Many people are blessed to share their living and recreational spaces with a wide variety of nonhuman animals (animals). Common and attractive animals often are the ones who attract our attention. However, other creatures, a wide variety of wild neighbors, also can gain our attention and serve to bring people together, especially when we pay attention to who they are and their inherent beauty. For these and other reasons, I found Dr. Kendra Coulter's new book, The Tortoise Tale, to be an eye-opening read. In her lovely story, Kendra shows how "A century of American history unfolds through the eyes of a giant tortoise with a heightened awareness for live music, the location of edible flowers, and the nuances of human behavior." Here's what she had to say about her whimsically profound exploration of humanity’s entangled journey.

Marc Bekoff: Why did you write The........

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