This was such an interesting dive into the human desire to anthropomorphize inanimate objects. I think that anyone who is interested in the intersectionality of psychology, sociology, technology, and pop culture would love this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an advance copy of this book that discusses the tendency that people have of bringing human emotions into relationships with things that are decidedly nonhuman, animals, pets, technology, even cars, what this means about us, how this can be a problem for many.

My neighbors are two very nice people who are going through some health issues right now. As such I have been helping them, moving things, taking them to doctors if needed, and shopping for them once or twice a week. Both have a sweet tooth, which gets embarrassing for myself as I think people are wondering why I need so many Oreos. However it is the shopping for their dog that bothers me, actually worries me. Both my neighbors are diabetic, and their diet is not healthy. Their dog's is, at least too me far from healthy. They give him deli food, more in one week than I eat in a year. Whole milk, whipped cream, and other treats. I brought this up, and their answer was oh look at him, he gets so sad when he doesn't get his treat. This won't help the dog live longer, but to their minds he will be happy, eating what they eat. Their feelings about food are reflected onto the dog. And none of them are getting better. Anthropomorphizing is when he as humans give other objects, animals, of even Gods, human characteristics. This is how we deal with things in our own lives. We miss pizza, well so does the dog. Feeling lonely, so does the fish. Looking for a friend, well Amazon Alexa is always there, quick with a joke, but can't light up your smoke, but technology is working on that. This thinking explains much in the world, as Justin Gregg writes, but it might not make for a good future. Humanish: What Talking to Your Cat or Naming Your Car Reveals About the Uniquely Human Need to Humanize by science writer and author Justin Gregg is a book about how we try to deal with our lives, by seeing humanity in the strangest of places, and how easily we are manipulated into doing things, including losing our empathy to other people.

Reading the opening made me think much about my childhood when I thought my dog was the only one who understood me, and that my stuffed animals had big adventures when I was away. Gregg explains the idea of anthropomorphism using examples from the animal kingdom first, before moving up to more solid objects, cars, boats, planes, and even the AI in our phones. Gregg discusses why dogs seem to have to much emotive faces, that good food and bad food can make pet owners make bad decisions. Gregg also talks about the selective breeding we have done to animals to make them cuter, more human in face, leaving pets with shortened breath and even more shortened lives. Dogs, cats, alligators and the rise of emotional comfort animals are looked at, which explains something I have always wondered about. When did pets become kids? Gregg also looks at how marketers can use this anthropomorphism to make us buy things we don't need or will need to be replaced soon, which explains the buying habits of many of the people I work with. Finally Gregg looks at AI, how we as humans are so starved for something that a kind voice always giving answers, listening and saying nice things, can become not a computer voice, but a trusted friend, and maybe something more.

An interesting book, one that I saw much of myself in. I thank my friend's Alexa whenever I ask a question, usually weather, or movie related. I think I even apologized once when Alexa kept talking and I yelled at it. I said this was to be sure Alexa didn't have me killed, but there is something more. Introverts like myself tend to anthropomorphize more than extroverts. Which explains quite a bit. The book is well written, with many passages that make one think, or like myself suddenly make life a little clearer. There is also a lot of information, lots of facts that are quite interesting. Gregg is a writer who can make complicated statements understandable, and I was never lost, or confused. Also never bored.

A very interesting way of looking at the world, a world that seems to be getting more complicated and colder in some ways. It seems easier to make a friend of one's phone processor, or take a pet to the store in a baby carriage, than it is to deal with much of what is going on. Gregg offers a lot of arguments about this, and leaves the reader with much to think about. And maybe a few unhappy dogs not getting deli food everyday.

Sorry,did not finish.I read very little about dogs which interest me more than cats.
Too technical for my reading abilities that do include nonfiction as well as novels.
It did sound very interesting and informative at the time when I chose it to read and review.
From the amount I would give it five stars.

This one is for fans of popular science or popular psychology genres, but also for anyone who wants to better understand how people interact with the world. This book focuses on how and why people anthropomorphize, that is, why we assign human attributes to non-human things (like animals, objects, and even AI). Also, how this is good and bad, with discussion of how we relate to AI and chatbots, but also how we dehumanize people, which is so important to understand in the current world situation. The examples are interesting, the content is easy to understand, and this is a well structured exploration of the topic that is easy for a non-scientist to read and understand. The books has a large section of notes and references, showing that it is well researched. Add in a little humor and you have a highly readable, informative, and engaging book. I'm already telling people about the book and pestering them with tidbits I learned while reading, always the sign of a good pop-sci/psyc book. In fact, I'm so sold on the author that I'm looking at his backlist for more things to read. Highly recommend.

This was so interesting! I am definitely guilty of anthropomorphizing everything from the cat to Alexa, so found this peek behind the curtain to be an exceptionally intriguing one. I was familiar with the concept, but the biological and evolutionary science behind the theories was fascinating to me. I especially enjoyed the forays into AI and machine learning.

I did find some of the chapters to feel slightly repetitive, but on the whole this one held my attention from start to finish. The anecdotes and examples were very engaging and the science was written in a way that felt accessible without feeling dumbed-down.

Engaging and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where pop-sci and quirky nonfic are popular.

Popular social science reads are generally well-received, and it's the rare reader that doesn't humanize their pets (or maybe their toasters). This will appeal to many.