Montgomery Village Rotary Calendar

Dr. Jonathan Balcombe is an animal behavior Research Scientist. He recently wrote a book, "Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good"

Book Review From Publishers Weekly:

When birds take a dip in the water, is it to clean their feathers, or is it just plain fun? The author addresses such questions in a brisk, erudite and enormously entertaining contribution to the growing genre of books about the emotions of animals. Balcombe, an animal behavior research consultant for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, presents an excellent, approachable introduction to the basic issues in animal behavior, with the potential to gain a much wider reception than such classics as Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson and Susan McCarthy's When Elephants Weep. By presenting evidence "from both scientific study and anecdote, that the animal kingdom is rich in pleasure," Balcombe balances a general philosophical look at the prevalence of pleasure among animals (he rejects the view that all behavior must be explained in terms of adaptation for survival) with detailed anecdotal evidence of how specific animals experience pleasure in play, food, sex, touching and love. But what may most attract readers to Balcombe's powerful argument "that animals have minds and feelings" is the cover photo: two smiling pigs nuzzling each other in an inescapably endearing pose.

Book Review from Booklist:

"Science has neglected animal pleasure," Balcombe states in his survey of the role pleasurable experiences play in the lives of nonhuman animals. Pleasure is evolutionarily adaptive; the pleasure an animal feels after it eats, while it plays with a companion, or when it is groomed or stroked can all increase its chances to survive. The author, a consultant with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, reviews a vast body of scientific literature in his examination of positive feelings in animals. He first defines what is meant by pleasure and why it is worthy of study, then looks at several potentially pleasure-causing activities: play, eating, sex, touching, and love. Full of examples both anecdotal and from refereed journals, and with a copious bibliography, this book not only makes a case for animal pleasure but calls for more research on the science of pleasure in animals, allowing humans to view them in a new way. Nancy Bent

Web site: http://www.pleasurablekingdom.com/

Event: Rotarian of the Week: Eric Jorgensen

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

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Sub: Tom Kozar

Event: Doorkeeper - Greeter: Johnathan Davis

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

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Sub: John Shigo

Event: Newsletter: Leslie Titcomb

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

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Event: 50/50 Sales: Ed Bailey

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

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Sub: Gary Bechanan

Saturday, August 19, 2006

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Event: Birthday Dick Hyde

Saturday, August 19, 2006

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Wednesday, August 23, 2006

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Event: 7:30am-8:30am: Meeting - Willow Tree Inn

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

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Event: Speaker: Paul Chan - Climate Change as a public debate

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

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Paul Chan served as the Chief Information Officer of the National Weather Service between June 2004 and July 2006. He received the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive in 2004.
Earlier, Paul was the Associate Director of the Global Change Data Center and Director of the Earth Science Data Center in NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Before joining the government, he was Vice President of Business Development for SSAI, an aerospace and technology company.

Paul studied climate science in Princeton University and University of Missouri, where he got his MA and PhD, respectively. Between 1980 and 1987, Paul did climate research in NASA.

Event: Rotarian of the Week: Tom Kozar

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

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Sub: Nello Lavorini

Event: Doorkeeper - Greeter: John Shigo

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

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Sub: Tim Smith

Event: Newsletter: Michael Rojas

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

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Sub: Jacque Grenning