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Richmond Times-Dispatch The joy of life isn't restricted to people PLEASURABLE KINGDOM: ANIMALS AND THE NATURE OF FEELING GOOD by Jonathan Balcombe, 274 pages, Macmillan, $24.95 REVIEW BY JAY STRAFFORD, TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER A Chihuahua grooms his stuffed hedgehog toy. Four feral kittens romp together and then sleep cuddled on the lawn. Two lovebirds are never more than inches apart. Anyone who has ever witnessed such a scene — or countless others involving animals wild or domestic — is certain that they, like that allegedly superior species, Homo sapiens, want to have fun. Enter Jonathan Balcombe, an animal-behavior research scientist for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. In Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good, he offers scientific and anecdotal evidence that our companions on the planet like to enjoy themselves. Balcombe tackles a number of issues, including play, food, sex, touch, love, humor, music and aesthetics. In each case, he shares numerous touching and revealing stories about all kinds of animals, not just our traditional domestic pals, dogs and cats. And although he depends mightily on his own lengthy observations, he also quotes from the works of numerous others to bolster his case. In the end, the reader is reminded of these lines of poet Wendell Berry: "I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief." If people enjoy pleasure and shun pain, why should it be so strange that other animals do, too? In this charming and persuasive book, Balcombe makes that case with eloquence and passion. And in so doing, he makes a larger point: "To the extent we recognize other animals as being capable of feeling pleasure and joy, and pain and suffering, we also assume some moral responsibility to treat them accordingly. It is sentience — not language, architecture, or a proficiency with chess openings — that crucially qualifies an individual for moral protection." Animals are not necessarily lesser beings, and they deserve not only our love but also our respect; the danger is that Balcombe may be preaching to the choir and that nonbelievers will continue to scoff. But if this book changes just one person's outlook, Balcombe will score a solid success. Contact staff writer Jay Strafford at jstrafford@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6698. August 20, 2006
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