years ago, humans were quite wary of cats: we suspected them to be mischievous or morally depraved creatures, and we horribly mistreated them. Only recently have we come to appreciate cats for the " purr fect" creatures they are.
August 8, 2024
Un simpatico saggio in cui viene analizzato il gatto, si parte dalla parte più semplice, quella della biologia, per passare alla storia, alla religione, all’arte con accenni di sociologia. Molte le figure e le immagini di quadri per aiutare nella comprensione. Se amate i gatti si dovrebbe proprio leggerlo, vi strapperà un sorriso.
August 20, 2018
A very short but also very nice history of cats, from ancient Egypt to modern days. Includes a few nice pictures from Japanese art to cats in old advertisings.
September 23, 2018
Una buona ricerca ricca di spunti, ma nulla di più.
Bella grafica!
Bella grafica!
May 4, 2019
Questo libro oltre a essere inutile e costoso, giustifica e promuove la vivisezione sui gatti. Sconsigliato assolutamente!!!!
May 4, 2020
A good book to understand why we love cats and how they evolved as pets. I’m still no cat lover but understand more the love for cats more
November 5, 2023
أعظم كائنات الكوكب
November 1, 2025
Blinkist
Informatively fun!
A maybe to re-read.
Praise the creator.
Informatively fun!
A maybe to re-read.
Praise the creator.
October 4, 2016
أروع ما في القط غموضه واستقلاليته وحريته و تركبيته المعقدة وقدرته على البقاء وعزلته السرمدية
اكتفى الكتاب المسلي على التركيز على نظرة الفنان والنخبوي للقط وتطورها و شذوذها احيانا وتجاهل القط نفسه وطبيعته وتركبيته و مر مرور الكرام على
نظرة صديقه الودود(الانسان العامي) له و عدم محاولة فهم كيف ينظر القط لهذا الصديق ومراحل تطور هذه الصداقة العتييقة
تظل القراءة عن القط ممتعة و مسلية ما دام الحيوان الجميل مصر على غمر واستار حقيقته والامتناع عن الافصاح عن اي شيئ
اكتفى الكتاب المسلي على التركيز على نظرة الفنان والنخبوي للقط وتطورها و شذوذها احيانا وتجاهل القط نفسه وطبيعته وتركبيته و مر مرور الكرام على
نظرة صديقه الودود(الانسان العامي) له و عدم محاولة فهم كيف ينظر القط لهذا الصديق ومراحل تطور هذه الصداقة العتييقة
تظل القراءة عن القط ممتعة و مسلية ما دام الحيوان الجميل مصر على غمر واستار حقيقته والامتناع عن الافصاح عن اي شيئ
December 17, 2010
Cultural history of kitties. Some nice illustrations. This was a gift from my husband, who likes to buy me very intellectual stuff at the MIT bookstore while I am scouring BookMooch for 80's YAF.
June 19, 2012
even though i liked the pictures this made me too sad to rate more than "it was okay".
March 31, 2017
Cat is one of the stylish numbers from the Reaktion Animal Series, the range of which I peruse every time I'm in the Green Arcade.
I particularly enjoyed the chapter "Cats Appreciated as Individuals" (which will make any cat owner laugh or wince with recognition), specifically Katherine Rogers's summary of various works of film and fiction featuring a cat protagonist. If you're like me, it's not always easy to shut off the busy mind at the end of the day: this book does the trick. Every night I read it, my own cat Roar would wander over, as if to say, Why are you suddenly so relaxed?
I particularly enjoyed the chapter "Cats Appreciated as Individuals" (which will make any cat owner laugh or wince with recognition), specifically Katherine Rogers's summary of various works of film and fiction featuring a cat protagonist. If you're like me, it's not always easy to shut off the busy mind at the end of the day: this book does the trick. Every night I read it, my own cat Roar would wander over, as if to say, Why are you suddenly so relaxed?
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