Because the Cat Purrs
How We Relate to Other Species and Why It Matters
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Because the Cat Purrs
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Celeste Lawson
-
By:
-
Janet Lembke
About this listen
We share our lives, for better or worse, with a multitude of animals: white-tailed deer and white-tailed eagles, hens and wrens, frogs and guppies, and, last but hardly least, bugs and bacteria. For the most part, we drift along separately, with neither man nor animal affecting the other's way of life. Sometimes, however, we fall in love - as in the case of the cat in the title - or otherwise encounter our animal neighbors in ways that change both of us. Lembke challenges her listeners to consider the idea that all creatures are conscious, with the ability to make choices, exercise awareness, and seek pleasure while shunning pain.
Rarely has a book of natural history covered such a broad range of subjects, from the everyday bargains we make with our pets and other domestic creatures to descriptions of bungee-cord snail sex and the purpose of a honeybee's sting. Lembke explores the evolution of her subjects, and draws on literature and myth to paint gorgeous, wide-ranging portraits of everyday (and more unusual) encounters, such as that of a gardener and a groundhog, or a chicken egg and Augustus Caesar's wife. This is a sensitive and timely appraisal of how we treat the creatures we share our planet with - and how we ought to. It is a book that no lover of intelligent writing about the natural world will want to miss.
©2008 Janet Lembke (P)2012 Audible, Inc.Editorial reviews
Janet Lembke's essays are part poetry, part psychological investigation, and part love letter. Lembke's treatise on animals explores the companionship and affinity so many of us experience with our non-human friends. These anecdotes range from the historical to the scientific, all of them angling toward the importance of this interspecies relationship. Celeste Lawson's performance of Lembke's work is light and accessible. Her gentle tone accentuates the compassion that fills Lembke's words.
Related to this topic
-
My Big TOE: Awakening
- Book One of a Trilogy Unifying Philosophy, Physics, and Metaphysics
- By: Thomas Campbell
- Narrated by: Thomas Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 488
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 421
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 416
My Big TOE: Awakening, written by a nuclear physicist in the language of contemporary culture, unifies science and philosophy, physics and metaphysics, mind and matter, purpose and meaning, the normal and the paranormal. The entirety of human experience (mind, body, and spirit) including both our objective and subjective worlds is brought together under one seamless scientific understanding.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
What a Trip (but to where?)
- By Michael on 11-26-13
By: Thomas Campbell
-
The Selfish Gene
- By: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,929
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,544
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,466
Richard Dawkins' brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it. His theories have helped change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands to rethink their beliefs about life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Better than print!
- By J. D. May on 07-31-12
By: Richard Dawkins
-
How the Earth Works
- By: Michael E. Wysession, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Michael E. Wysession
- Length: 24 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,723
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,505
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,487
How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent course
- By Doug B. on 05-23-19
By: Michael E. Wysession, and others
-
Chemistry and Our Universe
- How It All Works
- By: Ron B. Davis, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ron B. Davis
- Length: 30 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 519
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 411
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 407
Chemistry and Our Universe: How It All Works is your in-depth introduction to this vital field, taught through 60 engaging half-hour lectures that are suitable for any background or none at all. Covering a year’s worth of introductory general chemistry at the college level, plus intriguing topics that are rarely discussed in the classroom, this amazingly comprehensive course requires nothing more advanced than high-school math. Your guide is Professor Ron B. Davis, Jr., a research chemist and award-winning teacher at Georgetown University.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great Professor, Hard to Follow.
- By Jen on 05-14-19
By: Ron B. Davis, and others
-
Letters from an Astrophysicist
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Vikas Adam, Piper Goodeve, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,132
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,842
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,824
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has attracted one of the world’s largest online followings with his fascinating, widely accessible insights into science and our universe. Now, Tyson invites us to go behind the scenes of his public fame by unveiling his candid correspondence with people across the globe who have sought him out in search of answers. In this hand-picked collection of 100 letters, Tyson draws upon cosmic perspectives to address a vast array of questions about science, faith, philosophy, life, and of course, Pluto.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Dear Neil...
- By Tina G. on 10-14-19
-
Brain Energy
- A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health—and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
- By: Christopher M. Palmer MD
- Narrated by: Christopher M. Palmer MD
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,153
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,009
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,005
We are in the midst of a global mental health crisis, and mental illnesses are on the rise. But what causes mental illness? And why are mental health problems so hard to treat? Drawing on decades of research, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer outlines a revolutionary new understanding that for the first time unites our existing knowledge about mental illness within a single framework: mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain. Brain Energy will transform the field of mental health, and the lives of countless people around the world.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Arguing brain health theory to medical profession
- By Maya H Saric on 03-10-23
-
My Big TOE: Awakening
- Book One of a Trilogy Unifying Philosophy, Physics, and Metaphysics
- By: Thomas Campbell
- Narrated by: Thomas Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 488
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 421
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 416
My Big TOE: Awakening, written by a nuclear physicist in the language of contemporary culture, unifies science and philosophy, physics and metaphysics, mind and matter, purpose and meaning, the normal and the paranormal. The entirety of human experience (mind, body, and spirit) including both our objective and subjective worlds is brought together under one seamless scientific understanding.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
What a Trip (but to where?)
- By Michael on 11-26-13
By: Thomas Campbell
-
The Selfish Gene
- By: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,929
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,544
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,466
Richard Dawkins' brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it. His theories have helped change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands to rethink their beliefs about life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Better than print!
- By J. D. May on 07-31-12
By: Richard Dawkins
-
How the Earth Works
- By: Michael E. Wysession, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Michael E. Wysession
- Length: 24 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,723
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,505
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,487
How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent course
- By Doug B. on 05-23-19
By: Michael E. Wysession, and others
-
Chemistry and Our Universe
- How It All Works
- By: Ron B. Davis, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ron B. Davis
- Length: 30 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 519
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 411
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 407
Chemistry and Our Universe: How It All Works is your in-depth introduction to this vital field, taught through 60 engaging half-hour lectures that are suitable for any background or none at all. Covering a year’s worth of introductory general chemistry at the college level, plus intriguing topics that are rarely discussed in the classroom, this amazingly comprehensive course requires nothing more advanced than high-school math. Your guide is Professor Ron B. Davis, Jr., a research chemist and award-winning teacher at Georgetown University.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great Professor, Hard to Follow.
- By Jen on 05-14-19
By: Ron B. Davis, and others
-
Letters from an Astrophysicist
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Vikas Adam, Piper Goodeve, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,132
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,842
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,824
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has attracted one of the world’s largest online followings with his fascinating, widely accessible insights into science and our universe. Now, Tyson invites us to go behind the scenes of his public fame by unveiling his candid correspondence with people across the globe who have sought him out in search of answers. In this hand-picked collection of 100 letters, Tyson draws upon cosmic perspectives to address a vast array of questions about science, faith, philosophy, life, and of course, Pluto.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Dear Neil...
- By Tina G. on 10-14-19
-
Brain Energy
- A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health—and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
- By: Christopher M. Palmer MD
- Narrated by: Christopher M. Palmer MD
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,153
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,009
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,005
We are in the midst of a global mental health crisis, and mental illnesses are on the rise. But what causes mental illness? And why are mental health problems so hard to treat? Drawing on decades of research, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer outlines a revolutionary new understanding that for the first time unites our existing knowledge about mental illness within a single framework: mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain. Brain Energy will transform the field of mental health, and the lives of countless people around the world.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Arguing brain health theory to medical profession
- By Maya H Saric on 03-10-23
-
Welcome to the Universe
- An Astrophysical Tour
- By: Michael A. Strauss, J. Richard Gott, Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,371
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,210
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,205
Welcome to the Universe is a personal guided tour of the cosmos by three of today's leading astrophysicists. Inspired by the enormously popular introductory astronomy course that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught together at Princeton, this book covers it all - from planets, stars, and galaxies to black holes, wormholes, and time travel.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
All About What We Know About the Universe - ALL
- By J.B. on 02-17-17
By: Michael A. Strauss, and others
-
Napoleon's Hemorrhoids…And Other Small Events That Changed History
- By: Phil Mason
- Narrated by: LJ Ganser
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,196
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,061
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,057
Hilarious, fascinating, and a roller coaster of dizzying, historical what-ifs, Napoleon's Hemorrhoids is a potpourri for serious historians and casual history buffs. In one of Phil Mason's many revelations, you'll learn that Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel. You'll discover that before the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon's painful hemorrhoids prevented him from mounting his horse to survey the battlefield.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
They just throw the facts too fast
- By Concerned_llama on 12-11-20
By: Phil Mason
-
Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany
- By: Catherine Kleier, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Catherine Kleier
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 754
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 647
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 638
Dr. Catherine Kleier invites us to open our eyes to the phenomenal world of plant life and to the process she calls “Natura Revelata”, the joy of celebrating and learning from the secrets of nature. As Dr. Kleier shares her knowledge with contagious excitement for her subject, she emphasizes the middle ground: Instead of focusing on cell microbiology or the study of ecosystems and habitats, she stresses the basic biology, function, and the amazing adaptations of the plants we see all around us.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Needs accompanying documentation and visual aides
- By Ryan on 04-04-19
By: Catherine Kleier, and others
-
Cosmic Queries
- StarTalk’s Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We’re Going
- By: James Trefil, Lindsey N. Walker - editor, Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Lauren Fortgang
- Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 894
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 762
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 755
In this illuminating audiobook, Tyson and coauthor James Trefil, a renowned physicist and science popularizer, take on the big questions that humanity has been posing for millennia - How did life begin? What is our place in the universe? Are we alone? - and provide answers based on the most current data, observations, and theories.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Not worth it
- By Daniel Earl on 03-15-21
By: James Trefil, and others
-
Reentry
- SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets That Launched a Second Space Age
- By: Eric Berger
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 221
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 206
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 206
From launchpad explosions to a pernicious cricket infestation to the demanding management style of Musk himself, the rise of SpaceX was beset with challenges and far from inevitable. Find out how the startup beat the odds and flew high enough to outpace their rivals... and where they're going next.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Just phenomenal
- By Everyday Guy on 11-17-24
By: Eric Berger
-
The Quantum Universe
- (And Why Anything That Can Happen, Does)
- By: Brian Cox, Jeff Forshaw
- Narrated by: Samuel West
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 102
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 91
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 90
In The Quantum Universe, Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw approach the world of quantum mechanics in the same way they did in Why Does E=mc2? and make fundamental scientific principles accessible - and fascinating - to everyone.The subatomic realm has a reputation for weirdness, spawning any number of profound misunderstandings, journeys into Eastern mysticism, and woolly pronouncements on the interconnectedness of all things. Cox and Forshaw's contention? There is no need for quantum mechanics to be viewed this way.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Not suitable as an audio book
- By SPN on 03-29-22
By: Brian Cox, and others
What listeners say about Because the Cat Purrs
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Bree ODonnell
- 01-06-21
Monotone
Couldn’t get past 10 minutes with the drab voice. Sounded like Siri reading to me.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Dragon Rose
- 06-24-21
not really about cats
a bit disappointed because I thought this book was about cats and it really isnt.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Mary
- 12-10-21
Mary Wilson
The reader drones on and on, like the worse professor ever. A very uninteresting documentary, not a story. Very little about cats at all. It covers mold pretty well!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Gorilichis
- 10-09-20
Not for animal lovers
I'm passionate about animals, I don't eat meat and won't kill anything if I can help it. I also read a lot of books about all kinds of creatures, written by behavioralists, zoologists or just fellow animal nuts whose love for the subject is obvious. This is not that kind of book. It has a lot of fascinating tidbits about biology but it's clear that the author is one of those people who declare themselves animal lovers but aren't. Not really. I've had the same conversation many times throughout my life, when someone says they love dogs and then tell you how they gave up a companion of many years when their boyfriend du jour was allergic, or how they tried to have their cat put down because "it" peed on the sofa. The author discusses hunting strategies, recipes and ways to murder "pests." She talks about abandoning a pet turtle because she was tired of cleaning after him and how he probably died in the wild. She talks about using deadly traps on mice or how she had a groundhog murdered because she was a nuisance. I'm not a vegetarian nazi and I'm even OK with hunting, I just can't tolerate hypocrisy. Not about animals.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- J. Furman
- 08-17-22
Author and Narrator Did Not Deliver
The title of my review sums it up. Like many listeners/readers, I expected something different than a description of how a select group of creatures evolved to live around humans. Such a description is not necessarily bad, it's just not what the title and cover suggest.
While I commend the author for her curiosity, this is her primary redeeming quality. She did not even really explain "why it matters", just how it happened that certain creatures evolved to live around humans. Also, she ends with a poetic statement of how animals experience pain and suffer and in the same (or similar) way that we do. All of her self described behavior in this book indicates that she doesn't care a whit about any creature besides humans. She spent her entire life bending nature to her whim and treating animals cruelly. She's thrown baby mice into the garbage, suffocated pollinating bees for her own fancy, and abandoned a pet turtle outside because she didn't want to take care of it. She killed carpenter bee hives seemingly because she thought they were pests, even though she knew that they're also pollinators, and then ended the chapter saying how no one researches the "poor carpenter bee". This is in addition the poisoning innumerable plants and animals which she considered "pests", without showing any interest in growing native plants or attracting helpful animals into her garden.
She had no comments about how a neighbor "beat [a groundhog] to death" or how another one was flooded out of its burrow so the husband could shoot it. When a storm brought down a large tree in her yard, she had many lovely comments about how birds and squirrels used it as "a playground". That oak was probably their home, or at least the home of many other animals - no comments about how they might actually be distressed instead of playful or how they evolved to make new homes.
The above are just a few big examples of how terribly the author treated animals. She's shown no indication of actually believing that their lives have value, or of caring about causing pain and suffering. Only humans seem to be worthy of such empathy.
This review is coming from someone who supports hunting and farming. There are ways to do both humanely. Hunting was the only area where she described how that actually helps wildlife populations.
The narrator was no help to the story. She was monotonous and sounded bored. The female version of the "Milk!" narrator. Seriously, it was like listening to the most boring college lecture.
An overall dud of a book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!