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Artwork for New Books in Animal Studies

New Books in Animal Studies

Marshall Poe
Horses
Environmental History
Animal Rights
Animal Welfare
Colonialism
Central Asia
Biodiversity
Climate Change
Human-Animal Relationships
Animal Behavior
Animal Intelligence
Horse Domestication
Conservation
Folklore
Animals
Animal Ethics
Natural History
Anthropology
Animal Studies
Cats

This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes345Founded6 years ago
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Artwork for New Books in Animal Studies

Latest Episodes

The assumption that only humans can engage in politics—that only

humans are 'zoon politikon'—is foundational to the Western tradition of

political philosophy. While there is increasing recognition of animals'

moral status (both within moral philos... more

For

more than 10,000 years, cats have prowled at the edges of human life.

But, starting only a few decades ago, hundreds of millions of them

became pets. In Cats: A History

(Johns Hopkins University Press, 2026), Professor Rod Phillips shares a

... more

Anyone

alive today is among a tiny fraction of the once living: over 90% of

species that ever existed are now extinct. How did we come to think of

ourselves as survivors in a world where species can vanish forever, or

as capable of pushing our pl... more

Today, rats are nearly synonymous with plague, but this association is surprisingly recent. For centuries, plague devastated populations without being linked to animals. So how did the rat become the symbol of one of history's deadliest diseases? In... more

South Asian Animal Divination: A Critical Anthology (Brill, 2025) examines the history and practice of animal omen divination in South Asia, comparing it to similar traditions in Mesopotamia and classical antiquity. It provides critical editions and ... more

Animals, Justice, and the Politics of Violence: Shared Struggles in Turkey (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025) by Dr. Sezai Ozan Zeybek explores the intricate relationship between humans and animals in the context of modern Turkish history. From drafted anima... more

The role of a resident vet in the remote islands of the Falklands, St. Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha encompasses many wonderful complexities: caring for the world’s oldest living land animal (a 200-year-old giant tortoise, denizen of the St... more

Why is cows' milk, which few nonwhite people can digest, promoted as a science-backed dietary necessity in countries where the majority of the population is lactose-intolerant? Why are gigantic new dairy farms permitted to deplete the sparse water re... more

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Recent Guests

Sue Donaldson
Author and animal advocate
University/Queen's University (affiliation discussed in interview)
Episode: Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka, "Animals and the Right to Politics" (Oxford UP, 2026)
Will Kymlicka
Canada Research Chair in Political Philosophy at Queen's University
Queen's University
Episode: Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka, "Animals and the Right to Politics" (Oxford UP, 2026)
Rod Phillips
Professor and author of Cats, A History (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2026)
University/academic
Episode: Rod Phillips, "Cats: A History" (Johns Hopkins UP, 2026)
Sadiah Qureshi
Professor and author of Vanished: An Unnatural History of Extinction
Publication details provided in episode
Episode: Sadiah Qureshi, "Vanished: An Unnatural History of Extinction" (Penguin, 2025)
Christos Lynteris
Professor, medical anthropologist
University of St Andrews
Episode: Christos Lynteris, "How Plague Got Rats: Mastering a Zoonotic Pandemic" (Johns Hopkins UP, 2026)
Dr. Kenneth Zysk
Emeritus Professor of Indology and Indian Science
University of Copenhagen
Episode: Kenneth G. Zysk, "South Asian Animal Divination: A Critical Anthology" (Brill, 2025)
Ozan Zeybek
Author of Animals, Justice, and the Politics of Violence: Shared Struggles in Turkey (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025)
Palgrave Macmillan/Academic Scholar (Human Geography)
Episode: Sezai Ozan Zeybek, "Animals, Justice, and the Politics of Violence: Shared Struggles in Turkey" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025)
Dr. Joe Hollins
Author of Vet at the End of the Earth, Adventures with Animals in the South Atlantic
Author and Veterinarian
Episode: The Vet at the End of the Earth: Adventures with Animals in the South Atlantic
Thomas Zeitzoff
Professor in the School of Public Affairs at American University
American University
Episode: Thomas Zeitzoff, "No Option But Sabotage: The Radical Environmental Movement and the Climate Crisis" (Oxford UP, 2026)

Hosts

Dr. Miranda Melcher
Host of New Books in Animal Studies and related series; active in academic publishing and outreach within the New Books Network
Dr. Christina Gessler
Host with deep expertise in veterinary and animal-focused scholarship; frequently collaborates on New Books Network projects
Dr. Melik Firat Altay
Host involved in New Books Network interview channels, contributing to cross-disciplinary animal studies content

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka, "Animals and the Right to Politics" (Oxford UP, 2026)
Q: Could you explain the minimal animal and the capacity contract and why they matter for animal politics?
They critique the idea that animals are only capable of suffering (minimal animal) and that politics requires high cognitive capacities (capacity contract). The authors argue for a broader, relational, and inclusive view of political agency that recognizes animals' capacities for self-governance, communication, and culture, and for designing political environments that acknowledge these forms of agency.
Rod Phillips, "Cats: A History" (Johns Hopkins UP, 2026)
Q: Could you start us off by introducing yourself a little and tell us why you decided to write this book?
Rod Phillips explains his long academic career, his interest in the history of cats sparked by a retirement plan, and how the project evolved from a general curiosity to a full-fledged book that examines cats from their earliest associations with humans to their modern cultural prominence.
Thomas Zeitzoff, "No Option But Sabotage: The Radical Environmental Movement and the Climate Crisis" (Oxford UP, 2026)
Q: What do you see as the main distinguishing features of the radical environmental movement?
The radical environmental movement is characterized by its non-hierarchical structure and the belief that existing political mechanisms are insufficient in addressing ecological threats, leading to the willingness to engage in contentious political actions.
Thomas Zeitzoff, "No Option But Sabotage: The Radical Environmental Movement and the Climate Crisis" (Oxford UP, 2026)
Q: How did you initially get interested in the topic of radical environmental politics?
Thomas cites a student question regarding the lack of extreme actions like those of Ted Kaczynski, which prompted his three-year research journey into radical environmental activism.
Josh Milburn, "Food, Justice, and Animals: Feeding the World Respectfully" (Oxford UP, 2023)
Q: What implications does your book's argument have for animal activism?
The book offers a different vision for the future of animal advocacy that could coexist with various approaches to activism, including abolitionism and welfarism.

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Frequently Asked Questions About New Books in Animal Studies

What is New Books in Animal Studies about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Listeners across recent episodes tend to engage with interdisciplinary discussions at the intersection of animals, ethics, history, and culture. Conversations often center on human–animal relations, justice and governance, environmentalism, and how historical narratives reframe our understanding of animals in society. Guests range from scholars of literature and religion to scientists, veterinarians, and historians, offering both theoretical frameworks and narrative case studies. The show often blends rigorous academic inquiry with accessible storytelling, making complex topics like animal rights, ecological justice, and the politics of food and climate tangible for a broad, educated audience. A notable strength is consistently bringing in ... more

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1. New Books in Intellectual History
2. New Books in Critical Theory
3. The LRB Podcast
4. New Books in Jewish Studies
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New Books in Animal Studies launched 6 years ago and published 345 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on New Books in Animal Studies?

Recent guests on New Books in Animal Studies include:

1. Sue Donaldson
2. Will Kymlicka
3. Rod Phillips
4. Sadiah Qureshi
5. Christos Lynteris
6. Dr. Kenneth Zysk
7. Ozan Zeybek
8. Dr. Joe Hollins

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