Near the beginning of Animal Wisdom a quotation from Gandhi appears: "The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Linda Bender, a veterinarian whose work has included rescue, rehabilitation and protection of wildlife in Europe, Asia and Africa, wants to help all nations "learn from the spiritual lives of animals." She begins by exploring how humans' relationship with the natural world became disconnected and explaining that the relationship is actually reciprocal: by saving an animal, we save ourselves; when we eat an animal that has been pumped full of hormones and subjected to stress, those toxins become a part of our body; when we destroy an animal's habitat, we destroy our own habitat.
But Animal Wisdom is neither merely a fervent plea nor a strident diatribe. Bender presents a variety of lessons on how we can learn from animals, devoting a chapter to each. Examples include how to accept and recognize unconditional love, how to trust ourselves and the world and how to accept suffering and mortality. After the convincing and compassionate lessons, Bender provides a list of concrete, manageable steps we can take toward reestablishing our connection with the natural world--from refusing to use plastic bags and packaging to using fewer pesticides and herbicides. Bender believes the destiny of humankind is inextricably linked with all species and depends on our ability to "renegotiate our relationship with Mother Nature." Animal Wisdom is a fine tool for this renegotiation. --Kristen Galles from Book Club Classics