Acclaimed author, neurosurgeon, and horse trainer Allan Hamilton offers valuable insights into human behavior drawn from a lifetime with horses.

Allan Hamilton sees humans as predators whose behavior is driven by the power of the pack—fight for what you want, strive to be on top—and asks what we would be like if we leaned instead on the harmony of the herd, a model in which members look out for each other and cooperate for the benefit of all. In particular, he applies what he has learned from decades of working with and training horses to ways in which humans can shape their own behavior and look at the world in a whole new way. Horses can teach us the importance of empathy, patience, communication, and adaptability, helping us to foster personal development, improve interpersonal relationships, and navigate the complexities of a world that often seems increasingly chaotic and overwhelming.

Allan J. Hamilton, MD, is a Harvard-trained brain surgeon, a renowned horse trainer, a developer of equine-assisted learning programs, and the author of Lead with Your Heart and Zen Mind, Zen Horse. He is a professor of neurosurgery at the University of Arizona, the Executive Director of The Arizona Simulation Technology and Education Center at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, and a medical consultant to ABC's Grey's Anatomy. Additionally, he has appeared on television programs including MSNBC, CNN, PBS, and the Discovery Channel and has been featured in national newspapers such as the New York Times, USA Today, and Newsweek magazine. He raises Lipizzan horses on a small ranch on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona.