Lise Forfang Grimnes and Andreas Haga - Selected Title Authors
We are happy to present our selected title authors Lise Forfang Grimnes and Andreas Haga. They have written Best Friend or Bacon? (original title: Bacon eller bestevenn?), which is illustrated by Thomas Madsen.
The book is one of NORLA’s Selected Titles of the spring 2024.
What is your book about?
It’s about the relationship between humans and other animals on Earth. We’ve selected six different species that we call the book’s superheroes: tiger, rat, pig, dog, horse, and human. Together with these superheroes, we embark on a journey of discovery that started 160 million years ago and ends with us today. We ask: why did the dog become man’s best friend while the pig became bacon? Why did humans become the bosses of all other animals – and are we really the best bosses?
We combine fun facts (rats can see colors we can’t!) and exciting research (pigs can play video games!) with philosophical questions.
This isn’t a romanticized book about how fantastic animals are; this is a truthful book about how unique all of us mammals are! To address the challenges related to the climate and the environment, we must acknowledge that we humans aren’t detached from the rest of life on Earth. We are part of the great interplay of nature. We believe this is a very important understanding to come to, and that it provides a foundation and hope for the future.
What sets your book apart from others in the same genre/theme?
The book combines scientific facts with current philosophical questions in a way that’s both accessible and easily understandable. The book is sort of divided into two parts. In the factual section, all the knowledge is drawn from recent research, and the book also has a solid list of sources.
At the same time, it’s a philosophical book. We want to invite the reader into a conversation about how the world should look and ask questions the whole family can discuss: is it okay to use rats in animal experiments? Does it matter how a pig is treated when it only lives for four months anyway? Is it okay to dress little Fido in clothes and call ourselves dog moms and dads?
It was important for us not to provide any definitive answers; we provide information and want the reader to come up with their own.
We wrote this book together. Andreas is a professor who cares a lot about subject matter and source criticism. Lise is an author and educator who wants to reach the reader with conversational, humorous language and a directly engaging narrative voice. And by the way, we’re married!
Read more
See full presentation of the book here
See all NORLA’s Selected Titles for the spring 2024 here
