Super Eco

Photo credit: white lion, SXC

It's events like the recent death of a Sea World trainer who was drowned by a killer whale that make me doubt whether animals and humans really belong together. Even the casual observer can see that it's neither humane nor safe to keep oceangoing animals unnaturally confined for our entertainment. But how does this idea trickle down to, say, pets? When should humans leave well enough alone? Are pets and people a mix?

According to a new book from documentary writer Meg Daley Olmert, animals and people are in fact Made for Each Other. "The face that wolves stopped stalking us and we took them into our caves proved to be a miraculous leap of faith that changed our world forever," she writes. Her theories are far from sentimental. Drawing on behavioral psychology, neuroscience, anthropology and more, Olmert delves into how this bond developed in the first place and questions what happens when these ties are cut.

"Contrary to the romantic myth, these stunning emotional and therapeutic effects are not the product of our pet's 'unconditional love' for us," she writes. "The research described in this book pulls back that sentimental curtain to reveal the very real and even more wondrous science behind it—the physiological reality of why animals can love us, why we can love them, and why that love is so good for everyone it touches."