Recommended Reading
I have referred to many of these books in the pages of
this website.
(Note: I have chapters in both "In Defense of
Animals: The Second Wave" and "Terrorists or Freedom
Fighters.")
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Singer, Peter. Animal Liberation. Thorsons,
London. 1975, Third edition 2002.. Often called
"The Bible of the modern Animal Rights movement" --
though Singer doesn't actually argue for "rights." For me, and for many leaders of the animal protection movement,
this was a life-changing book. The author is DeCamp
Professor in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton
University.
CLICK
TO BUY
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Scully, Matthew. Dominion: The Power of Man, the
Suffering of the Animals, and the Call to Mercy. St
Martin's Press, New York. 2002. Former speechwriter
to President George W. Bush, conservative Matthew Scully has
written, exquisitely, a compelling argument for animal protection
on the grounds not of rights or liberation but of mercy. It
will appeal to all compassionate people but makes a
particularly good gift for those with conservative political
views and values. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Singer, Peter (editor) In Defense of Animals: The
Second Wave. Blackwell 2006 (available now).
A collection of essays. Philosophers examine the basis
for animal protection, and activists look at specific
issues, such as factory farming and vivisection, and also at
different ways of pursuing our goals. You'll find a more
extensive description at the Blackwell
website. My chapter is titled Moving
the Media: From Foes or Indifferent Strangers, to Friends.
CLICK
TO BUY (Caution -- If you buy a used version, be careful that you are
not getting the 1985 edition.)
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Singer, Peter and Mason, Jim -- The Way We Eat: Why
Our Food Choices Matter. 2006
This book provides thorough information on modern farming
and fishing practices, and information on what is behind
various labels all presented in an entertaining manner. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Best, Steven and Nocella, Anthony J -- Terrorists or
Freedom Fighters? Reflections on the Liberation of Animals.
Lantern 2004. From the http://www.CALA-online.org
website: "The
first anthology of writings on the history, ethics, politics
and tactics of the Animal Liberation Front.... This is a provocative
book that challenges the values and assumptions that pervade
our culture. Contributors include Rod Coronado, Karen Davis,
Karen Dawn, Bruce Friedrich, Kevin Jonas, pattrice jones, Ingrid
Newkirk, Tom Regan, Kim Stallwood, Paul Watson, Robin Webb,
Freeman Wicklund, Gary Yourofsky, and many others with a forward
by Ward Churchill."
My chapter is headed, From the Front Line to the
Front Page: An Analysis Of ALF Media Coverage. CLICK
TO BUY
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Coetzee, J.M. Elizabeth Costello. Viking. 2003.
Released the year its author, J.M. Coetzee, won the Nobel
Prize. It
feels less like a novel than a series of lessons hung together,
delivered by a fictional character who has much in common with
Coetzee. It includes the two lessons
that are the meat of the 1999 book "The Lives of Animals."
The arguments are radical, forceful, and of course beautifully
penned. This is a great gift for literary
minded friends in whom you'd like to encourage more reflection
on animal rights issues. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Coetzee, J.M. The Lives of Animals. Princeton
University Press 1999. Two lessons on animal rights, delivered
by the fictional character Elizabeth Costello, are included
in Coetzee's latest work noted above. This book also includes
responses to those lessons, by Marjorie Garber, Peter Singer,
Wendy Doniger, and Barbara Smuts. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Newkirk, Ingrid. You Can Save the Animals.
California, Prima Publishing. 1999. The head of
PETA has written this thoughtful look at animal suffering and
what we can do to help. Foreword by Bill Maher of "Politically
Incorrect" fame. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Masson, Jeffrey Moussaieff. The Pig Who Sang to the
Moon: The Emotional World of Farm Animals.
Ballantine. 2003. Masson intersperses heartwarming vignettes from the lives
of various types of farmed animals, with some gruesome information
on the way those animals generally live and die in our society.
I consider this to be a book for the general public rather than
for activists. It is a wonderful holiday gift for friends and
family who “love animals” but have not yet been able to extend
that love to those included in the traditional American diet.
CLICK
TO BUY |
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Ray Greek MD. and Jean Swingle Greek DVM. Sacred Cows
and Golden Geese: The Human Cost of Experiments on Animals.
Continuum Pub Group 2000. The Greeks argue beautifully against
vivisection on the grounds of bad science - the harm to
humans that comes from investing in animal experimentation.
CLICK
TO BUY |
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Blum, Deborah. The Monkey Wars. Oxford
University Press, 1994. Deborah Blum won a Pulitzer for the
series of articles which inspired this book. It explores the
politics of monkey use and abuse looking at the issues from
"both sides." This is an invaluable resource which
reads like a gripping scientific novel. An invaluable book --
one of my favorites. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Wise, Steven M. Rattling the Cage.
Perseus books. 2000. In this wonderful book, prominent animal
rights lawyer and law professor, Steven Wise, explores the similarities
between Chimps, Bonobos, and humans. He discusses the artificial
legal wall which separates us from all other animals. He argues
that granting the rights of bodily liberty and bodily integrity
to other Great Apes is the obvious place to begin breaking down
that wall. It is a little dry in places, but packed
with great information and a sound arguments. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Wise, Steven M. Drawing the Line: Science and
the Case for Animal Rights. Perseus books 2002. This
book received rave reviews in major papers around he country.
Wise extends his case for legal rights to include animals other
than apes. His comparisons of the cognitive abilities of various
animals with those of his four year old twins bring home
his point with a nice quota of charm, yet the book is hard hitting,
packed with scientific evidence and persuasive legal arguments.
CLICK
TO BUY |
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Eisnitz, Gail, E. Slaughterhouse. Prometheus Books.
1997. Ex-slaughterhouse workers, among others, blow the whistle
and give gruesome accounts of their work. This book
has been the basis for a good chunk of the major media coverage
given in the last couple of years to slaughterhouse violations.
It is sickening, but compelling and important. I recommend it
highly. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Adams, Carol J. The Pornography of Meat
Continuum. 2003. Adams argues that both the eating of
meat and the enjoyment of pornography rely on the ability to
see someone as something, and to divide the individual
into consumable parts. She points out that in pornography, women
are animalized, whereas in meat advertisements, animals are
sexualized; she includes reproductions of advertisements that
drive home her point. I thought some of Adams's arguments hit
the mark, while some seemed too much of a stretch for me to
swallow. The short book is definitely a fun, interesting, and
thought-provoking read. It is well worth taking a look at, particularly
good for anyone with an interest in feminism. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Newkirk, Ingrid. Free the Animals: The Story of
the Animal Liberation Front. Noble Press. 1992.
It reads like an adventure story but gives loads
of information about the early days of the Animal Liberation
Front and the animal rights movement in the USA. A terrific
read. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Patterson, Charles. Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals
and the Holocaust. Lantern Books,
2002. Isaac Bashevis Singer drew the comparison,
explored extensively in this compelling book. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Robbins, John. The Food Revolution: How your Diet
Can Help Save Your Life and The World. Conari
Press, California, 2001. An update on Diet for a New America,
written by the Baskin-Robbins heir who founded EarthSave, dedicating
himself to a global transition to healthier and more environmentally
sound food choices. I refer to this book often. It presents
an easy to read and convincing argument on behalf of a plant
based diet, for the sake of our health and the health
of this planet. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Frances Moore Lappe, Anna Lappe; Hope's Edge: The Next
Diet for a Small Planet. Hardcover. 2002. This
updated version of the original classic from thirty years ago
argues for a rejection of standard animal based diets.
It presents many of the same issues but also provides a wealth
of new discoveries in this era of genetically engineered foods,
worldwide famine, and growing rates of obesity-related health
issues. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Lyman, Howard F. Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth From the Cattle
Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat. Scribner, New York, 1998.
Here is a thumping good tale courtesy of Oprah's co-defendant
in the case against the beef industry. Besides being a
great read, it gives loads of detail about the dangers for all
posed by the beef and dairy industries. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Goodall, Jane. Reason for Hope.
Warner Books. 1999. I couldn't put this down. An inspiring
book by an inspiring woman, it tells of her work with the chimpanzees
of Gombe, and her work in the rest of the world, on their behalf.
CLICK
TO BUY |
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Spiegel, Marjorie. THE DREADED COMPARISON: Human and
Animal Slavery. Mirror Books, 1996. The title says it
all. Here is a one hundred page, one night read, that argues
its case beautifully using original source material, some great
quotes, and chillingly similar photographs of animal and human
slaves. The foreword by Alice Walker is a nice touch. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Marcus, Erik. Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating.
1997. This is an easy to read look into the health, ethical,
and environmental advantages of veganism. Research for the book,
was funded by the late, great, Henry Spira.
CLICK
TO BUY |
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McCarthy, Susan and Masson, Jeffrey Moussaieff. When
Elephants Weep. Delta 1996 (paperback). An easy
to read book that presents evidence for and a discussion of
the complex emotional lives of non-human animals.
CLICK
TO BUY |
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Spock, Benjamin, M.D. and Parker, Steen, J., M.D. Dr.
Spock's Baby and Child Care - Fully Revised and Expanded.
New York. Pocket Books. 7th edition, 1998. The chapter on
nutrition in this child-rearing bible is a joy for vegans to
read. Spock makes it clear that children do
best on vegetarian diets and that mother's milk, but never cow's
milk, is best for baby. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Oski, Frank A. M.D. Don't Drink Your Milk.
New York, Teach Services Inc. 1996. Director of
the Department of Pediatrics, John Hopkins University of Medicine,
explodes the milk myth. CLICK
TO BUY |
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Reibow, Verona and Dune, Jonathan. Vegetarian Cats and
Dogs. Harbingers of a New Age. Troy, Montana. 1995.
All the information you need on feeding your companions a vegetarian
diet. Publishers can be contacted at vegepet@aol.com |
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