Book : The Secret Life Of Cows - Young, Rosamund

-Titulo Original : The Secret Life Of Cows

-Fabricante :

Penguin Books

-Descripcion Original:

Within a day of receiving this book, I had consumed it... Absorbing, moving, and compulsively readable.-Lydia DavisIn this affectionate, heart-warming chronicle, Rosamund Young distills a lifetime of organic farming wisdom, describing the surprising personalities of her cows and other animals At her famous Kites Nest Farm in Worcestershire, England, the cows (as well as sheep, hens, and pigs) all roam free. They make their own choices about rearing, grazing, and housing. Left to be themselves, the cows exhibit temperaments and interests as diverse as our own. Fat Hat prefers men to women; Chippy Minton refuses to sleep with muddy legs and always reports to the barn for grooming before bed; Jake has a thing for sniffing the carbon monoxide fumes of the Land Rover exhaust pipe; and Gemima greets all humans with an angry shake of the head and is fiercely independent. An organic farmer for decades, Young has an unaffected and homely voice. Her prose brims with genuine devotion to the wellbeing of animals. Most of us never apprehend the various inner lives animals possess, least of all those that we might eat. But Young has spent countless hours observing how these creatures love, play games, and form life-long friendships. She imparts hard-won wisdom about the both moral and real-world benefits of organic farming. (If preserving the dignity of animals isnt a good enough reason for you, consider how badly factory farming stunts the growth of animals, producing unhealthy and tasteless food.) This gorgeously-illustrated book, which includes an original introduction by the legendary British playwright Alan Bennett, is the summation of a lifes work, and a delightful and moving tribute to the deep richness of animal sentience. Review “Clever… [Young] affectionately details veterinary crises, inter-bovine bonds, and the quirks of Ditch-Hog, Charolais Charlotte, and other residents of her family’s farm, in Worcestershire. She makes a passionate case against high-yield farming and in favor of a personalized approach.” - The New Yorker “This little book is a charmer.” - People Magazine “Rosamund Young’s The Secret Life of Cows deserves its sudden reputation as a first-hand account of unutterable charm… Young describes her own work as simply a string of anecdotes and observations grouped around certain themes (example: ‘Bovine friendships are seldom casual’), but the musings reveal things far more profound… The extraordinary sensitivity she exhibits towards their idiosyncrasies puts our understanding of the minds of cattle onto a completely different plane-an anecdotal accompaniment to the scientific work that scientists like Temple Grandin have already done… Young’s personal approach gets the message across gently, but no less urgently. Spending a few hours in their company…will certainly teach you a loving lesson about animal dignity, and the value of kindness.” -Vogue “ The Secret Life of Cows succeeds in showing that cows are thoughtful beings with individual personalities… There’s great insight, too, born of long experience.” -NPR.org “Young’s animal stories are truly charming and quietly convincing of the great value of a more natural form of farming.” - Booklist Reflecting on over 30 years as a cattle farmer in Worcestershire, England, Young muses on her herd members’ inner lives and shares best practices for keeping them happy and healthy... Contemplative and idyllic... Young’s assertion that all animals are individuals is certainly supported by these entertaining and tender stories. - Publishers Weekly “A lovely, thoughtful little book about the intelligence of cows.” -James Rebanks, New York Times bestselling author of The Shepherds Life “Within a day of receiving this book, I had consumed it. It is engrossing and informative, full of charming stories as it makes the case for regarding animals as differentiated individuals... An absorbing, moving, and co