The Secret Life of Cows
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Narrated by:
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Rosamund Young
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By:
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Rosamund Young
About this listen
"Within a day of receiving this book, I had consumed it.... Absorbing, moving, and compulsively readable." (Lydia Davis)
In this affectionate, heart-warming chronicle, Rosamund Young distills a lifetime of organic farming wisdom, describing the surprising personalities of her cows and other animals
At her famous Kite's Nest Farm in Worcestershire, England, the cows (as well as sheep, hens, and pigs) all roam free. They make their own choices about rearing, grazing, and housing. Left to be themselves, the cows exhibit temperaments and interests as diverse as our own. "Fat Hat" prefers men to women; "Chippy Minton" refuses to sleep with muddy legs and always reports to the barn for grooming before bed; "Jake" has a thing for sniffing the carbon monoxide fumes of the Land Rover exhaust pipe; and "Gemima" greets all humans with an angry shake of the head and is fiercely independent.
An organic farmer for decades, Young has an unaffected and homely voice. Her prose brims with genuine devotion to the wellbeing of animals. Most of us never apprehend the various inner lives animals possess, least of all those that we might eat. But Young has spent countless hours observing how these creatures love, play games, and form life-long friendships. She imparts hard-won wisdom about the both moral and real-world benefits of organic farming. (If preserving the dignity of animals isn't a good enough reason for you, consider how badly factory farming stunts the growth of animals, producing unhealthy and tasteless food.)
This audiobook, which includes an original introduction by the legendary British playwright Alan Bennett, is the summation of a life's work, and a delightful and moving tribute to the deep richness of animal sentience.
©2018 Rosamund Young (P)2018 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“Clever… [Young] affectionately details veterinary crises, inter-bovine bonds, and the quirks of Ditch-Hog, Charolais Charlotte, and other residents of her family’s farm, in Worcestershire. She makes a passionate case against high-yield farming and in favor of a personalized approach.” (The New Yorker)
“This little book is a charmer.” (People Magazine)
“Rosamund Young’s The Secret Life of Cows deserves its sudden reputation as a first-hand account of unutterable charm… Young describes her own work as simply a string of anecdotes and observations grouped around certain themes (example: ‘Bovine friendships are seldom casual’), but the musings reveal things far more profound… The extraordinary sensitivity she exhibits towards their idiosyncrasies puts our understanding of the minds of cattle onto a completely different plane - an anecdotal accompaniment to the scientific work that scientists like Temple Grandin have already done… Young’s personal approach gets the message across gently, but no less urgently. Spending a few hours in their company…will certainly teach you a loving lesson about animal dignity, and the value of kindness.” (Vogue.com)
Featured Article: Dig Into Some Food for Thought with These Climate-Conscious, Cruelty-Free Listens
Whatever your reason for seeking out a shift (or some encouragement and tasty recipes if you've already made the leap), this list includes everything from nonfiction exploring factory farming, animal rights, and our wider global ecosystem, to how-to guides for shifting to a vegetarian or vegan diet, to tales from the animal world that might help you see things from their perspective. After all, there's no better way to celebrate Earth Day than by getting to know our neighbors—and creating a home that serves each and every one of us.
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By: James Rebanks
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Animal Farm
- By: George Orwell
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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George Orwell's classic satire of the Russian Revolution is an intimate part of our contemporary culture, quoted so often that we tend to forget who wrote the original words! This must-read is also a must-listen!
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If you hate spoilers, save the intro for last.
- By Dusty on 02-18-11
By: George Orwell
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Sheepish
- Two Women, Fifty Sheep, and Enough Wool to Save the Planet
- By: Catherine Friend
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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What do you do when you love your farm...but it doesn’t love you? After 15 years of farming, Catherine Friend is tired. After all, while shepherding is one of the oldest professions, it’s not getting any easier. The number of sheep in America has fallen by 90 percent in the last 90 years. But just as Catherine thinks it’s time to hang up her shepherd’s crook, she discovers that sheep might be too valuable to give up. What ensues is a funny, thoughtful romp through the history of our woolly friends, why small farms are important, and how each one of us - and the planet - would benefit from being very sheepish, indeed.
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We're all a little sheepish
- By Pam on 12-23-14
By: Catherine Friend
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How to Be a Good Creature
- A Memoir in Thirteen Animals
- By: Sy Montgomery
- Narrated by: Sy Montgomery
- Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Understanding someone who belongs to another species can be transformative. No one knows this better than author, naturalist, and adventurer Sy Montgomery. To research her books, Sy has traveled the world and encountered some of the planet's rarest and most beautiful animals. From tarantulas to tigers, Sy's life continually intersects with and is informed by the creatures she meets. This restorative memoir reflects on the personalities and quirks of 13 animals - Sy's friends - and the truths revealed by their grace.
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Enchanting Start To 2019....
- By Rory on 01-02-19
By: Sy Montgomery
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What the Animals Tell Me
- By: Sonya Fitzpatrick
- Narrated by: Carol Irwin
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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If you could talk to your pet, what would it say to you? How do animals communicate with people? And what's the best way for people to communicate with animals? In this insightful audiobook, renowned pet psychic Sonya Fitpatrick teaches listeners about the secrets of the animal world and how to learn the telepathic language of animals. Dogs, cats, reptiles, horses and wild animals of kinds have a story to tell.
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Total Fake
- By kortega on 09-02-23
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Will's Red Coat
- The Story of One Old Dog Who Chose to Live Again
- By: Tom Ryan
- Narrated by: Tom Ryan
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Drawn by an online post, Tom Ryan adopted Will, a frightened, deaf, and mostly blind elderly dog, and brought him home to live with him and Atticus. The only owners Will ever knew had grown too fragile to take care of themselves or of him. Ultimately Will was left at a kill shelter in New Jersey. Tom hoped to give Will a place to die with dignity amid the rustic beauty of the White Mountains of his New Hampshire home. But when Will bites him numerous times and acts out in violent displays, Tom realizes he is in for a challenge.
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Wildflowers And Drunken Butterfly Dances
- By Gillian on 05-06-17
By: Tom Ryan
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My Gentle Barn
- Creating a Sanctuary Where Animals Heal and Children Learn to Hope
- By: Ellie Laks
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Founder Ellie Laks started The Gentle Barn after adopting a sick goat from a run-down petting zoo in 1999. Some 200 animals later (including chickens, horses, pigs, cows, rabbits, emus, and more), The Gentle Barn has become an extraordinary nonprofit that brings together a volunteer staff of community members and at-risk teens to rehabilitate abandoned and/or abused animals. My Gentle Barn weaves together the story of how the Barn came to be what it is today with Ellie's own journey.
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Gratitude
- By Kindle customer on 08-29-16
By: Ellie Laks
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Rascal
- By: Sterling North
- Narrated by: Ed Sala
- Length: 4 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1918 Wisconsin, 11-year-old Sterling North has an almost perfect life. He keeps skunks in the backyard, goes everywhere with his enormous Saint Bernard, and is building a canoe in the living room. The only trouble is life gets a little lonely for him and his father since his mother died. While scouting around the woods one afternoon, he discovers an abandoned, month-old raccoon. Afraid the kit will die on its own, he takes it home to join his menagerie.
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Very Enjoyable
- By Tad on 02-13-10
By: Sterling North
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Afield
- American Writers on Bird Dogs
- By: David Smith - editor, Robert Demott - editor
- Narrated by: Bryan Brendle
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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This marvelous collection features stories from some of America’s finest and most respected writers about every outdoorsman’s favorite and most loyal hunting partner: his dog. For the first time, the stories of acclaimed writers such as Richard Ford, Tom Brokaw, Howell Raines, Rick Bass, Sydney Lea, Jim Harrison, Tom McGuane, Phil Caputo, and Chris Camuto come together in one collection. Hunters and non-hunters alike will recognize in these poignant tales the universal aspects of owning dogs.
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Great stories. Poor performance.
- By Paul on 12-09-17
By: David Smith - editor, and others
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The Man Who Listens to Horses
- By: Monty Roberts
- Narrated by: Ed Sala
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Monty Roberts' father, a traditional horse trainer, had taught his son to dominate a horse in order to "break" it. But when he was 13, Monty made a discovery that changed his life. As he watched a mare tame a rebellious colt, Monty saw that she was speaking to it through eye and body movements. Astonished, Monty realized that he could train horses by using their language, speaking to them in ways that would form trust and understanding. Developing techniques based on what he learned from the horses around him, Monty embarked on a remarkable career - one that would bring him international fame as the real Horse Whisperer.
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Great read/listen for any horse lover
- By Anonymous User on 09-07-18
By: Monty Roberts
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Falling for Eli
- How I Lost Heart, Then Gained Hope Through the Love of a Singular Horse
- By: Nancy Shulins
- Narrated by: Dina Pearlman
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Everyone knows a woman who loves horses. Maybe she rides whenever she can find the time, maybe she rode as a young girl, or maybe she just devoured the Black Stallion books. Twenty years ago, Nancy Shulins let go of one dream - having a child - and worked toward another one: learning to ride and, eventually, having her own horse. In the process, she learned what it means to love another being so much you can’t imagine life without them.
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Just what I needed.
- By Jennifer90046 on 12-08-16
By: Nancy Shulins
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Horses Never Lie About Love
- The Heartwarming Story of a Remarkable Horse Who Changed the World Around Her
- By: Jana Harris
- Narrated by: Susanna Burney
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Combining the drama of The God of Animals with the powerful realism of Chosen by a Horse, award-winning poet Jana Harris tells the inspiring story of her twenty-four-year relationship with a troubled but beautiful, blood-red feral mare who, in spite of her difficult past, has a talent for healing and helping every human and other being she comes into contact with.
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Started off promising
- By Denise Di Giorgio on 03-23-12
By: Jana Harris
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Winterfrost
- By: Michelle Houts
- Narrated by: Amy McFadden
- Length: 4 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Christmas has come, and with it a sparkling white winterfrost over the countryside. But twelve-year-old Bettina's parents have been called away unexpectedly, leaving her in charge of the house, the farm, and baby Pia. In all the confusion, Bettina's family neglects to set out the traditional bowl of Christmas rice pudding for the tiny nisse who are rumored to look after the family and their livestock.
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My kids were riveted
- By Becca Horner on 12-05-18
By: Michelle Houts
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The Woman of the House
- By: Alice Taylor
- Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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An enchanting and nostalgic tale of Ireland in the 1950s by Ireland’s favourite writer, Alice Taylor. The Phelans have owned Mossgrove for generations. The small, rural Irish farm has been the pride of them all until Ned's wife, Martha, arrives and begins to undermine generations of hard work and happiness. She resents the deep history of the place and sets about making it her own, shutting out what is left of Ned's family. She is particularly jealous of Ned's sister, Kate, a local nurse and doting aunt to Martha's children.
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Brings you right there
- By Amazon Customer on 08-26-20
By: Alice Taylor
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Saving Baby
- How One Woman's Love for a Racehorse Led to Her Redemption
- By: Jo Anne Normile, Lawrence Lindner
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Jo Anne Normile was not supposed to keep the foal, an exuberant Thoroughbred with only a few white hairs on his reddish-brown forehead. But she fell in love with the young horse, who had literally been born into her arms. The breeder finally said she could keep the colt, whom she nicknamed "Baby" - but only if she raced him. It was difficult to take Baby away from the safety of his pasture. But Normile had made a promise.
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Excellent book! Worth reading or listening to it.
- By L. Collins on 10-05-17
By: Jo Anne Normile, and others
What listeners say about The Secret Life of Cows
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Lady Deborah
- 10-19-24
Animal People Know
Delightful stories about the quirky personalities antics and adventures of these cows. I work with horses who are quite similar. Gonna have to have a salad for dinner.
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- Clay Ewing
- 10-05-18
The Real World
As a degreed former farm and ranch manager from Texas, my contemporaries were more concerned with cowboying and shambling along than in understanding both their role and that of the land and creatures we were raising. This book puts a sharp definition without feeling in your face, describing in a plain and entertaining way how animals really are, including the human variety.
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1 person found this helpful
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- John Madany
- 06-14-18
Amazingly observations!
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. Having personal experience with livestock added to the listening pleasure. Animals raised in environments suited suited to their natures are truly happy and healthy creatures.
Thank you for sharing this book.
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10 people found this helpful
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- Diana
- 07-19-18
Enjoyed these observations and stories very much
I have horses, goats, chickens and have raised pigs - and of course, have dogs and cats. No experience at all with cows, or sheep (there's a bit about sheep in this book too.) Many animal-lovers enjoy observing how they interact with each other and with us humans. So, these stories and observations were naturally enjoyable to me. The depth of observations and making of connections, the noticing of patterns, is what made this book an extra special experience.
The author's own narration of her stories and essays is perfect.
I have, and will, recommend this audio book to people who have an interest in animals, but especially to those interested in animal intelligence.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Glen I.
- 11-16-20
Thank you, Rosamund!
What delightful insight into the thoughts, emotions, personalities and preferences of cows, sheep, pigs and chickens! So enlightening and enjoyable to listen to.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-13-24
Interesting Perspective
I like the author’s recount of her personal experiences of her life as a farmer and gives some overview of how to better treat most living creatures in general. Though if you’re looking for more a charts and graphs account of what is mentioned, this book doesn’t have much of it. With only a few references to the idea she mentions.
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- Nancy
- 06-16-18
A short and thoroughly enjoyable listen
Written and read by a woman with decades of experience letting the family's livestock live on their own terms, backed by observation of their personalities and habits. I loved her stories, loved her animals, and loved the naming schemes for the offspring. I suspect that many family farmers have similar stories and perhaps are envious of the acreage at Kite's Nest Farm. I've just recently gotten pigs for the first time of a gentle and friendly breed that mainly graze in pasture and am having a wonderful time getting to know them, so I was delighted to find "20 things you ought to know about pigs" as one of her lists at the end.
A similar book is Jon Katz's Soul of a Dog, which has stories not only about his dogs but also some of his other memorable farm animals, such as Elvis the steer who loved Snickers bars.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Vera
- 04-05-22
Awesome insight and adventure
This book was great to listen to. I could just imagine what the cows and other animals look like on the farm. You can understand them and enjoy their lives and it encouraged me to continue to always do what’s right for my animals even if others think it’s excess
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- Cheyenne Maier
- 02-19-20
a honest review about a beautiful story
a beauty story that has touched my heart and the heart of everyone I sent this book to. really changes the way you view animal and the factory farming industry...
ill be honest I didn't think this story would effect me or how eat at all but when I tell you I was at the supermarket with tears in my eyes thinking about the life cut up and packaged before me I couldn't do it. I couldn't buy it, I couldn't eat it and I don't know if I these feelings are right or wrong or if they'll ever go away.
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- KB
- 06-21-18
Beautifully done
Such a heartfelt recount of Ms. Young’s treasured interactions with the animals on their family farm. I do not think this is a book that ALL people would appreciate due to its sensitive nature and ability to capture the essence of mutual respect for living creatures. Those that do appreciate this aspect will relish in the tales told and the anecdotes noted. I will listen to this again. I was able to imagine the stories unfolding as they were told.
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1 person found this helpful