The Moral Lives Of Animals by Dale Peterson

 In this book, author Dale Peterson questions the commonly heard thought that humans are the only creatures with morality.  He suggests that many animals exhibit the same behaviors and cites interesting and pertinent facts that illustrate his theories.  

In Part 1, Peterson defines morality with chapters on words, orientations, definitions and structures.  He talks about the definite hierarchies that animals establish when they live with each other or just encounter each other.  Part 2 explores the rules that animals have when living together with topics such as authority, violence, sex, possession and communication.  Part 3 talks about attachments and has chapters on cooperation and kindness.  The last section talks about the future of morality.

This is a fascinating look at animals and how they structure their lives  It is perhaps especially relevant as wild animals continue to vanish and as household pets currently have a status almost never seen before with millions of dollars spent annually on them.  Peterson is the official biographer of Jane Goodall and her groundbreaking work on animals and has written extensively on animals, computers and other topics.  One of his prior books received a New York Times Notable Book Award.  This book is recommended for nonfiction readers who are interested in animals and their social organizations.