A worthwhile, but mildly disappointing book on animal behavior and intelligence. The author, Temple Grandin, an animal behaviorist with autism, describes the potential cognitive similarities between autistic people and animals. Grandin does a serviceable job of not forcing any parallels. She approaches the subject matter in a sort of educational-textbook-crossed-with-personal-essay structure that is simple to get through – almost boringly so. Grandin successfully and frequently cites a wide variety of scientific research to support her theories, only to juxtapose the research with anecdotes about the behavior of her friends’ pets or her own arbitrary feelings as an autistic person. Her technique of blending data with personal experience is likely intended, but I felt it reduced the credibility of her assertions and was just downright distracting (“the research showed this…but my aunt’s dog does this and I think this…”).