The Wisdom of Wolves: Lessons From the Sawtooth Pack

by Jim Dutcher, Jamie Dutcher

Overview

For six years Jim and Jamie Dutcher lived intimately with a pack of wolves, gaining their trust as no one has before. In this book the Dutchers reflect on the virtues they observed in wolf society and behavior. Each chapter exemplifies a principle, such as kindness, teamwork, playfulness, respect, curiosity, and compassion. Their heartfelt stories combine into a thought-provoking meditation on the values shared between the human and the animal world. Occasional photographs bring the wolves and their behaviors into absorbing focus.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781426221804
Publisher:	Disney Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/02/2021
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	307,413
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

For more than 20 years, JIM and JAMIE DUTCHER have been documenting wolf behavior. For six years they lived in a camp near Idaho's Sawtooth Wilderness, intimately observing a three-generation wolf pack. Their unprecedented experiences resulted in prime-time documentaries that won three Emmys. They live in Ketchum, Idaho.

Table of Contents

Foreword Marc Bekoff, Ph.D 9

Introduction 13

1 Earning Trust 23

2 Family First 45

3 Lead with Kindness 69

4 One for All 87

5 Never Stop Playing 99

6 Teach the Young, Respect the Old 119

7 Stay Curious 139

8 Find Compassion 155

9 Cherish One Another 173

10 The Wolf in the Mirror 197

Acknowledgments 209

About the Authors 213

About Living with Wolves 217

Editorial Reviews

02/19/2018
The Dutchers (The Hidden Life of Wolves) are sentimental but not saccharine as they fondly recount their time with the Sawtooth Pack, a grouping of wolves that Jim constructed in the Idaho wilderness nearly three decades ago from litters of pups in order to film their social behaviors. The authors challenge the cultural perception of wolves as ruthless with more positive stories of wolf behavior, arguing that “many of the qualities that make a wolf successful at being a wolf also represent the best in human nature” and organizing their observations into categories of virtuous behaviors such as “Lead with Kindness,” “Never Stop Playing,” and “Find Compassion.” The Dutchers revel in the wolves’ individual personalities, sharing stories as if they were doting grandparents (“it was absolutely endearing to watch the three pups try to howl”). Each author’s prose is subtly distinctive; Jim brings in a smattering of history and politics, while Jamie tends more toward gentle anthropomorphizing. This optimistic expression of faith in the everyday wisdom of wolf and humankind alike shows the wolves as a reflection of the best in humans. B&w photos. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

The Dutchers’ captivating account reveals wolves as emotionally intelligent creatures capable of empathy, compassion, apology, encouragement and forgiveness. Perhaps learning and observing wolves can make us better humans. If nothing else, this book will have you YouTube-ing “awesome wolf pack howl,” and hopefully it’ll ignite a passion to save their habitat so they can have thriving families, too.” –Esquire

"Dutcher et al. followed one pack of wolves over several years to examine our assumed role as stewards of the world from a new, but also ancient angle." –RealClear Life 

“Writing in alternate chapters in "The Wisdom of Wolves," Jim and Jamie look back on their experiences and make a heartfelt plea for smarter and kinder treatment of these majestic animals.”
–The Washington Post

"The long-time wolf advocates want to see wolves understood in a new way, because, as the Dutchers write in their book, "As it happens, many of the qualities that make a wolf successful at being a wolf also represent the best in human nature." —Mother Nature Network

"The couple has produced an enthralling addition to their body of work. Their latest effort...reveals under wolves’ furry hides a surprisingly human face." —The Epoch Times

"The Dutchers’ captivating account reveals wolves as emotionally intelligent creatures capable of empathy, compassion, apology, encouragement and forgiveness. Perhaps learning and observing wolves can make us better humans. If nothing else, this book will have you YouTube-ing “awesome wolf pack howl,” and hopefully it’ll ignite a passion to save their habitat so they can have thriving families, too." —Esquire

"Through the stories and life lessons in the book—which also features black-and-white photography from the Dutchers’ time with the wolves—the couple hopes readers can get a better picture of wolves and glean some of the wisdom they imparted to the Dutchers."—Idaho Mountain Express
 
“The authors challenge the cultural perception of wolves as ruthless with more positive stories of wolf behavior…sharing stories as if they were doting grandparents. This optimistic expression of faith in the everyday wisdom of wolf and humankind alike shows the wolves as a reflection of the best in humans.” –Publishers Weekly
 
“An accessible book for nature lovers that imparts wisdom for humanity. For all readers in need of a reminder to be the best that they can be.” –Library Journal

"Those who read this book will have a greater understanding of these charismatic animals (who share an ancestor with our domestic dogs), and, it is hoped, will be inspired to become active stewards of the wild world."  –The Bark

"This book could not be more welcome, both as inspiration and educational tool, at this time of great uncertainty for America’s wolves." –Endangered Species Coalition blog

“I found each chapter so enlightening and meaningful, and I feel as though I learned more about life from this short book than I have in a long time.” –Forever Lost in Literature

“Jim and Jamie Dutcher offer a rare and insightful view into the hidden lives of wolves. Though this species is often misunderstood, these remarkable animals have much to teach us if we will take the time to learn.”—Robert Redford 
 
“There is only one way to really understand animal behaviour, and that is to spend months and months patiently observing and learning not just about them, but from them. As I did with the chimpanzees. And Jim and Jamie Dutcher have done just that, living for years with the wolves of the Sawtooth Pack in a tented camp in the Idaho wild. In this compelling book they share with us the insights gained by hours and hours of study, providing us with a window through which we can learn about the world of a family of wolves. If you ever doubted that wolves have rich emotional lives those doubts will be swept away as you read about the close bonds between the members of this pack, how they care for each other, and how they cooperate. In many ways they are like us: clearly they experience emotions of joy and grief and suffering just as we do. They are so intelligent, so in harmony with the natural world that they have much to teach us. How tragic that the wolf, ancestor of the domestic dogs with whom we share our lives, is so misunderstood. I believe that this book, so compelling in its authenticity, will help you understand why I feel shocked and saddened by the way that wolves are misunderstood and persecuted. And you will, I am sure, want to join the fight to protect them.”—Jane Goodall“The Dutchers have ended up producing one of the most intimate portraits ever made of the North American gray wolf. Though it has taken years, their study of the Sawtooth pack has proven deeply insightful, with riveting stories and stunning photography.  This is a body of work that will stand the test of time.”—Joel Sartore, National Geographic fellow and founder of the Photo Ark
 
“Wolves are both the most hated and best loved animal in North America. That is partly because we don’t know them. We make them a character in our own cartoon—villain or savior. Wolves really are—as this book explains so beautifully—complex, devoted, loyal, and yes sometimes fierce creatures. In them it is easy to see ourselves reflected, because wolves are more like us in their approach to life and family than any other creature. I invite you into this lovely and graceful book, not just because wolves are full of surprises but because by knowing them better we can better understand ourselves.”—Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel
 
“Beautifully intimate stories of wolves being wolves that might even teach us to be better humans. The Dutchers' love and respect for wolves shines [howls] throughout this book. Touching, intimate portraits of an unfairly maligned species. As watchers of [and listeners to] wolves, the Dutchers don't miss a thing. They do real justice to these glorious canids.”—Jennifer S. Holland, author of the New York Times best-selling Unlikely Friendships series 
 
“With passion and a personal flair, the Dutchers once again roll out an intimate story about wolves. Drawing upon their deep knowledge gained from countless hours spent with the Sawtooth wolf pack, Jim and Jamie relate rarely seen wolf behaviors, even emotions, connecting them to wild wolf packs which helps interpret what is observed in places like Yellowstone and Denali national parks. Written by each of them in alternating chapters, they reveal much too about their story and how their love of wolves and each other came to be.”—Douglas W. Smith PhD, Senior Wildlife Biologist, Yellowstone National Park
 
“In their wonderful new book, The Wisdom of Wolves, Jim and Jamie Dutcher provide convincing evidence that wolves are our finer selves.”—Mark Derr, author of Dog’s Best Friend, A Dog’s History  of America, and How the Dog Became the Dog

From the Publisher

03/01/2018
Should wolves be allowed to return to the former lands of their ancestors? For naturalists Jim and Jamie Dutcher, life with the wolves is fascinating. Each day, for numerous years of observations and research, they have followed the Sawtooth Pack in Idaho, learning amazing family values of pack behavior. This extensive research also leads to probing questions: Can humans and wolves peaceably coexist? Ranchers now occupy these areas and live uncomfortably with the animals, which are often viewed as the nightmares of fairy tales. The lessons the authors learn are surprising in that humans still have difficulty with these values. Previously, the couple has combined their talents into books such as The Hidden Lives of Wolves and the documentary, Wolves at our Door. In alternating chapters, the authors describe the inner lives of the Sawtooth Pack, especially in regards to trust, respect, curiosity, compassion, playfulness, unity, and loyalty—cherishing each moment and each individual. VERDICT An accessible book for nature lovers that imparts wisdom for humanity. For all readers in need of a reminder to be the best that they can be.—Teri Davis, Council Bluffs, IA

Library Journal