Raising the Peaceable Kingdom: What Animals Can Teach Us About the Social Origins of Tolerance and Friendship
by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
Published by Ballantine Books
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Reviewed by Andrea Sisco
Masson, a resident of Auckland, New Zealand, was interested in learning the essential ingredients in interspecies friendship. His idea was to raise a puppy, bunny, chick and a baby rat together to see if they could get along with each other but also grow an authentic friendship. He hoped that there might be, in his experiment, some lessons for human beings to learn about getting along with each other.
Masson ended up with seven animals: one puppy, one bunny, two rats, one kitten and two chicks. The animals were absorbed into the family and observed. Initially the results were mixed with the adjustment being the easiest on the rats. Soon the chickens began their exploration of the Masson home and contact with the author. As in life, there were accidents and scares. Hohepa, the rabbit suffered an injury that easily could have resulted in death -- and the rats disappeared one day. They were eventually found in the bathroom wall but Masson noted that while they seemed to enjoy human contact, they preferred the freedom to wander at will.
As the experiment continued it was interesting to see what happened with the relationships between the animals -- and between the animals and the human beings in their lives.
Armchair Interviews says: Raising the Peaceable Kingdom is an extremely interesting, unique and entertaining look at the world of animals and how they behave. Most readers will ponder the results and wonder, what if?