Animals Matter

November 12, 2007
Animal behaviorist and biologist Bekoff follows his most recent in-depth work, The Emotional Life of Animals, with another well-written, more generalist argument for responsible behavior toward animals of all kinds. A revised and updated edition of his 2000 Strolling with Our Kin, an introduction for young readers to ethical issues relating to the use of animals, the writing still feels aimed at younger readers, but the new elements include an excellent review of current debates regarding animal sentience, animal relocation efforts and medical school dissection and vivisection. He also offers the evidence that "zoos actually do little to increase biodiversity," failing both to advocate for conservation and in their attempts to reintroduce captive animals into the wild. This levelheaded brief for animal rights deserves to be read by people of all ages, from teens and 20-somethings turned on to animal activism by vegetarian pop stars like Moby, to parents, teachers and other adults with the hope that they will "make more responsible decisions after reading this book and discussing the issues with family and friends."

October 1, 2007
In an updated revision of the 2000 "Strolling with Our Kin: Speaking for and Respecting Voiceless Animals", with an added author's preface, a foreword by Jane Goodall, a small glossary, and updated relevant print and online resources, Bekoff ("The Emotional Lives of Animals") a specialist in animal behavior, cognitive ethology, and behavioral ecology, discusses topics pertinent to the animal-rights movement and differentiates between animal rights and animal welfare. Using relevant statistics to bolster his argument to treat animals with more respect, he addresses such themes as animal experimentation, the pros and cons of species reintroduction programs, and vegetarianism. Designed as a call to action for the young animal-rights activist, this book would make a nice addition for public libraries.Diana Hartle, Univ. of Georgia Science Lib., Athens

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2007
An updated and revised edition of an earlier work (Strolling with Our Kin: Speaking for and Respecting Voiceless Animals, 2000) published by the American Anti-Vivisection Society, ethologist Bekoffs latest work is a guide aimed at young people. Written to assist readers in forming their thoughts on how animals and humans interact, the book addresses broad concepts and raises questions about human treatment of animals. Thought-provoking topics include suchsubjects as the question of animal sentience, animal rights versus animal welfare, the rights of an individual animal versus the good of its species, captive animals in zoos and aquariums, whether humans should eat other animals, and dissection and vivisection. With short examples and provocative questions, Bekoff leads the reader through sometimes complex arguments.Although Bekoffs point of view is usually clear, he presents all sides of each topic in a clear and straightforward manner. This concise look at many of the hot issues in the animal-rights movement is a good addition to the philosophy collection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)