A Perfect Harmony: The Historical Lives of Animals and Humans - Hardcover

What would the world be like without animals? This is the first question Caras poses in this study, which shows how the domestication of animals transformed the entire course of civilization. Through the prism of history, anthropology and personal experience, Caras explores the principle domestic species, both familiar and exotic, and their monumental impact on human affairs. The domestication of sheep and goats enabled wandering tribes to settle and develop agriculture and technology; the camel, once domesticated, enabled caravans to travel to the Orient, leading the first cultural exchanges between the East and West; throughout history, the dog has been at man's side, as hunter, herder and guard - and as faithful and loving companion.