Raising the Peaceable Kingdom
What Animals Can Teach Us About the Social Origins of Tolerance and Friendship

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I wanted to create a true interspecies peaceable kingdom within my own household. I hoped to learn if several different species - some, natural enemies - raised together from an early age could live peacefully side by side.

So I took into my home seven young animals - a kitten, a rabbit, two rats, two chickens, and a puppy - and set about observing the whole process of socialization (or non-socialization) from the very beginning.

Raising the Peaceable Kingdom poses universal questions we've all had about relationships, social strife, and peaceful coexistence.

What Others Have Said

“A wise and charming parable of human kindness, goodwill, and fellowship with other creatures. Only Jeffrey Masson would actually carry out the project described here, and only he could tell the story with such humor, insight, and beautiful writing.”

– Matthew Scully, former Presidential speechwriter and author of Dominion