Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating...
Review: This is one of the most fascinating books I have ever had the privilege to read. As a youngster interested in animals, I must've checked this book out of my local library every 6 months for several years. When I came across a copy in a used bookstore several years ago, I yelped with joy at a chance to own it.This book is an account of Karen Pryor's experiences learning about operant conditioning in order to train porpoises and whales at the newly opened Sea Life Park in Hawaii. The historical account is fascinating all on its own, but I treasure this book because of its discussion of training not just porpoises, but truly any animal, with positive reinforcement. I loved the way she and her colleagues freely borrowed from their experiences with one species to apply them to others -- the sections on training Trainers and training Otters are not only hilarious, but also terribly insightful into how 'animals' of all species learn. I work with horses, and have found the philosophies I learned from this book have helped me enormously with not only horses, but also dogs and even people. This is a classic reference for anyone who works with any species of animal.
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