伊丽莎白·马歇尔·托马斯，出生于1931年，是一位小说家、人类学家，曾写过一本关于两南非洲少数民族布希人的非文学类作品《与世无争的人》；以旧石器时代西伯利亚猎人聚落为主题的小说《驯鹿月亮》曾位居《纽约时报》的图书畅销榜；而她的另一部作品《动物妻子》，《纽约时报》书评版的评价是“行文十分优美难得，内容又具有深度”。

From Publishers Weekly Thomas's multifaceted discussion of canine life was a 28-week PW bestseller. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Library Journal Novelist/ethologist Thomas may be well known to readers for her novels Reindeer Moon (LJ 1/87) and The Animal Wife ( LJ 7/90). This work， however， takes a much different tack in that it provides a readable account of how， over a a span of years， her family dogs were transformed into a family unit not unlike a wolf pack. Thomas is a firm believer that animals think and express emotion and is not ashamed to be "anthropomorphic" in her particular analysis of dog behavior. Her intention is to find out， by observing her own animals， what it is that dogs "want." The dogs were free to make their own decisions; Thomas fed them， sheltered them， and provided medical care but otherwise didn't train them or direct their activities. The observations she makes are entertaining and amusing to anyone who has owned a dog. Her conclusion is that dogs want each other， and people are merely substitutes for other canines. Although Thomas draws on her knowledge of philosophy and the theory of animal consciousness， this book never bogs down in theory and remains very readable. A title worth considering for libraries where there is client interest.- Edell Marie Schaefer， Brookfield P.L.， Wis.Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information， Inc. See all Editorial Reviews