Our Symphony with Animals: On Health, Empathy, and Our Shared Destinies

by Aysha Akhtar, Carl Safina (Foreword)

A leader in the fields of animal ethics and neurology, Dr. Aysha Akhtar examines the rich human-animal connection and how interspecies empathy enriches our well-being.

Deftly combining medicine, social history and personal experience, Our Symphony with Animals is the first book by a physician to show how deeply the well-being of humans and animals are entwined.

Interwoven throughout is Dr. Akhtar’s own story of being a young girl who was bullied in school and sexually abused by her uncle. Feeling abandoned by humanity, it was only when she met Sylvester, a dog who had also been abused, that she found strength for both of them.

Against the backdrop of her inspiring story, Dr. Akhtar asks, what do we gain when we recognize our kinship with animals? She travels around the country to tell the stories of a varied cast of characters―including a former mobster, an industrial chicken farmer, a Marine veteran―and comes face to face with a serial killer.

Through storytelling that is entertaining, profound, and touching, Dr. Akhtar reveals what happens when we both break and forge bonds with animals. She demonstrates how humans are neurologically designed to empathize with animals, and how violence against them goes against our nature. In equal measure, the love and friendship we give to other species biologically reverberates back to us.

Humanity’s compassion for animals is the next step in our species’ moral evolution and a vital component of our own health. Our Symphony with Animals is the definitive account for why our relationships with animals matter.
8 pages of color photographs

“Our Symphony with Animals is a beautiful, compassionate, and important book. Dr. Akhtar deftly weaves her personal and professional experiences into the scientific story of how humans are designed to bond with animals--and the cost, to us and to the rest of animate creation, of breaking that bond. Her wonderful book is at once intimate and global, and its message is crucial: empathy with our fellow animals is vital for the health of humans and non-humans alike.”
- Sy Montgomery, author of 'How to Be a Good Creature'

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Science, Nature, Audiobook, Memoir, Vegan

336 pages, Hardcover

Published May 7, 2019

About the author

Aysha Akhtar, M.D., M.P.H., is double Board-Certified in both Neurology and Preventive Medicine and has a Master’s Degree in Public Health. She is the Deputy Director of the Army’s Traumatic Brain Injury Program. Previously, she worked for the Office of Counterterrorism and Emerging Threats of the Food and Drug Administration.

She is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service, in which she deploys to assist with national public health emergencies. She is also a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics and is a Consultant Editor for the Journal of Animal Ethics.

Dr. Akhtar is the author of Animals and Public Health, Why Treating Animals Better is Critical to Human Welfare. She lives in Maryland with her husband, Patrick, and their ornery feline, Silos.

Reviews

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Aysha Akhtar is a neurologist and leader in the field of animal ethics. This book is her memoir combined with scientific fact and a deep love for animals. Reading this, I felt instantly understood by Dr. Akhtar, and I learned a vast amount.

At the heart of the book is her research on the connection between animals and humans and how it mutually improves well-being and quality of life.

Dr. Akhtar was abused and bullied as a child, and she shares how a dog named Sylvester, also abused, changed her life.

It is fascinating when Dr. Akhtar describes how we are neurologically wired to empathize with animals. Also, how the love we give to animals and vice versa is reciprocated over and over again. Akhtar describes the moral evolution of our species including a profound compassion for animals. I loved this.

Literally, as I type this review, I have a cat on my legs, and two kittens about two feet away, all sleeping. I am comforted having them all here with me like this. It’s bliss. Animals have always been in my home, from childhood until today. I can’t imagine my life without a loyal friend who makes me laugh or smile (and, hey, keeps me pretty busy with their care; they are family members, after all!).

Overall, I feel like giving Dr. Akhtar a high five. She not only “gets” it about animals; she has the science to back it all up.

Just a note: there are some difficult scenes in this book when animals are mistreated. I was given fair warning, which I appreciated, and it did not detract from the message of the book or my takeaway from it.

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

[Michael Howie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a LOT for work. Specifically, I read a LOT about animals: scientific journals, anecdotes, social media posts, daily news briefs, books, manuscripts, and so on. It's part of my job. I got a copy of Our Symphony with Animals as a standard practice: I know Dr. Akhtar to be a solid writer and thought it'd be of interest for my audience.

This is the message I sent Dr. Akhtar immediately following turning the last page of the book:

"I just spent the last four hours reading your book and I have cried and laughed and smiled and sighed and had teary eyes and openly wept and now I'm ordering pizza and I'm going to eat the whole thing."

If you love animals, if you have lived through mental health issues or abuse, if you want to increase empathy for the world or yourself, if you simply want to see the world be a better place: read this book now. I am so grateful Dr. Akhtar shared her story and journey with this book, and cannot wait for my friends to read it so we can chat about it.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotionally flaying, insightful, disarming, re-affirming. That, to begin, describes what we have here: A magnificent work of how we (that is, humans) connect with animals, how our empathy affects how we interact with anything non-human, how our rationalizations blind us to empathy hidden within (and the resulting hypocrisies), words on stark connections between animal abuse and more violent offenses, supportive chapters regarding the homeless and their pets, and progressions in obtaining more legal ground in defending all animals (not just domesticated ones).

Dr. Akhtar’s story starts out with an unexpected twist, but hang on. She’ll take you on a journey that probes some of the deepest parts of our connection with animals great and small, one that leads to hanging out with a blind pig at a sanctuary in one instance, and sitting across from a serial killer in another.

Absent here is a series of observations equating to a bunch of animal rights lovers high-fiving each other and poo-pooing on anyone craving a hamburger; this is a fascinating (and often uncomfortable) examination of our perception of animals and how they fit into society, for better or worse. Akhtar aims to proclaim that, deep down, we’re not as okay with the current arrangement of animal treatment as we say we are. You probably feel it often, tugging at your heart and banging around in your head: That [insert animal here] deserves better. The quick pass by a dog on a chain in the yard. A cat hunkering against a building, trying to keep out of sight. Call it a call-to-arms if you like; it may also just be an eye-opener. The author’s here to validate those feelings.

It’s a bulldozer of a book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pegasus Books for the advance read.

[Sian Lile-Pastore · Rating 5 out of 5]

"By eating animals, experimenting on them, and wearing them, we have embedded the practice of violence into our everyday routines."
I loved this! it was so wonderful - incredibly touching and insightful. would also say that its also a pretty hard read so trigger warning for childhood sexual abuse and a lot about the abuse of animals.

this is all about how we connect with animals and its mixed in with the writers personal stories and the visits she makes to a chicken farmer and an animal sanctuary, along with interviews with a mobster turned animal lover, a former vet with ptsd and a serial killer where she explores the link between animal abuse and killing and going on to kill people - that chapter in particular was tough.

alongside the darkness there are just lovely stories of people helping animals, the importance of animal companions and how animals can change your life.
wonderful.

[Suzanne McVicker]

This was the most clearly communicated book about animals we love that I've ever read. She touches our heartstrings, yes, but also our intellect. I laughed, cried, got angry, then was sad. She brings you through the whole gamut of experiences people have relating to animals! She wasn't afraid to bare her soul to make her point. She was totally honest. She really makes me think about and reevaluate my coceptions.

[Teo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great blend of heartfelt story telling and tidbits of facts that span a wide variety of topics. Having a neurologist’s take on this subject is important because I feel people will be more likely to take what is said seriously without dismissing it as ‘extremism’ (as much as I hate to say that, but I know how people are). There being Akhtar’s story about her childhood dog as well as an array of other guests made this quite insightful. These stories allow you to see horror, hypocrisy, and growth that will hopefully inspire deeper thought from the reader. One of the things that stayed with me the most is Akhtar’s discussion with a serial killer, where he revealed that he was completely fine with moving from non-human animals to human violence because he couldn’t see why taking the life of the former was any different from the latter. You see the life leave the being, no matter who they are. How ironic a serial killer is able to make this connection, but the average person is so unwilling. On topic of this, Akhtar does discuss things like cognitive dissonance, which may be nothing new to someone seasoned in this subject, but still is a great reminder about bias nonetheless. 

I definitely would see this useful for anyone who is new to this kind of thinking, or if you know anyone that is on the fence regarding non-human animal oppression. It’s also a good book for reinstilling passion for anyone who already is vegan, but beware she does sometimes talk about more graphic scenarios. So it might be best to avoid or at least have caution if you find hearing these things hard to bear.

[Nicole Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed being immersed in the stories of individual humans' relationships with animals. They're like love stories, in a way, each unique and heartwarming, some harrowing.

While I, of course, hate to see any living creature suffer needlessly, I am not of the opinion that society should stop livestock farming, stop eating and using animal products, etc. I don't know if the author intended to take a staunch vegan stance, or whether I'm reading too far into things.

I'm very sorry, for instance, that the author had such a bad experience with the "small family poultry farm" she visited, but there's an actual functioning farm in my family and it's really pleasant to visit. I have no problems spending quality time with the pigs, and then turning around and purchasing a pound of bacon. Does that make me less than empathetic? Maybe. I tell myself that the pigs have a good, happy life before they die, and that's all any sentient creature can hope for. Meanwhile, they're delicious, nutritious, and creating a livelihood for people I care about.

That said, the author was reasonable in her assertion that we cannot ignore the suffering we inflict on animals and continue to ostensibly pursue a more just, inclusive society. Bean burgers should, maybe, be cheaper than beef, and when science brings us lab-created chicken nuggets that are indistinguishable from the original, we should maybe embrace them. In the meantime we should try to buy eggs and sausages from our local farms, the ones that welcome visitors. Harm can be reduced drastically without going to extremes right away. We all matter.

[Liane Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book which describes, with real life stories, our love and affinity with animals, particularly our companion animals. It covers so much - animals in the lives of domestic violence victims, hurricane victims, prisoners, those in mental hospitals and ordinary families. Ahaha even shares some painful stories from her own live, and her affinity with animals.

The book discusses, without judging or criticism, our amazing ability to disconnect our heartfelt love of companion animals from animals we exploit for food, clothing and experimentation.

This is Such a well written, beautiful book which I hope, will lead people to a deeper understanding of the fact we are all earthlings and all animals deserve to be treated equally with love and compassion. This book shows that we humans have this enormous capacity to care so much for animals - hopefully one day we will all apply this to all animals not just the ones we arbitrarily choose as deserving a happy life.

[Noel نوال · Rating 2 out of 5]

First and foremost, this book needs to come with a huge trigger warning. Contrary to the synopsis, heartwarming cover, and title, this book contains a lot of graphically detailed accounts of animal abuse, rape, child molestation, murder, etc. I honestly wish I had known all of that going into this book, because after having read this book I don't think its contents were entirely worth reading all of the triggering and graphic details.
I'm a veterinary field professional and have been in the field for nearly a decade serving animals. I've seen a lot of animal abuse, neglect, cruelty, and I have also worked in caring for laboratory research animals. That being said, one of my biggest qualms with this book was the way Akhtar decides to compare someone poisoning an animal to researchers that conduct pharmaceutical trials on mice, etc. Akhtar is in the field of neurology yet through all of the condemnations fails to even address that a huge basis of her field of expertise was built upon extensive research done on laboratory animals as well as humans. She also fails to talk about how GLPs have developed to reduce, replace, and refine laboratory animal testing and everything that goes into caring for the animals and how not all of their lives end in euthanasia (many get adopted out if post-mortem necropsies are not necessary for histological analysis processes). This does not mean that the animals are treated as though their lives are insignificant. You would not be able to safely consume your medicines, be treated for chronic or terminal illnesses, undergo many different medical procedures and tests, or get vaccinated if not for the sacrifices of laboratory animals. Yet again, none of this is addressed in the slightest.
There are a lot of blanketed statements made throughout the book and I think it really discredits Akhtar to the reader in her arguments even when some of them were entirely valid. The tone of superiority and little rants here and there sandwiched between her constant reminders that she is a vegan made this book more unappealing to me. I appreciate what Akhtar was going for in this book, but honestly what I read between the covers was very different than the book I was anticipating based on the synopsis.
The organization of this book is chaotic and jumps around between different stories, some are heartwarming, others are just horrific and traumatizing to read. I think that Akhtar could benefit greatly by reading 'Writing into the Wound: Understanding trauma, truth, and language' by Roxane Gay to better understand how to write about trauma without traumatizing and triggering the hell out of the reader. It felt like a great deal of the stories were told in such graphic detail for that shock factor. I think some of the content of this book is necessary to be discussed; the need for change within our culture in regards to animal product food (meat, dairy, eggs, etc) and how the separation of people from where their food comes from is detrimental to animals and humans, the need for there to be more laws protecting animal rights and criminalizing abuse, cruelty, and neglect. However, you can write about hard things without making it agonizing torture to digest.

[Bobby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you get something in your mind about what a book is going to be like then you have to throw that out as you get into it. Our Symphony with Animals was one of those for me. Knowing that the author is certified in neurology and preventive medicine made me expect a book that was primarily scientific in nature. While sound science is here throughout the pages, the book is also deeply personal and compassionate. Akhtar share stories of abuse she herself endured as a young girl and what she witnessed and learned through a dog of her childhood as well as many other people's stories, stories of the criminally insane being transformed by their relationships with animals, of youngsters opening their eyes to the true worth of farmed animals, and of full grown adults ditching their original retirement plans once they were awakened to a reality they had previously been unaware of. Put all of this together and you have a powerfully smart and compassionate book that's well worth the journey.

[Privacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is gorgeously written. It's a love story for all our animal friends. I read it in two days and then sent it to my mom, who read it (loved it!) and then she gave it to my dad who read it. We all have dogs and we couldn't believe how much this book captured how we feel about animals.

This author is a neurologist who's written the first book from a doctor's perspective that explores all facets of our relationships with animals and how that affects us. There is so much packed into this one book, I wouldn't know what to praise first. I think this phrase from her last chapter captures it best: "We can free ourselves to recognize that humans and animals largely share the same struggle--the need for safety, comfort and a gentle hand. The good news is that the solution to our struggles is the same. Empathy for animals is the natural, inevitable extension of our empathy for each other."

[Sharyn Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Our Symphony with Animals” is a scholarly, yet interesting, and readable book about our relationships with animals, both good and bad. The author holds nothing back and part of the book is difficult to read if you really care about animals. Intertwined with the factual and real-world information about how animals play a big part in our lives Is the story of the author’s abuse and the abuse of her beloved dog at the hands of another. Animals enrich our lives and it is our duty to enrich their’s and overcoming our own horror stories seems to be the main theme of this book. It is a well written, thought-provoking book full of facts and lessons that we could all stand to learn. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy, I am glad I read this book.

[January Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book that ALL should read, but animal lovers especially will enjoy this book. The bonds we share, and how our lives are intertwined with both domestic and wild animals.

[Stacy DiBiaso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warning: animal abuse, child abuse, conversations with a serial killer, and other upsetting topics.

Note: resources to help victims of domestic violence, animal cruelty, animal rescue, etc. are included.

This book does a lovely job explaining and backing up with research the relationship between people and animals. The author also addresses her own story and her meaningful connection to a family pet.

If you love animals and need further evidence that animals are wonderful creatures to have in our lives, this is a good read or listen. Deepti Gupta is a very good narrator.

I didn’t really need this book to know about the wonders of animals and their connections with people. But it’s nice to hear it reenforced.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very moving. 4.5

[Doreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Akhtar shows through personal narrative, interviews and observations, and scientific studies what animals do for us such as the emotional and physiological effects on our most vulnerable groups, those suffering from PTSD, mental illness, incarcerated and unhoused people, those who experience trauma in its many forms from domestic violence to those affected by war and natural disaster. In fact one of her narrative threads takes place in the aftermath of Hurricane Jatrina where not only many people suffered loss and death but also animals.

But not stopping there, Akhtar reveals the unimaginable horrors animals at an industrial farming facility experience and interviews the people involved in their abuse. In fact it is the interviews with people across a spectrum of violence against animals that make her arguments about how we value some animals and dismiss or exploit others based on arbitrary decisions made about what the can give to us—their meat, their eggs, their skin.

In the last section, Akhtar looks at how people have been transformed by their experiences with animals, usually it’s an individual animal that leads to a reconsideration of one’s actions. The fawn that is saved by a hunter, the calf saved by someone married to a rancher. It is these personal moments that allow us as humans to be empathic toward not just one animal but animals in general and our often horrible attitude and treatment toward them.

Akhtar is asking us to reimagine our relations with animals as a species that has more in common than has differences. The way through our human-centric bias is empathy what she defines as not just being about emotional connections but also reason.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a hard read but a book that everyone should read, as our relationship with animals is so important, and this book demonstrates the reasons why in a loving, careful way. Highly recommended.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pre-ordered this book long before its release date, and was not disappointed. I knew the author was a neurologist and public health physician and had, I think, expected a more science based text. However, it was, in fact, a deeply personal tale; a compassionate story paying homage to the other sentient creatures with which we share this planet. Nothing ground breaking in terms of research, as far as I could see, but fascinating, heart-felt and hugely important.

[Richard Reis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading “Our Symphony with Animals”, by Dr. Aysha Akhtar, MD. I met Dr. Akhtar through her book talk to the Vegetarian Society of DC. I was and am deeply affected by her talk and her book, which is both personal and universal.

Humans nurture animals and they in turn nurture us in turn.

At the same time we consider non-human animals as very separate from us, which can lead to cruelty and abuse as animals are kept in poor conditions for food or fur.

Dr. Akhtar enlightens us with her own personal history and describes her encounters with a jailed serial killer, a vegan farmer who nevertheless raises animals for food, an ex-mobster who helps animals, people who run farm sanctuaries, and many interesting people. Her cast also includes non-human animals who display many of the traits some consider as uniquely human.

It’s captivating, interesting, and enlightening as well as disturbing at times, since facts unnerve us at times.

I heartily recommend this book and I look forward to reading other works by this author.

[Eddie Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a multidisciplinary ground-breaking work that draws from Dr. Akhtar's broad life experience and studies of the interface between human and non-human persons. From her relationship with an abused dog in her own troubled childhood, to her work and interviews with veterans, the homeless, prisoners, and casualties of animal agriculture- both human and animal- she illustrates how important our relationship is with other species- both for us and for them, and how we can forge a future that repairs the toxic relationship we have had with the other inhabitants of this planet. If you have ever had a relationship with a non-human, this book is for you- it will reaffirm things that you probably already know, while making fresh connections that will deepen your relationship to the life around you.

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This truly is a lovely book. Written by a neurologist, this book explores so many areas of how we relate with animals and how that affects us. There is so much information, like the science behind empathy and what neuroscience is showing about how we feel empathy for animals and the biological changes that happen when we interact with animals.

I initially thought this would be an animal therapy book, but this is certainly NOT that. It's so much more and it looks at our dark side too--what happens when we ignore our empathy for animals and how that causes detrimental problems not only for us as individuals but also collectively. Dr. Akhatr's "relationship" with the serial killer was chilling at times, but it also explored that connection between animal and human violence in depth and the result was quite surprising. I loved the stories of all the people who found empathy for animals that they didn't have before and how that drastically changed their lives for the better. Mostly, I loved the story of the author herself, when she was a child, and her dog Sylvester. She found courage to end his abuse and that gave her courage to end her sexual abuse. That last section where she stands up to her uncle is so beautiful, I cried. It was as though I was living that triumph with her. This book about empathy for animals and for humans is the right book for this time, especially with all the hate out there. This book will give you hope.

[REVG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Just Wow! I am floored by how beautiful this book is. I got this book the moment it came out and couldn't stop reading it. From the heartfelt story of the author's childhood abuse to how her empathy for a dog gave her the courage to end the abuse, to the incredible people she interviewed for the book: this book brought me to tears in a good way. Her interviews with the serial killer, the Happy Face Killer, was unexpected. I couldn't believe what the serial killer revealed: a surprise ending to that part (I won't reveal it).

This book is a combination of things: memoir, investigative journalism, science, medicine. As a neurologist, she travels around the country interviewing people who's lives were profoundly impacted by animals. I've never read a book like this before about animals. I can't recommend this enough.

[Cara Achterberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this may be my favorite book I've read this year. I've talked about it to so many people because not only did I enjoy it, but it's made me think differently about animals, people, relationships, world issues, community problems, and my own diet choices. There is so much to unpack here. The author winds her own personal story beautifully and brilliantly throughout the book which makes even the harder issues accessible. She explores how our relationship with animals impacts our relationships with people, our community, our world. The power of empathy is examined from many angles - it's a quality that animals call forth in us and could be the key to healing so many of the problems in our society, with our earth, and in our own hearts. Animals connect us and can help us relate to one another and hear each other over the noise of our differences. This is such an important book and I wish I could make it required reading for everyone.

[Andrea Latham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love animals and after listening to this, it gives a lot of information about how we all are treating animals, should show empathy to not only humans but also animals and our shared destinies. I was crying at times of how animals are tortured, abused and neglected. I have seen animals like this and took some animals in and the ones I couldn't, I called the proper people to help find them loving homes.

[Champi Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very beautiful read with heartfelt stories and many examples on science research as well as personal experiences that show how good our connection with animals is for our health and well being. A must read for everyone.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I felt that by not considering our relationship with animals, medicine was missing a vital component of our health.'

Our Symphony With Animals. Literally. Our pets become our family. There is no denying this. Aysha Akhtar is a neurologist who wrote this book about the value of our relationship with animals, and how they make us better humans.

We dread having to leave our pets behind during a natural disaster. In fact, after Hurricain Katrina, the USA finally recognized pets need to be apart of all evacuation plans.

Our pets protect and comfort us during hardships such as domestic abuse, homelessness, health problems, PTSD, etc.

Animals have been proven to help inmates improve their livelihoods and prepare them for when they get out into the world again. A healthy relationship with animals increases a humans ability to feel empathy. Unfortunately, almost all serial killers have had unhealthy relationships with animals throughout their life. In fact, many of them abused and murdered animals and this behavior was often encouraged by their family and/or friends, garnishing them empathetic-less.

A huge takeaway from this book is the question of what makes an animal worthy of our love and care and what makes an animal unworthy of it? We need to critically assess our relationship with animals and realize they all have value beyond just being meat to eat for our gluttonous humanity. 

[Pastor Rob]

Our Symphony with Animals: On Health, Empathy, and Our Shared Destinies
Dr. Aysha Akhtar, a neurologist who is a personable, extraordinary, intelligent, vibrant humane being, firmly committed to the animal rights movement, brilliantly discusses from a cognitive perspective how a person uses their mind to be dissonant to the reality of where their flesh meats come from. A courageous woman who will go to any length to evaluate what happens when empathy is stifled. Doctor Akhtar explains, when empathy is oppressed to one, empathy is suppressed to many, when empathy is spread to one, empathy is extended to many. Dr. Akhtar's target audience is your loved ones who continue to eat flesh, so as to assist you in converting them to veganism. I recommend this author whole heartedly. Reverend Robert F. Munro, Pastor of The Humanitarian Church, a strict vegan religious organization.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the majority of this book. The author speaks with much expertise and experience about her understanding of animals. There are lots of personal narratives of her own, and other people's research and experience. I had to quit listening near the end because she began to get into industrial farming and the cruelties involved. She visited multiple slaughterhouses and industrial farms, and I simply had to stop. It made me really sad and disgusted. We, as children, were taught that animals were completely inferior to humans, and that we had the right to use and abuse them. This is still the case when it comes to industrial farming and medical research. The animals are classified differently, so they cannot be prosecuted for conditions that most people would define as abusive. This lady knows what she is talking about.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a psychology major who decided not to go into the field as I found it arrogant. We label people and compare 'them' to us. Dr Akhtar does not do this; she focuses on our similarities rather than our differences. I remember Maya Angelou saying at a talk years ago that "that which is human cannot be foreign to me". Similarly, my grandparents had a plaque that read, "Great spirit, grant that I may not criticize my neighbor until I have walked a mile in his moccasins." Dr. Akhtar reminds us that we are all connected and that animals can offer love to all, even to those who have never been offered love before.

[Karoliina Roots · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was quite skeptical reading through the first chapter of this book and was about to quit by regarding it as "too soft". Luckily, the second chapter got me hooked and the rest of the book was everything I wanted and needed to hear.
For everyone who has been told once, twice or countless times: "It's just an animal", this book will resonate with you. It gives you courage to be the voice for the voiceless and helps you arrange your thoughts around what is "normal". Such and important read.