Perfect Harmony: Human Animal Companions

Author: (USA) Carlos
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: Do you know what the first animal humans domesticated is? Do you know how dogs transformed from fierce killers into gentle companions? Do you know how animals became cultural icons for humans? Do you know that slavery was a system where humans tried to domesticate each other? Do you know how domesticating animals has contributed to civilization? Let The Perfect Harmony tell you the answers! One Earth, two peoples, humans and their animal companions! This book reveals the trajectory of animals in shaping human history from the perspectives of history, mythology, and legend. These animals coexist harmoniously with humans, living with them day and night. Readers can glimpse the intimate relationship between humans and animals through this book. It is a fascinating and enriching read. Reading this book allows us to gain a deeper understanding of history, humanity itself, and all other creatures on Earth who are also children of the Earth. – Publishers Weekly
In this book, the author provides a fresh perspective. It is a classic work that combines humanistic history, natural history, sociology, and philosophy. – Chicago Tribune
The Perfect Harmony explores two interconnected themes: animals and the history of humans. The book is divided into 25 chapters, discussing how animals and humans developed long-term relationships, humanity's increasing reliance on animals, and how animals have assisted in the evolution of human culture. In the book, readers can see how dogs, horses, pigs, cows, sheep, rabbits, cats, chickens, and even fish, silkworms, and bees gradually moved from the wild into pens, intertwining their myths, histories, and human evolution. Throughout human evolution, animals have played such a crucial role! They have promoted human evolution, helped humans develop, and aided human survival. For example, goats and sheep, as some of the earliest domesticated animals, have kept humans warm with their fur, nourished them with their milk, satisfied them with their bones and meat, and even used their bodies as currency for the earliest primitive commercial transactions. The original diversity of various animals gradually revolved around a central point: meeting human needs.
The Perfect Harmony is permeated with reflections on how humans and animals should establish a relationship. The author argues that humans should understand the natural needs of animals and provide what they need, as this is the best way to ensure the survival of human life. Therefore, although the book is titled The Perfect Harmony, it is actually filled with descriptions of the current disharmony between humans and animals, or an "imperfect harmony." The call for "perfect harmony" and the establishment of an equal "partnership" between humans and animals is the true purpose of the author's writing this book.
Animals, like humans, are another people on this Earth. They are irreplaceable companions to humans. So, let us care for animals, view them with an equal heart, and not so actively isolate ourselves. When the entire human race no longer feels like the only people on this planet, when they truly regard animals as partners, individuals can break free from the torment of loneliness.