An absorbing and nuanced blend of philosophy and science, the book explores what we owe the nonhuman world ... Wild Souls questions the very concepts of wildness and nature. The result challenges readers to reconsider how they relate to nonhuman animals, from caged creatures to polar bears in the warming north ... The book makes a clear case for the moral value of individual sentient creatures, providing a rundown of the latest science that dissolves the distinct line often drawn between humans and nonhumans ... Marris finds no set formula for making ethical choices about animals’ fates. Instead, readers may realize something profound: There are no perfect ways to act ethically toward all animals and all species when incommensurable values collide. As we try to mend the mess we’ve made of nature, all we can do is act with thoughtful humility.
[A] wide-ranging if superficial appeal for humans to reconsider the ethics of their relationships with other species ... [Marris] fails to go deep in her advice, and some solutions seem unlikely ... Readers hoping for a more grounded discussion of environmental issues should look elsewhere.
