Pets and their People
Pickup available at Bodleian Libraries, Broad Street
Usually ready in 2-4 days
Description
Description
A brilliant and fascinating book which not only the 60% of us with pets must read but so should the other 40%. - John Fletcher, author of A Life for Deer
Authoritative, insightful and illuminating. The latest of Foster’s celebrated endeavours to explore what humans are examines the myriad facets of pet keeping with compassion and humour, reflecting on the role that animal companions are undertaking on our behalf. - Dr Sean Wensley author of Through A Vet’s Eyes
Bestselling author Charles Foster provides an extraordinary mix of psychology, science and cultural history as he explores the fascinating relationship between humans and their pets.
We have been domesticating animals for over ten thousand years. Why do we want tame wolves in our homes, subdued wild cats on our laps and snakes draped like scarves around our necks? This great conversation between the wild and the tame is human history, human psychology, human politics and human sociology. Pets feature in art, poetry and some of our most popular stories. Is it because we ourselves are wild and so we want furry, feathered and scaly wildness in our lives? But on what terms? Have we tamed the wolves, or are wolves wilding us?
Pets and their People looks at the strange rapport between humans and their pets – or pets and their humans – at each stage of our lives. It takes bearings from every era of human history, asking how the special bond between owners and their pets has evolved, and what that evolution tells us about our own changing identity. Do we look to animals as moral – or other – role models? Do pets help us to communicate? Do they teach us about life and death? Can they show us who we really are?
CHARLES FOSTER is a Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. His previous books include Being a Beast (2017), The Screaming Sky (2021) and Cry of the Wild: Eight Animals Under Siege (2023).
VISIT THE EXHIBITION: Bodleian Library, Oxford Opening Spring 2026
- Hardback
- 176 pages
- Size: 234 x 156 mm
- c.40 colour illustrations
- ISBN: 9781851246465
- Publication: November 2025
Delivery Information
Delivery Information
IMPORTANT UPDATE REGARDING USA ORDERS:
We have resumed shipments to the USA. Parcels will be sent DDP (delivered duty paid), duties and taxes will be calculated at checkout and added to the value of your order.
GENERAL
We aim to dispatch your purchases within 3-5 working days. Your order will, wherever possible, be sent to you in one delivery. Occasionally we may have to send your order in separate shipments. If this is the case, you will only be charged the delivery amount quoted to you at the time you placed your order.
Delivery in the UK is made by first class post via Royal Mail or DHL. International delivery is made either by first class post or via courier (DHL), some international locations will take up to 4-6 weeks for delivery.
All delivery prices include handling, packing and insurance where appropriate. All prices quoted are for delivery to one address only.
Prices shown include all applicable UK taxes. Please note that international orders (including the EU) may be subject to local customs duties, taxes and delivery charges, which are levied once a shipment reaches your country. The customer is responsible for any additional duty, taxes or fees applicable in their country. Customs policies vary widely from country to country and we advise you to contact your local customs office for further information.
PICKUP
Our Pickup service is a convenient way for you to order online and collect your purchase in person at the Library. We aim to have your order ready for collection within 72 hours. You will be notified when your order is ready for collection. Please don't come to the library to collect until you have received the email notification.
Our standard delivery charges (exclusions apply*) are:
| Country | Order Subtotal | Delivery Cost |
| UK | Under £50.00 | £5.00 |
| UK | Over £50* | FREE |
| EU | Flat Rate Fee | £22.00 |
| International | Flat Rate Fee | £28 |
*excluding alcohol, artist work, furniture, heavy items and custom prints that will be courier delivered. Please see below and item pages for more details.
Age Restricted Items
Please note that age restricted products are available to be shipped in the UK only and will incur an additional shipping fee.
| Product | Additional Cost of Shipping |
| Duke Humfrey's Whisky | £5 |
Heavy Items - Standard delivery charges do not apply to the following heavy items due to weight and volume:
- The Bodleian Curators' Chair
- The 'Baby Bod' Curators' Chair
- Bodleian Readers' Chair
- Radcliffe Camera Model
- Radcliffe Camera Bookends
These items will be shipped via courier and the shipping charges include relevant insurance. Please contact customerservice@bodleian.ox.ac.uk for more information and for a shipping quote.
Custom Prints
Please note that a separate, additional delivery charge applies for Custom Print orders. Custom Prints are made and dispatched by a third party (Museoteca) on behalf of the Bodleian Libraries. Custom prints are dispatched separately from other products from the Bodleian Libraries Shop.
How to Cancel
To cancel an order with us, please contact us as soon as possible after placing the order. If your order has already been dispatched, you will need to await its receipt and then return the goods to us (should you still wish to cancel) unopened and in a re-saleable condition in order to receive a full refund of the purchase price. We will refund the standard cost of outbound delivery, but please note that you must arrange for and pay the costs of returning the goods to us.
For more information about cancelling your order, including your statutory right to cancel and what to do if your goods are damaged or faulty, see: https://www.bodleianshop.co.uk/pages/terms-conditions
Our "Goodwill" Refund Policy
In addition to your statutory right to cancel, we offer a "goodwill" refund policy. This does not affect your legal rights.
Under our "goodwill" refund policy, we will refund or exchange any goods purchased from us when they are returned in a re-saleable condition and accompanied by proof of purchase within 28 days of purchase. We will also refund the standard cost of outbound delivery. Return delivery charges are non-refundable unless your order is faulty or incorrect. Please note that pierced earrings, personalised items including bespoke prints, artist works and any item with a security seal where the seal has been broken, are excluded from our "goodwill" refund policy. The refund will be paid as soon as possible, but in any event within 14 days, following receipt of the returned goods. We recommend that you use a recorded delivery service to return any goods to us, as we will not be able to refund any goods that have been lost or damaged in transit.
If you wish to discuss returning an item please email customerservice@bodleian.ox.ac.uk with your order number and item details and we will respond as soon as possible.
Our returns address is:
Retail Operations - ReturnsBodleian LibrariesBroad StreetOxfordOX1 3BG
