BEASTS What Animals Can Teach Us About the Origins of Good and Evil

If the argument of this audiobook sounds gloomy, even misanthropic, the warmth of Edoardo Ballerini's narration quickly dispels that impression. Masson, a longtime animal rights advocate, describes how the one quality that separates humans from other animals is our "singular capacity for violence." While we characterize sharks, wolves, and orcas as ruthless killers, Masson builds a compelling case that humans are the real "beasts" of the animal kingdom. Even if you don't accept all of Masson's conclusions (and his science is perhaps not as rigorous as his philosophy), his profound wisdom and lucid prose, conveyed through Ballerini's gentle but authoritative reading, will quickly draw in even the most skeptical listener. D.B. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2014]