This book explores the paranormal abilities of dogs, cats, horses, birds and other animals. Sheldrake attempts to explain how these animals can sense when their owners are returning home, as well as other abilities that remain unexplained. For example, how can a dog or cat alert its owner before they have an epileptic fit? Or before there is an earthquake or other natural disaster? Some animals show signs of agitation hours before an event like this, when no known sensory abilities would detect anything. Sheldrake is able to rule out smell, sight, behavioral cues and electrical field detection as senses that might show animals future events. The question then becomes, where does that leave us?

The first part of the book focuses on the scientific findings for commonplace animal abilities. As Sheldrake moves forward, however, the book becomes more interesting. Toward the end, Sheldrake comes to the conclusion that the animals must have the ability of either telepathy or precognition. To him, there can be no other explanation for their abilities. I have to say that I agree. It seems as if some information from the future can filter through to the present, and present to the past. There is no other way to explain how these animals have these abilities. His theory of morphic fields is sufficient to explain these phenomena. In a morphic field, animals are connected with places and people by what can be considered an invisible elastic band. This connection may even be subconscious. However, it helps animals find their way over hundreds of unexplored terrain to greet their former owners, as well as many other surprising abilities of animals.

What I found really interesting in the book was Sheldrake’s findings that many humans still have these abilities. However, those of us in the modern world seem to have lost them. It is mostly the shamans and hunting peoples of the old world that have a strong sense of direction or the ability to see into the future. For those of you who are skeptics, you may want to give one of Sheldrake’s books a read. I found this one to be a bit dry in the beginning, but toward the end it really picked up. Think of it as exponential reading. A lot of scientific research could still be done on the ideas that Sheldrake proposes, and so scientists should especially take note.

3/5 Stars. 352 pages. Published 1999.