The emperor's embrace : reflections on animal families and fatherhood / Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Masson, J. Moussaieff (Jeffrey Moussaieff), 1941-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Parental behavior in animals.

Physical Description:

xiv, 253 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Pocket Books, 1999.

Summary:

Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson's "marvelous" (Jane Goodall) New York Times bestseller, When Elephants Weep, made us re-evaluate the emotional lives of animals. And in his follow-up New York Times bestseller, Dogs Never Lie About Love, Masson reflected with "intelligence and originality" (Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review) on the emotional world of dogs. Now, in The Emperor's Embrace, Masson offers a remarkable look at one of the most fulfilling roles in the animal world: fatherhood.

With fascinating insight, impeccable research, and captivating writing, controversial psychoanalyst Jeffrey Masson, a new father himself, introduces us to the world's best dads. He takes us to such places as Antarctica, as he explores how emperor penguin fathers incubate the eggs of their young by carrying them around on their feet for two months, nestled beneath a special brood pouch. And he tells us how, once the babies hatch, the fathers snuggle the babies on their feet until the mother returns from her time at sea, feeding them a special milk-like substance until her arrival.

Masson also examines nature's worst fathers: lions, langurs, bears--and humans. He shows that when a father does care for his young, as with the beaver, we immediately look for a biological and not an emotional explanation. But Masson demonstrates that for these animals, as with humans, fatherhood is a profound, all-encompassing experience.

Groundbreaking, compelling, inspirational, Masson's unique look at one of nature's most venerable institutions takes us to animal habitats around the world, yet always returns to the heart. For animal lovers, fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters everywhere, The Emperor's Embrace is a book that will forever change our perceptions of parenthood and family love.

Contents:

Chapter 1 The Emperor's Embrace 13

Chapter 2 Wolves Make Good Fathers; Dogs Don't 37

Chapter 3 Fine Fathers: Fish, Frogs, and Horses of the Sea 56

Chapter 4 Dangerous Fathers: Lions, Langurs, and Bears 78

Chapter 5 Birds and Marmosets and Monogamy 106

Chapter 6 Are You Sure He's Yours? Who Cares about Paternity Certainty? 147

Chapter 7 Playful Prairie Dog Fathers 165

Chapter 8 Leaving the Nest 185.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0671020838

OCLC:

42389630