Companion

Name: Companion
ISBN: 9787532789535

阿伊莎·阿赫塔 / 小庄Shanghai Translation Publishing House · ChinaJun 2023

4.0

Word count: 174K words
Chapters: 15
ISBN: 9787532789535

Report an error Find this book

Summary

What happens when we form or break our bonds with animals? How is the human nervous system wired for empathy with animals? And how does violence against animals violate our nature? Dr. Akhtar, an expert in animal ethics and neuroscience, studies the relationship between humans and animals, and how empathy for animals enriches humans themselves.

Editor's review

This book examines the seemingly soft topic of "human-animal empathy" through the intersecting lenses of neuroscience and ethics. Rather than appealing to sentiment, the author asks how the human nervous system is "designed" for empathy, and why violence against animals is in some sense contrary to human nature. This mechanism-based approach gives the discussion of animal ethics empirical grounding, and helps readers understand that empathy is not mere moral preaching but a capacity tied to human well-being. Blending clinical observation with personal experience, the narrative is both professional and readable, suitable for calibrating one's stance on animal issues: neither sliding into emotionalism nor retreating into cold speciesism. Pay attention to how the author connects laboratory evidence with ethical judgment—this is where the book shows its greatest strength.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers concerned with animal welfare and animal ethics who seek scientific evidence
General readers interested in neuroscience, psychology, and the mechanisms of empathy
Students and practitioners in medicine, bioethics, or the social sciences
Thinkers who want to reflect on anthropocentrism and broaden their moral horizons

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting pure animal-behavior anecdotes or pet-care guides
Academic readers seeking a systematic philosophical treatise on animal rights
Readers impatient with neuroscience terminology and clinical case narratives

Reading tips

Read the chapters on the neural mechanisms of empathy first to establish a scientific framework before entering the ethical discussion
When reading clinical cases, note your own intuitive reactions and compare them with the author's arguments
Read alongside introductory works on animal ethics or the psychology of empathy for mutual enrichment
After each chapter, summarize the author's core argument in one sentence to test your understanding

About the publisher

Shanghai Translation Publishing House China · Founded in 1978

Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a Chinese publisher oriented mainly toward translation and publishing. Its publications cover foreign literature, world classics and classic works, as well as social culture, folk literature and classical poetry. The database contains 2,618 titles, including Never Let Me Go, Les Misérables (2 volumes), Don Quixote (illustrated collector's edition), The Complete Comedies of Molière (4 volumes), The Complete Novels of Kafka (3 volumes), The Collected Works of Dostoevsky (9-volume set), Reason and Persons, and Oedipus Rex (Translation Classics). Its author resources include foreign writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Victor Hugo, Cervantes and Molière, as well as translators such as Zheng Kelu, Sun Jiameng, Li Jianwu and Zhang Kun. The publisher has brands such as "Translation Classics Selections" and "Translation Documentary," and emphasizes translated works in foreign literature and the humanities and social sciences, while also publishing bilingual dictionaries and foreign-language educational books. Public information is limited; the above is based on the book information in the database.

版权信息
前言
序言
第一部与动物同愈
第一章何以为家？
第二章寻找我们的发声
第三章人性化我们自己
第二部与动物分界
第四章制造一个谋杀犯
第五章动物而已
第六章我们和动物一起受伤了吗？
第三部与动物同行
第七章和动物站在一起
第八章朋友们
后记

FAQ

Is this book about animal rights or neuroscience?

Both, but its focus is where the two intersect. The author uses neuroscience and clinical research to explain the mechanisms of human empathy, then discusses ethical issues in human-animal relations on that basis. It is neither an animal rights manifesto nor a pure neuroscience textbook, but interdisciplinary writing that supports ethical thinking with scientific evidence.

Can I understand it without a professional background?

Yes. The author writes for general readers, developing technical concepts through cases rather than relying on formulas or experimental details. When encountering neuroscience terminology, slow down and read the surrounding context. The real barrier is not knowledge but whether you are willing to have your existing views on species challenged.

Does the book only dwell on warmth and avoid the violence animals suffer?

Not at all. The author explicitly discusses violence against animals and its relationship to human nature, with a critical awareness of the problem. But her approach is to analyze it at the level of mechanism and ethics rather than to sensationalize suffering. Readers should be prepared for serious and even uncomfortable content—this is precisely the book's value.

What further reflection is best suited after reading?

You can revisit your own daily animal-related consumption and habits, distinguishing which behaviors stem from ignorance and which from convenience. You might also read introductory works on animal ethics and empathy research, placing the scientific perspective this book offers within a more complete framework of discussion.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

阿伊莎·阿赫塔 Author

Aisha Akhtar is an author included in this Chinese book database, but public information about her is limited: her nationality, dates of birth and death, and full career details are not clearly recorded. Only one work by her is held in the database, titled Companion (Bansheng), which is classified under social sciences. On the available evidence, this work is the main entry point for understanding the author. Its subject matter leans toward social-science issues and may concern mutual dependence between people and others, people and their environment, or social relations, though the specific content and approach should be judged from the book itself. Because biographical background and creative context are lacking, this note makes no further inferences about her education, professional identity, or writing style. Readers who wish to learn more about the author should consult the text of Companion and related publishing information, paying attention to its central questions and argumentation.

小庄 Author

Xiao Zhuang is a relatively new author who may be unfamiliar to domestic readers; publicly available information is limited, and no clear record exists of nationality, dates of birth and death, or an English name. The library currently holds two of the author's works, The Demon in the Freezer and Symbiosis, both categorized under foreign literature and social sciences. Judging from these two works, Xiao Zhuang's writing moves between literary narrative and social issues, using concrete scenes and human relationships to approach more abstract reflections, with a restrained and speculative tone. The Demon in the Freezer appears, from its title, to carry a suspenseful or metaphorical air, while Symbiosis comes closer to exploring the shared conditions of human coexistence. The considerable gap between the two subjects suggests an author unwilling to stay within a single genre, seeking instead a crossroads between literary expression and social-science concerns. Because verifiable background information is scarce, the full picture of this author's work awaits more titles and materials, and readers may wish to judge from the texts themselves.