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Sorry for the copy n paste biography, the following is from Voiceless (Animal rights non-profit think tank)
Marc Bekoff is Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and co-founder with
Marc has written more than 200 articles, numerous books, and edited three encyclopedias. These include the Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal Welfare (revised and expanded edition published in 2009), The The Ten Trusts (with Jane Goodall), the Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior, the Encyclopedia of Human-Animal Relationships, Minding Animals, Animal Passions and Beastly Virtues: Reflections on Redecorating Nature, The Emotional Lives of Animals, Animals Matter, Animals at Play (a children's book), Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals (with Jessica Pierce), and The Animal Manifesto: Ten Reasons For Expanding Our Compassion Footprint (2010).
In 2005 Marc was presented with The Bank One Faculty Community Service Award for the work he has done with children, senior citizens, and prisoners. In 2009 he became a faculty member of the
The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy - and Why They Matter - I have found through my own association with animals that they experience the same emotional depth and richness that humans do. It is not the case that they have primitive, rudimentary emotions. No, not at all; their emotions are equal, and it would seem to me, when it comes to love and trust, very often greater than that of man. When hominids evolved a large brain, that meant that these emotions were displaced and distorted by the intellect, and the original purity (which can also be seen in very young children) lost. This book independently says what I also know, "that wild and domestic species have a kaleidoscopic range of feelings, from embarrassment to awe". Again, this pretty much demolishes the entire psycho-socio developmental-evolutionary worldview with its anthropocentric perspective (For example even Integral Ecology, which seeks to break with the old reductionistic worldview by acknowledging the inner life of animals, still is tied to Wilber's more linear model, which emphasises the cognitive and linguistic superiority of humans, but ignores the emotional and hear-centered superioty of animals). Instead of a single line, spiritual evolution should be seen as a bush, with non-human animals evolving equally but parallel to human animals (i.e., us).
Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals - Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce
Almost all religions, esoteric philosophies, perennialism, secular integral philosophy, and all other systems of human thought which are dominated by the anthropocentric perspective (which means 99.999%) all assert that only human beings are capable of moral thought and action. This book disproves that, and in a stroke demolishes the entire exoteric and esoteric religious and secular anthropocentric edifice.
From an editorial review:
"...this book presents studies of rats refusing to obtain food if it means hurting another rat; the care given by chimpanzees to a chimp stricken by cerebral palsy; and comfort offered to grieving elephants by members of the same herd. The authors contend that, in order to understand the moral compass by which animals live, we must first expand our definition of morality to include moral behavior unique to each species."
I have to admit, the title is ironic, the subject of the book is the exact opposite of what the phrase invokes, which shows how deeply ingrained speciesist biases are.
Animals Matter: A Biologist Explains Why We Should Treat Animals with Compassion and Respect - follow-up to The Emotional Lives of Animals, applying those insights to a more general argument for responsible behavior toward animals of all kinds. Also refutes the charge that those who oppose animal exploitation sometimes are unscientific and uninformed. Instead, argues that a scientifically informed understanding supports animal liberation.
Minding Animals: Awareness, Emotions, and Heart - about the rich inner life and consciousness of animals. Covers animal cognition, intelligence, emotional lives, behavior, play and cooperation, and human intrusion into animals' lives.
Comprehensive list of books, and descriptions/reviews of each (at Marc Bekoff home page)
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Marc Bekoff: Biography & Resources - at EnlightenNext
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