Csányi, Vilmos 1935-

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CSÁNYI, Vilmos 1935-

PERSONAL: Born May 9, 1935, in Budapest, Hungary; son of Vilmos and Margaret (Illés) Csányi; married Éva Nádai, September 4, 1988; children: Julia, Gabor. Education: Eôtvôs University, M.A., 1958; Semmelweis Medical School, Ph.D., 1958; D.Sc, 1965.

ADDRESSES: Home—Belgrad Rakpart 13-15, Budapest, H-1056, Hungary. Office—Eôtvôs Loránd University, Pázmány sétány 1/C, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary.

CAREER: Chinoin Pharmaceutical Company, Budapest, Hungary, research chemist, 1958; Semmelweis University, assistant professor of medical chemistry, 1958–73; Eôtvôs University, Budapest, professor and head of department of ethology.

MEMBER: Hungarian Academy of Science, Hungarian Ethological Society, Hungarian Biological Society, Gen Evolution Research Group, Humanethology Society, Language Origin Society, European Academy of Arts and Sciences.

WRITINGS:

NONFICTION

Sejtbiológia, Gondolat (Budapest, Hungary), 1970.

Magatartásgenetika, Akadémiai Kiadó (Budapest, Hungary), 1977.

Az evolúció általános elmélete, Akadémiai Kiadó, 1979, translation by Anna Balázs published as General Theory of Evolution, 1982.

Evolutionary Systems and Society: A General Theory, Duke University Press (Durham, NC), 1989.

(With others) The Evolution of Cognitive Maps, 1993.

Etológia, Nemzeti Tankônyvkiadó (Budapest, Hungary), 1994.

Viselkedés, gondolkodátársadalom: Etológiai megközelités, Akadémiai Kiadó (Budapest, Hungary), 1994.

(With others) Changing Visions, Human Cognitive Maps: Past, Present and Future, Adamantine Press (London, England), 1996.

Az emberi természet: Humánetológia, Vince (Budapest, Hungary), 1999.

(With Csaba Pléh and George Kampis) A Megismeréskutatás útjai, Akadémiai Kiadó (Budapest, Hungary), 2000.

Van ott valaki?: Válogatott irások, Typotex (Budapest, Hungary), 2000.

Bukfenc mindent tud, Vince Kiadó (Budapest, Hungary), 2002.

Jeromos, a barátom, Vince Kiadó (Budapest, Hungary), 2002.

If Dogs Could Talk: Exploring the Canine Mind, translation by Richard E. Quandt, North Point Press (New York, NY), 2005.

Contributor of more than 200 papers to professional journals.

FICTION

A Kentaur természetrajza, Helikon Kiadó (Budapest, Hungary), 2000.

A lény és az "orz" o: elbeszélések, Alibi (Budapest, Hungary), 2003.

Malion és Thea, elbeszélések, Kossuth (Budapest, Hungary), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: Vilmos Csányi is a Hungarian ethologist, or animal behaviorist. He has conducted extensive experiments with dogs, wolves, and their human companions, and his results indicate that common domestic dogs are frequently more intelligent than wolves or even chimpanzees. Csányi points to dogs' ability to subtly communicate with their masters via visual cues as something that no ape could manage so well. In his book If Dogs Could Talk: Exploring the Canine Mind he explains that dogs evolved from wolves alongside primitive humans, and thus developed uncanny connections with mankind. In addition to scientific discussion, Csányi adds anecdotal information about his own dogs, Flip and Jerry.

Reviewing the book for Library Journal, Edell Schaefer called it "a readable book that is highly recommended wherever there is a strong interest in the human-dog relationship." Csányi argues that dogs possess a high degree of intelligence, but he does not believe they have the capacity for considering the moral values of their actions. He does, however, think that dogs frequently imitate humans, and he even recommends the development of a breeding program designed to produce talking dogs. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly recommended If Dogs Could Talk as an "intriguing" book that "approaches the question of canine sentience using more science and less wishful thinking than one usually finds in the pet section of the bookstore." If Dogs Could Talk was also praised by Booklist contributor Nancy Bent, who pointed out the unique perspective afforded by the author, who is not only "a careful scientist, but also a dog lover."