Deb Burns: Great Minds & Fabulous Conversation

From left to right: Allan J. Hamilton, M.D.; Deb Burns; and Temple Grandin

Photograph by Jeannette Belanger of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy

I had the honor and pleasure of meeting two of our authors — Dr. Temple Grandin and Dr. Allan Hamilton — at the Pittsburgh airport and driving them to the Mother Earth News (MEN) Fair. Both were giving keynote speeches about the human–animal relationship. Allan spoke about how working with horses forces you to communicate without language and how that can help you grow in awareness, compassion, leadership, and understanding. Temple focused on practical techniques of working with animals, ways that keep them (and you) calm and safe.

The two had not previously met, but their shared interest in human and animal minds led to some fabulous conversation in the car. They both enjoyed the Fair enormously, mingling with the MEN-folk, chatting, posing for photos, signing books, checking out the workshops and booths. After Temple’s keynote she and I raced back to the airport, and I had another 100 minutes of conversation with this brilliant and unique woman.

— Deb Burns, Acquiring Editor, Storey Publishing

About the Authors:

Allan J. Hamilton, M.D., is a Harvard-trained brain surgeon, a renowned horse trainer, a developer of equine-assisted learning programs, and the author of Zen Mind, Zen Horse and The Scalpel and the Soul, which won a Silver Nautilus Award in 2009. He is a professor of neurosurgery at the University of Arizona and a medical script consultant for the hit television series Grey’s Anatomy. He raises Lipizzan horses on a small ranch on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona.

Temple Grandin is the best-selling author of Animals in Translation, Thinking in Pictures, and Humane Livestock Handling. Grandin’s humane livestock facility designs have been adopted all over the world, and she is a trusted advisor to several segments of the fast-food industry. Her work has been featured on 20/20, Nature, 48 Hours, and The Today Show. Grandin is assistant professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University.