Weaving history, literature, anecdotes, scientific studies, and Masson's own vivid experiences observing pigs, cows, sheep, goats, and chickens over the course of five years, this book at last gives voice, meaning, and dignity to these gentle beasts that are bred to be milked, shorn, butchered, and eaten. Can we ever know what makes an animal happy? Many animal behaviorists say no. But Jeffrey Masson has a different view: Animals are happy if they can live according to their own nature. Farm animals suffer greatly in this regard. Chickens, for instance, like to perch in trees at night, to avoid predators and to nestle with friends. The obvious conclusion: They cannot be happy when confined six to a cage.From field and barn to pen and coop, Masson bears witness to the emotions and intelligence of these remarkable farm animals, each one with distinct qualities. Curious, intelligent, self-reliant - many will find it hard to believe that these attributes describe a pig. In fact, there is much that humans share with pigs. Pigs dream, know their names, and can see colors. Mother cows mourn the loss of their calves when their babies are taken away to slaughter. Given a choice between food that is nutritious or food lacking in minerals, sheep will select the former, balancing their diet and correcting any deficiency. Goats display quite a sense of humor, dignity, and fearlessness (Indian goats have been known to kill leopards). Chickens are naturally sociable - they will gather around a human companion and stand there serenely preening themselves or sit quietly on the ground beside someone they trust.For far too long farm animals have been denigrated and treated merely as creatures of instinct rather than as sentient beings. Shattering the abhorrent myth of the "dumb animal without feelings," Jeffrey Masson has written a book that is sure to stir human emotions far and wide. Read Less