Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals

Temple Grandin has published widely but is best known for her memoir, Thinking in Pictures (1995), which details the ways in which her autism has helped her create better animal welfare standards in the cattle industry. In addition to her writing, Grandin is a scientist, animal expert, professor, and agricultural industry consultant. In all of her books, she argues that people with autism are particularly well-positioned to work with animals because their own sensory, imagistic orientation toward the world mirrors that of animals. She also points out that animals rely on sensory data and do not “think” in language as humans do. She garnered widespread attention for developing the “squeeze machine” as a calming tool for people with autism; this invention was based on her observations of stressed cattle that benefited from gentle pressure that was applied to their bodies. She notes that she used the squeeze machine herself for many years after developing it.

Grandin is also an advocate for science-based animal welfare standards. In this text, she explains the four emotional systems that drive animal and human behavior: fear, rage, panic, and seeking. She also notes the importance of play to animals’ well-being.