Archives for June 2011

By Digby
Tall Tail Books, 130 pages

Tagged as a sure winner for a prize in the Biography category at the upcoming Feline Fiction Fest (14-17 Karpos), this book tells the moving story of Albert, a Cat who was abandoned by his Human protector and forced to live on the streets outside The Park.

As told by his friend, Digby, Albert evolves from a mean-spirited to an affectionate, trusting specimen of Felinity until the fateful night when he is struck by a car and left to die by the side of the road. Digby’s book, then, becomes not only a poignant memoir of a unique friendship, but an indictment of the world outside The Park.

© The Mammalian Daily
Reprinted with permission from Issue 114, Spring 25 AZ

Me and My Shadow: A Groundhog’s Memoirs
Nigel T. Groundhog
Birch Bark Books, 200 pages

‘Tis the season, as they say, and all manner of books about Groundhogs have been popping up all over The Park. While few of them are worthy of a second reading, this volume rates among the finest of Animal memoirs.

Although he tries to portray himself as “Everygroundhog,” the author harkens from a family of some stature.  Late in life, his maternal great-grandfather was selected as The Park’s Prognosticator of Spring and, more recently, the author’s father served two terms as a Park Archon before succumbing to old age.

This is not a book about family pride, though.  It is a deeply-felt and honestly-written portrayal of the trials of Animal migration, of the pain and loneliness of specism, and of the exquisite joy of success and acceptance after many years of frustration. In a Beaverlike fashion, the author gnaws away at Groundhog stereotypes and lays bare for us the burden that is borne by the prescient mammal.

Amid the recent controversies surrounding Groundhog selection in The Park, the one bright spot has been the integrity of our resident Groundhogs.  When called upon to serve, they have accepted their role with humility and have risen to the occasion with aplomb.   This book is a testament to the fact that they are no exception within their species. And, happily, this dignified and trustworthy group has been well-served both by this book and by its noble author.

© The Mammalian Daily
Reprinted with permission from Issue 113, Winter 25 AZ

By Pieter N. Paard
Birch Bark Books, 450 pages

“L’histoire d’animaux est l’histoire du subjugation,” declared renowned historian, Angelique Blaireau, in La science de l’esclavage, her groundbreaking work on the history of Animal domestication. Now in its eighth printing, Blaireau’s study of the “science of slavery” has inspired a new generation of Animals to examine its history and to challenge our assumptions about Animal life.

From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Pack Animals picks up where Blaireau left off: in the Peruvian highlands, where Llamas continue to “work” for Humans, as they have done for 5,000 years. From there, author Pieter N. Paard takes us on a whirlwind tour of the world – on the backs of our brethren – and prods us toward a redefinition of slavery and freedom.

Though its title implies otherwise, this book is not a “history,” per se. Instead, Paard uses historical content as the foundation upon which to pose a number of philosophical, moral, and political questions. Chief among these, of course, is the question of what constitutes “true” freedom. Paard uses the example of the team of 20 Mules that hauled borax out of the mining areas in Death Valley. The fact of the Mules’ post-retirement status as celebrities and their subsequent appearances at special events begs the question: is this freedom, or just another form of slavery imposed by those massive, two-footed beasts?

Although it offers no definitive answers to the questions it poses, From Slavery to Freedom serves as a springboard for further discussion of a topic that is very much on our minds as we prepare to celebrate a quarter-century of zoocracy in The Park.

© The Mammalian Daily
Reprinted with permission from Issue 112, Autumn 24 AZ

Foreword by Jor
Birch Bark Books, 100 pages

An ancient political treatise by an unknown author, Principles of Anticipatory Zoocracy is the book to which we all owe our freedom and prosperity. This new, soft-shell edition from Birch Bark Books includes a special foreword that was written by Jor just before his death in 14 AZ.

The most important political document in our possession, this treatise laid the foundation for what we now know as Animal self-government. It should be on everyone’s reading list.

© The Mammalian Daily
Reprinted with permission from Issue 112, Autumn 24 AZ

By Gustavus Duif
Blue Macaw Books, 600 pages

Translated as “In Search of Lost Bread,” Duif’s lengthy novel tells the tale of an unnamed Pigeon’s journey home across the entire North American continent.

Having flown a great distance on a mission direct by Humans, our protagonist finds himself feeling lost and alone. During the course of his return expedition, his memory of past times and “lost bread” is evoked by a random series of sights, sounds, and smells. As he remembers more and more about his journey, the “truth” and “purity” of his experiences in flight become clear to him and his place in the world seems more secure. The lost Pigeon, like the lost bread, is found again in the beauty of flight and in the experience of returning home.

While À la recherche du pain perdu is not a suitable novel for novices, experienced readers of all species will find that it has much to commend it.

© The Mammalian Daily
Reprinted with permission from Issue 111, Summer 24 AZ

Heroic News Items from The Mammalian Daily
Mammalian Daily Press, 100 pages

Anyone familiar with The Mammalian Daily remembers these popular columns that ran monthly for almost five years. Now, in hard-shell, The Mammalian Daily has re-printed them for your renewed enjoyment.

Remember the Polar Bears’ heroic struggle with the snowless Winter? The Giraffe who got his head stuck in the ceiling of the Dupers’ General Store? The Humans who tried to grow their Shrimp in cans? They’re all here to amaze you, to entertain you, and to intrigue you.

You won’t be able to put this book down. But, perhaps, when you’re finished reading it, you should write a letter in support of bringing back the column.

Now, that would be duperous!

© The Mammalian Daily
Reprinted with permission from Issue 111, Summer 24 AZ

By Bartholomew El Perdiguero
Birch Bark Books, 400 pages

While any book on retrieving would be welcome in The Park, this volume is certain to appeal to those for whom the sport has become a way of life.

Rich in lore, as well as in fact, this commemorative tome also includes a handy “how-to” section for beginners, pictures of Champions in Action for voyeurs, a glossary of retrieving terms, and a separate chapter on water retrieving.

Beautifully bound and brimming with photographs, this book is a true celebration of retrieving and will make a wonderful gift for any species.

© The Mammalian Daily
Reprinted with permission from Issue 111, Summer 24 AZ

By Berthilidis Strix, M.D. and Cornelia Panthera, Ph.Zo.
Lemon-Yellow Press, 250 pages

Deep in the recesses of our subconscious, according to veteran psychoanalyst, Dr. Berthilidis Strix, lies a force that she calls “the silent cluck.” The process of isolating one’s own “cluck” is the subject of this book, which Dr. Strix has written in collaboration with her esteemed colleague, Dr. Cornelia Panthera.

The premise on which their book is based is that this force, which is as individual as we are, is responsible for the choices we make throughout our lives. That fact (if, indeed, it is a fact) renders locating our “cluck” essential, if we are to feel that we exercise control in our lives.

But, why a “cluck?”

Dr. Panthera, a noted zoologist, is among those who believe that we all start life as a Chicken. Our process of maturation, as she explains in the book’s preface, is one of “breaking out of the egg,” both literally and metaphorically.

But, even when we are successful and achieve full maturity, say Drs. Strix and Panthera, we are still subject to the longings of that holdover from our earliest days, our “silent cluck.”

“It is not unusual,” writes Dr. Strix, “for the largest of Lions or for the smallest of Snails, to want to revert to the eggshell. It is, perhaps, at our lowest moments in life that we find our cluck is calling us, and we must listen to it.”

Whether or not you believe in the Chicken Theory, this book will bring your deepest desires and disappointments into focus.

© The Mammalian Daily
Reprinted with permission from Issue 110, Spring 24 AZ