Reviews (4)

A good survey of the animal rights movement
This book is a must-read for those who wish to understand the origins and evolution of the animals rights movement. While the authors are definitely biased toward animal rights, they remain objective when discussing thedifferences among the organizations and their leaders, giving the reader aneasy understanding of the many facets of the movement.The only thingmissing here is the range of voices and the passion of the individuals, asthe authors rely heavily on landmark philosophical books and not at all oninterviews.

excellent
This is an excellent book- intelligent, thoughtful and interesting.For the person who wrote from washington- get educated and stop relying on false assumptions regarding hunting and the meat industry.I reccommendthis book to anyone. Thanks!

Hated it
This book is poorly written.If you were very sick the medicine you would use to get better was tested on an animal would you rather die than get better?Hunting is ok.If people didn't hunt then the animals wouldoverpopulate and die.But people don't know this.I would not recommendthis to anyone.

Absolutely accurate, and detailed history!
Having been very active in the animal rights movement for many years, and, incidently, included in this book, I was exceedingly impressed by the well researched and accurate information contained therein.As much as Ithought I knew, I learned an enormous amount about the animal rightsmovement.

The Finsen's have no benefit to be gained, nor any reasonwhatsoever to temper their data in any direction, other than their respectfor life.Many who have written about the movement are leaders orassociates of organizations. However unintentional, their opinions and dataseem to slant toward their own interests or groups.

The Finsen's, here,accomplish what they wished to do, which is only to accurately relay thehistory of the movement, and document those groups and actions that havebrought about major change in the public's thinking of many controversialissues.

I am indebted to the Finsens for this exceptionally detailed andaccurate publication.I consider this book one of the very few that MUSTbe read by anyone who cares about, or works on behalf of, animals,everywhere. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

a good contribution to the debate
Many people enjoy hunting and subsist on what they hunt. They are careful, thoughtful people and this book clearly expounds the reasons they are hunters. With the growing controversy surrounding hunting, and the politically correct new-kids-on-the-block attempting to overturn generations of tradition and respectful hunting because of trends in popular "thought", books on the positive aspects of this tradition are needed. Whisker's book covers his side, and some chapters try to deal with opposing viewpoints, but in reality readers have plenty of opposing viewpoints out there and Whisker includes these only to make his readers aware that HE is aware.

Other books in this tradition that go well with Whisker: "Living Wild and Domestic" by Robert Kimber, Jim Posewitz's "Inherit the Hunt: A journey into the heart of American Hunting";James Swan's "In Defense of Hunting"; Books by David Petersen: "A Hunter's Heart: Honest Essays on BloodSport" and "Heartsblood: Hunting, Spirituality, and Wildness in America"; and the well written and philosophical "Meditations on Hunting" by Jose Ortega Y Gasset.

While reviews of this book focus on their particular side of the argument, potential buyers should be aware that this is a positive rendition of hunting and that they will be disatisfied, as many reviewers were, that everyone didn't agree with their own viewpoint. As hunters are often voracious readers and think for themselves, they will find much that they already agree with here--but articulated simply and straightforwardly. Whisker cannot support a side he does not believe in, and frankly I trust him only because he speaks from his heart and experience, not because he carries a repetitive mantra handed to him by someone else. I'm thankful he contributed to the debate.

I wish I could give this book no stars
Must we remain the brutal beings we once were? Just because we can do something does not mean we should or have the right to. Animals are not here for us to eat, wear or be entertained by -- and what a sick individual you must be in order to be entertained by slaughtering an innocent being in cold blood.

A better book to read on the subject would be "Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Animal Abuse: Linking the Circles of Compassion for Prevention and Intervention" by Frank Ascione. The type of violence that hunting perpetuates is a perfect example of the kind of macho nonsense that pervades our culture.

However, hunting is not the only form of animal cruelty, and this is why you should seriously consider going vegan. For yourself, the animals, and the planet Earth.

Hunting for the "Right" in Hunting.
This book IS very easy to read, a neccessary feature for most hunters. It shows the ongoing desperate search to justify this cruel and increasingly unpopular activity. The government coddled minority of hunters will find no new excuses for their obsessive, cowardly enjoyment in killling.

Is Hunting a "Right" or a "Privilege?"
The answer has various consequences. If it is a "right" it carries greater protection from intrusion. If it is a "privilege" it is something that cannot only be intruded on, but also denied.

Dr. Whisker presents several cogent arguments on several different grounds (constitution, nature, religion, etc.) why hunting is a "right" not just a "privilege."

In the academic tradition, the work is heavily documented and researched. And the socratic method is followed. But it is also an easy read for everyone to understand.

Highly recommended.

If it's noble, why spend so much time defending it?
A hunter with an advanced degree? Surely not! Read the book. And laugh to yourself about how the stereotype of hunters as ignorant hicks just keeps perpetuating itself...The author is no exception.

Damn, now where'd I put them Molly Hatchett tix? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

very impressive
This is a very impressive scholarly work. Basically, it's an overview of, among other things, all remotely philosophical issues that tie in with animals. One regrettable thing is that it's not available in paperback. Hopefully it will eventually be issued in paperback so it's cheaper.

Professor Shanks is also Vice-President of Americans for Medical Advancement. AFMA promotes human wellness by exposing the lost opportunities for cures and the life-threatening results of animal-modeled biomedical research. They educate the public, showing how government and charities misspend medical research dollars and place us at grave risk.

Animal-modeled biomedical research yields results that cannot be safely applied to humans. It diverts research dollars that should be going to proven methods of curing human disease.

They disclose how industry introduces and keeps unhealthy and often deadly products in the marketplace through animal experiments.

Here is some information on the book:

Animals and Science examines the debates, from the Renaissance to the present, surrounding issues of animal rights, consciousness, and self-awareness.

Are animals self-aware, conscious beings worthy of our moral respect? Do they have rights? What are our obligations toward animals? Humans have grappled with these questions for five centuries. Our answers have revealed a great deal about animals, and even more about ourselves.

Animals and Science examines what science has (and has not) taught us about the nature of nonhuman animals and explores the moral, religious, social, and scientific implications of those teachings. It shows how the scientific study of animals, especially their cognitive abilities, has transformed our understanding of them. Animals and Science traces our evolving understanding of animal pain and considers its moral relevance to humans. It discusses Darwin's belief-shattering notion that species differences are not absolute, then traces its impact to the present day.

Ultimately, Animals and Science is about the nature of science-the kinds of questions science can and cannot answer, and the role of theory in shaping the interpretation of evidence.

Features
12 thought-provoking essays trace the evolution of our ideas about animals and their impact on science, medicine, and society
The book includes an extensive collection of primary source documents, ranging from Thomas Aquinas's Summa contra Gentiles to Peter Singer's Animal Liberation

Highlights
Explores the moral debate ignited by the scientific discovery that animals and humans experience pain the same way, and chronicles the resulting emergence of animal welfare groups
Details how comparative anatomy and vivisection in the 16th and 17th centuries revealed structural similarities between humans and animals

Niall Shanks is professor of philosophy and adjunct professor of biological sciences at East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. He is the coauthor of Brute Science: The Dilemmas of Animal Experimentation. ... Read more

Book Description

The science of animal production has recently become headline news. The cloning of sheep, the use of pig xenotransplants and bovine somatotrophin, as well as mad-cow disease, are all examples of how livestock production is related to food safety, human health, ethics and quality of life. The relationship between intensive developed-world animal production and third world developments also raises ethical issues. These are just some of the topics addressed in this book, which has its origin in a special symposium held at the VIII World Congress on Animal Production in June, 1998, in Korea. Additional chapters have been commissioned for the book to improve its comprehensiveness. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fascinating Questions; What Are Your Answers?
Thought-provoking" is probably the best way to describe this book. A series of papers, primarily those presented at a 1998 symposium as a part of a Congress on Animal Production, each of which present some of the questions raised by many of the new and newer methods of production of animal protein for food. Essentially the questions raised revolve about the axis of, "What is it ethical to do in order to allow ten billion people to eat?" Several different perspectives are used as starting points, though the primary basis is that of Religion (abstract or particular). Answers are not all provided; these are left as an exercise for the reader. Though the book and the papers contained therein have their origins with professional ethicists, geneticists, and Animal Scientists, the layman can read and enjoy at least parts ~ large parts, i believe ~ of it. I suspect this would be a fine supplemental textbook for studies in either Ethics or Animal Production, or even other, less closely related science disciplines. Nevertheless, it does not "feel" like a pure textbook; i read it for interest's sake, and enjoyed it.

At last! - clarification of those ethical issues & choices!
Increasingly novel & sophisticated applications of science & technology to animal breeding and production are raising ethical concerns in many countries in an era when public caring and spiritual values are widely rising. Ethical, political and trade issues in how we treat farm animals have become headline news. To name but a few: quality of life in factory farming systems; cloning; genetic engineering; "Mad Cow" disease (BSE); transplantation of animal organs into humans; bovine & porcine somatotrophin. Complex cultural, emotional, philosophical and spiritual reactions have emerged to the economic, scientific and technical developments in agriculture. At last an authoritative textbook has emerged to guide us through this tangled and growing web of concern, conflict and debate. This excellent new book "Livestock, Ethics & Quality of Life" does not seek to thrust answers upon us but to clarify the arguments and issues for us so that we can review and understand the range of approaches available and make our own informed assessments. Our way is then cleared to choose a forward direction that is based on clarity, discernment and wisdom rather than fantasy, fear and muddled thinking. It originated in a special symposium held at the 1998 World Congress on Animal Production but additional chapters have been specially commissioned to provide a more comprehensive and balanced account. ... Read more

Book Description

Spiritual teachings come in many forms. For Jan Kolb, teachers belonging to the animal kingdom, particularly Rochester the cat, showed her how animals help humans to be sensitive, courageous - even telepathic - and how their unconditional love can ease our emotional wounds and open our hearts.

This very personal book of experiences, sharings, confessions, and deep thoughts sings the author's praises of all God's creatures through photos, poems, and meditations. With heartwarming stories on the spirituality of animals, especially our animal companions, as well as accounts of senseless cruelties to innocent beings, this book lends an impassioned voice for examining animals rights from Mother Nature's point of view. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Thought provoking with a lot of inspiration thrown in.
It's amazing to me that a book like this takes so long to be discovered. The thoughts of the author are provocative, inspiring, and very helpful for people trying to come to grips with religaious views concerning animals. Agood read. You'll get a lot of answers, but you may also develop a longlist of new questions. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Great Debate
This book really was educational and helpful for me when I was gathering info for my debate on animal research! It has both the pros and cons of animal research for medical purposes. The stories are by medical researchers themselves and organizations. The book is informatitve and has lots of viewpoints that you'll find interesting! ... Read more

Book Description

Transcending the overplayed debate between utilitarians and rights theorists, the book offers a fresh methodological approach with specific constructive conclusions about our treatment of animals. David DeGrazia provides the most thorough discussion yet of whether equal consideration should be extended to animals' interests, and examines the issues of animal minds and animal well-being with an unparalleled combination of philosophical rigor and empirical documentation. This book is an important contribution to the field of animal ethics. ... Read more

Book Description

1899. Or Heart training through the animal world.Hunting; Vivisection; Docking; Cattle transport; Dress and fashion; Flesh as food; Sport and war; Treatment of criminals; Homes for animals; Heart training. ... Read more

Book Description

Hunting is an exceedingly complicated and sensitive subject, with outspoken voices on both sides claiming righteousness. However, there is a huge range between the extremes in which thoughtful discourse on the issue becomes an examination of what it means to be alive and the ethics of taking an animal's life. When the voices are those of writers and philosophers past and present, some who hunt and others who don't, the debate becomes enormously satisfying and far more subtle. On Killing is not merely an anthology of pieces written on hunting, it is a rich dialogue, reflecting the broadest spectrum of ideals, exploring what so many of us talk about or want to find new ways to articulate. For thinking hunters, fishermen, naturalists, philosophers, and anyone interested in challenging discourse, On Killing is a book not to be missed. (5 3/4 x 8 1/2, 268 pages) ... Read more

Book Description

A wonderful gift for animal lovers and activists, this set of cards offers 52 projects that help animals—one for every weekend of the year. Each card describes a different way to improve the life of an animal, or to effect change for thousands of animals—whether it’s cheering up a lonely "backyard dog," "veganizing" a cafeteria, educating your neighbors or providing your local birds with a bath. You’ll even find ways to help the environment or the homeless while you help the animals. The cards make a great tool for busy activists, a helpful guide for brand new ones—and provide one of the easiest ways yet for anyone to make a difference in an animal’s life. So, every weekend, pull out your Animal Rights Weekend Warrior and pick a card. No more excuses, no need to wait—you can be a warrior for the animals, every week of the year. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A wonderful and comforting book for all animal lovers
This book will be a marvelous comfort to those who love animals, especially those who are grieving for a lost pet.Even though it is full of Christian references, the underlying philosophy of the book can bringcomfort to those who, like myself, are not very religious in thetraditional sense and to those of other faiths as well.There aremarvelous and inspiring quotations about animals from many well-knownpeople that are included in the liturgies.For someone whose pet is sick,dying and yes, sadly, for one who's pet has passed on, to those who dealwith animal abuse on a daily basis to those who just love animals, thisbook brings spiritual comfort just by reading a few passages and can also,of course, be used by the clergy as inspiration or even read verbatim.Theauthor's comments on the similarity between our cruel treatment of animalsand the trials of Christ are illuminating, and for a Christian who lovesanimals this book will be of great comfort.And, for the rest of us,spiritual implications in this book affect us all.This book is really awonderful treasure of spirituality and love. ... Read more