The Exultant Ark

"It is rare to find a scientist writing with such delight about, of all things, joy in the animal world! I have rarely experienced such pleasure in reading a book. I recommend it to all animal lovers, and even challenge a few skeptics, whose minds may be changed by this extraordinary work."--Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author of When Elephants Weep

"The Exultant Ark brilliantly and definitively demonstrates what pet owners have always known but what certain scientists still question, that animals think, feel, and have emotions, often pleasurable ones. It's a must-read for anyone with even the slightest interest in the truths of the natural world. I couldn't put it down!"--Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of Deer and The Hidden Life of Dogs

"There is no question that the whales experience pleasure when they sing, that the wolf enjoys howling at the moon, that lion cubs enjoy wrestling with each other. I love books like this, that challenge the rigidity of human prejudices, that open our minds to other realities and revolutionary perspectives, that question both our collective ignorance and our arrogance as humans."--Captain Paul Watson, Founder and President, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

"The Exultant Ark bubbles over with joy. Its important words and moving photographs offer powerful proof of what we knew was true all along: the pleasure of animals is vividly real and matters deeply--both to the animals who experience it, and to we humans who are privileged to share their happiness. Rejoice!"--Sy Montgomery, author of The Good Good Pig and Birdology

Jonathan Balcombe is Department Chair for Animal Studies with Humane Society University. His books include Second Nature: The Inner Lives of Animals and Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good. Dr. Balcombe is also a popular environmental conference and keynote speaker.