No Animals Were Harmed
The Controversial Line between Entertainment and Abuse
- اطلاعات
- نقد و بررسی
- دیدگاه کاربران
نقد و بررسی
October 1, 2011
A provocative examination of the fine line between the use and abuse of animals. In a continuation of his study on the interaction of animals and humans, Laufer (Journalism/Univ. of Oregon; Forbidden Creatures: Inside the World of Animal Smuggling and Exotic Pets, 2010, etc.) opens the doors to the complex world of animal service and exploitation. What is the difference between use, misuse and abuse of animals? How does a person know an animal is actually enjoying itself? Do animals feel pain? Does a chicken raised specifically for meat suffer more or less at its death than a rooster raised specifically for cock fights? Is a circus act entertainment for humans or an enslavement of animals? These are some of the many troubling questions the author poses as he travels the world searching for answers. From a lion handler in Budapest to whale shows at SeaWorld to slaughterhouses in California, Laufer graphically details firsthand the varied ways humans and animals interact. Descriptions of canned hunts, dairy-cow abuse, vivisection and many examples of cockfights force readers to ponder the same questions as the author. Interviews with members of the Humane Society, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and numerous animal-rights organizations counterbalance interviews with breeders of fighting cocks, arsonists and many others who see no harm in how they treat animals. Laufer's compelling evidence will push readers to assess the distinctions between love and mistreatment among our animal brethren.
(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
October 15, 2011
Investigative journalist Laufer has written two previous books about humans' relationships with animals (The Dangerous World of Butterflies, 2009; Forbidden Creatures, 2010). On this outing, he tackles the ethics of using animals for human pleasure. In his meandering survey of the many ways humans use animals for entertainment, Laufer examines such disparate activities as cockfighting, swim-with-the-dolphins programs, hunting and fishing, and horse-drawn carriages. In first-person, interrogative style, Laufer reports on conversations with people from Prince Alia of Jordan to cockfighters, always probing the question of when animal use becomes misuse and then abuse. While he provides no easy answers, for his book raises as many ethical questions as it answers, his journey through the many forms of human-animal interaction gives readers new ways to ponder their own connections with the animals around them.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)
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