Humanish
How Anthropomorphism Makes Us Smart, Weird and Delusional

By (author) Justin Gregg

ISBN13: 9780861549825

Imprint: Oneworld Publications

Publisher: Oneworld Publications

Format: Hardback

Published: 02/10/2025

Availability: Not yet available

Description
Ever glanced at your cat and wondered if they were plotting something? Or passed a car and thought it seemed ‘friendly’, ‘surprised’ or ‘angry’ depending on the shape of its headlights? Anthropomorphism – the irresistible desire to apply human characteristics to animals, natural phenomena and even inanimate objects – is as natural as breathing. And it gets weirder… Million-dollar industries have sprung up to provide ‘cosmetic enhancements’ for dogs who’ve had the snip – their (inevitably male) owners wracked with guilt that their pets might be missing out on… something. Similarly, Justin Gregg, a researcher with the Dolphin Communication Project, regularly receives emails from mothers-to-be convinced that dolphins would make excellent midwives (spoiler alert: they definitely wouldn’t). Diving into the strange way anthropomorphism shapes our understanding of the world, Gregg offers an eye-opening, humorous journey through human perception. From cinema’s obsession with talking animals to the way we interact with our soon-to-be robot overlords, Humanish takes an eye-opening journey through the strange world of anthropomorphism and explores what it reveals about this weird and wonderful bias within us all.
  • Animals & society
  • Animal behaviour
  • General (US: Trade)
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List Price: £18.99