Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health    by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz & Kathryn Bowers Order:  USA  Can Vintage, 2013 (2012) Hardcover, Softcover, CD, e-Book Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health is written by cardiologist Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and science writer Kathryn Bowers. Addressing a range of conditions from cancer (which dinosaurs apparently suffered) to addiction and eating disorders (not limited to the naked ape) it offers hope that veterinary experience with animal ailments might shed light on human illness (and vice versa). The book is structured around Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz's 'journey from focusing solely on human medicine to a broader, species-spanning approach' after helping treat an emperor tamarin with heart failure. Chapters range from 'Dr. House, Meet Doctor Dolittle - Redefining the Boundaries of Medicine' to 'Zoobiquity', covering topics including 'Roar-gasm - An Animal Guide to Human Sexuality', 'Fat Planet - Why Animals Get Fat and How They Get Thin' and 'Leaving the Nest - Animal Adolescence and the Risky Business of Growing Up' along the way. The authors inform us that in past centures, human doctors and animal experts did routinely cooperate; that biologists are uncovering common genetic blueprints across species; that cancer is neither unique to humans nor a product of modern times; that Tasmanian wallabies get addicted to opium; that animals and humans share a link between fear and cardiovascular events; that human obesity 'may represent the legacy of millions of years of eating strategies that have worked'; and that teens, as well as zoo animals, 'need solutions to their stress, isolation, and boredom'. These are only some highlights; there is much more. The authors conclude by reminding us that 'Our essential connection with animals is ancient, and it runs deep'. They emphasize that our world's health 'will be determined by how all the patients on the planet live, grow, get sick, and heal.' Zoobiquity was named Best Book of the Year by Discover Magazine - it's insightful, fascinating, thought provoking, and well worth your time. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews