the animal that really interests Susan Orlean is the human one and that might leave some animal lovers scratching their heads. The stories are interesting, but often involve things an animal lover might find disturbing, the overloaded,unnamed donkeys of Morocco, the rabbit plague and the taxidermy chapter instantly jump to mind. Orlean is a journalist and often relays "just the facts" which can come across as cool, add to that her using her upstate farm to fatten up some cattle for slaughter to get a tax break and i understand the reviewers that found it disappointing. However, i also learned that you can't move if you get homing pigeons, that mules are making a comeback in the armed forces and that Sherlock Bones is out there reunitin lost dogs with their people. all in all an enjoyable if occassionally sobering read ( )

green

Such an appealing read from an author who describes herself as “animalish”, who thrives on “filling the needs of her animals every day for it felt elemental and essential”, enjoys “their colours, their fur, the sounds and smells of their presence” and persuades us that animals give a warm wonderful texture to our lives. Her quirky writing gives substance to the animals she writes of. The animals she writes of could fill a zoo: chickens, dogs, donkeys, mules, pandas, rabbits, rats, and tigers. She writes of the crisis in Africa caused by China buying millions of donkey hides to supply their folk medicine demands for ejaio. The donkey which serves as a beast of burden for poor Africans is being slaughtered at a pace which cannot be sustained for donkeys reproduce slowly. The author states “taxidermy is an unnatural resurrection for the sake of art” but I must disagree with her when she states “taxidermists love animals” for they could no more love animals than an embalmer loves dead people. If you’re an animal lover, you should like this book but if you’re not, don’t read it for you’ll neither comprehend or appreciate it. ( )

Susan Orlean loves animals, as you may have gathered if you are lucky enough to have read her book “Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend.” The celebrated nonfiction author brings her passion for animals front and center in her latest book, “On Animals” (2021).

The book consists of previously published magazine articles, mostly from The New Yorker, where she is a regular contributor. Some of these go back as far as the 1990s. Some are very personal, as when she writes about the many animals on her family's small farm in rural New York. Others are more objective, as when she writes about a show dog named Biff. All are witty and fascinating.

She writes about a New Jersey woman with so many tigers she has lost count. When a loose tiger walks through a residential area and eventually has to be shot, she doesn't know if it was one of hers or not. Orlean says there may be seven times as many pet tigers in the United States as there are registered Irish setters.

Another essay discusses homing pigeons. Another is about the animals used in movies and television programs. (Even worms and insects that appear on film cannot be harmed in any way.) Separate articles deal with mules and donkeys. She writes about a highly infectious disease that threatens all rabbits, both wild and domestic. There's even a piece on taxidermy. Another is about a lion whisperer.

Orlean's prose draws the reader in quickly and leaves one both entertained and educated. You need not share her passion for animals to love her book. ( )

I found all the essays in this book delightful. I enjoy Orlean’s writing style, especially her warm but slightly off-kilter humor. And I, like her, love animals and also find them amusing, so I guess this book was perfect for me. ( )