Since I’m in the middle of writing a rather substantial essay over at Smite Me!, not to mention devouring all my wonderful new books, I haven’t had as much time to post over here as I’d like. So I thought I might dig into the archives - like, way back, as far as my pre-blogging days - and post an older book review that I wrote for Amazon in 2003 (in other words, this book review was actually quite current when I first wrote it!). Dominion is an older book and, as you’ll see from the review, not explicitly pro-animal rights, but it’s still one I’d recommend, as it’s for the most part a powerful animal-friendly piece.

This blog started out as a Yahoo Group, and for a short time we had a nice little book club going. When I say “a short time”, I think this was our only selection. ‘Twas fun while it lasted, though!

(Crossposted to.)

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Oh yays! The lovely Kara from Lantern Books sent me two ARCs (Advance Reading Copies), and I’m psyched about them both: Strategic Action for Animals by Melanie Joy and Social Creatures: A Human and Animal Studies Reader, edited by Clif Flynn.

Strategic Action looks as first glance as though it will make a nice supplement to Striking at the Roots, and Social Creatures is an anthology of essays on anthrozoology. So, yays all around!

Lantern Books has a pretty interesting selection of new releases, not all of which deal with animal advocacy issues. For example, there’s a book on male aggression (Boys Will Be Boys) and another about the Columbine school shootings (No Easy Answers). So, go check ‘em out. As of last month, they’re also on Library Thing - so if you’re an Early Reviewer (and, um wtf wouldn’t you be, you silly bird?), maybe you’ll be able to snag a Lantern book via LT. Last go-round they offered up 15 copies of Aftershock, with 321 members requesting a copy…not too shabby!

I also treated myself to a few early birthday presents - a subscription to Veg News (The two-year subscription comes with a free tote, which is friggin massive. I should be able to cram an entire Whole Foods trip into it. Well, almost. All that Purely Decadent ice cream might put me over the top.), and three more books: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (I was reading a library copy, but I ran out of renewals!), The Caged Virgin by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and Thirty Ways of Looking at Hillary, another anthology of essays.

Oh mans, I love book piles. Maybe a little too much.

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Tagged: books shout out lantern books strategic action for animals social creatures activism animals animal rights animal welfare animal activism animal advocacy anthrozoology flickr photos

Another review, this time of some leisure reading gifted to me for FSMas by my Mom: The World Without Us by Alan Weisman (2007). Amazon review here, LT review here.

Enjoy!

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Theresa Cheung’s THE IBS HEALING PLAN: NATURAL WAYS TO BEAT YOUR SYMPTOMS isn’t explicitly a veg*n book; in fact, the author only discusses the benefits of a vegetarian diet in treating IBS for two short paragraphs (that’s half a page, for you bean counters). Even so, I thought I might post the review here, since I was already writing one for Library Thing and all. Besides, animal rights activists are more likely than not to be female, as are IBS sufferers, and a diet plays a key role in each. So I’m sure there’s some crossover there, is what I’m saying.

Since I reviewed an advance copy of the book, I haven’t yet been able to post my review to Amazon, so sorry but no permalink. Try checking back on or after April 28, 2008 - or, if you’ve got a Library Thing account, go give me some props there.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for my hourly fiber fix. Ahem.

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As promised earlier in the week, here’s my review of Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism, by Mark Hawthorne. I actually devoured the first ten chapters in like two days, starting on Super Bowl Sunday…and then it took me way too long to get back to it. Go figure.

If you’re interested in buying a copy - which, hello, I totally recommend! - please consider paying a wee bit extra and purchase it from a veg*n vendor. As Mark points out, “One easy way to help animals is to support vegan stores and animal-rights organizations” - so here’s his list of animal-friendly outlets that are stocking his book. Even if you can only afford to forgo the big box stores every once in awhile, your buying habits definitely make a huge impact - so vote with your wallet, people!

That said, so consider dropping by Amazon to give my review a thumbs-up. LibraryThing too!

kthnxbai.

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Yo! It’s time for another easyVegan Shout Out!

This one’s to Mark Hawthorne, author of Striking at the Roots, who so graciously send me a copy to read and review. (Thanks, Mark!)

I’m a bit behind the curve on this one - seems like everyone and their dogs have already read it (there’s even a Wiki entry!) - but I’m working on it and hope to have a review soon. I just got the book yesterday, and have already given it a few skim-throughs. Looks like a good read. (And the cover is super-cute, too!)

In the meantime, go check out some of Mark’s other stuff. I recommend starting with Satya (rest in peace, my mostest favoritist animal lib magazine evah!) and then catching up on some of his more recent writings. (Ironically, there’s also a Mark Hawthorne who works as the Managing Director of McDonald’s. Unless Mark is going deep undercover, assume that they aren’t one in the same, and skip right through McD’s propagandtastic press releases.)

More info about Striking at the Roots after the jump.

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When Claude and Medea: The Hellburn Dogs fell out of my big fat swag bag from Lantern Books, I must say that I was a little…what’s the word?…apprehensive, maybe? I don’t have any kiddos, don’t want any kiddos, don’t know any kiddos, and haven’t been a kiddo for quite some time. A spinster aunt in the making, I am. So I was a little worried about reading and reviewing a kid’s book. Afraid I wouldn’t be able to relate, I guess. Yeah, that sounds about right.

Claude and Medea was awesome, though. I haven’t enjoyed a kid’s book that much for, I dunno, twenty years. (Cause I’m 29. Get it? Cue knee-slapping.)

Yesterday was a nice sunny Kansas day, so I stretched out on the lawn with my kid’s book and the five furbabies, and got edumakated by the totally rad Ms. Rattlebee. Rennie, being the silly terrier that she is, tried her darndest to distract me from the task at hand. Wasn’t easy to resist the lil girl, what with her sad, ratty tennis ball and slobbery pink smile and all…

…but resist I did.

And here’s the Amazon review to prove it.

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W00t, here it is! Finally finished my review of pattrice jones’s Aftershock, which I totally loved. I also loved that I was able to squeeze all of my thoughts - or at least a summary thereof - into the Amazon review. (Probably due in no small part to the prelim/mini-review of Thursday last, in which I excised the copious quoting right outta my system.) Amazon, for those not in the know, caps reviews at a crazy 1000 word limit. I clocked in at 980, hence the w00t! I thought I was going to have to chop it up, like with my Bird Flu review. So w00t, w00t.

I’m still mulling over some of jones’s finer points, such as her building bridges / being bridges conclusion, mentioned briefly at the end of my Amazon review. Time permitting, I’d like to elaborate on that.

But for now, let me just add the following thoughts, which ended up on Amazon’s chopping block:

I love, love, love that jones used gender-neutral and alternating masculine/feminine pronouns and terms. And I super-love that she made a point out of explaining as much in the User’s Guide.

I love, love, love that she avoided citing and otherwise drawing upon animal-based research, sticking instead to psychological studies that utilized willing human volunteers. She has my undying admiration for that, since I’m sure it made writing Aftershock infinitely more difficult.

I love, love, super-duper-love that the issue of trauma and activism was approached from a eco-feminist, anarchist, humanist-without-the-speciesism, animal liberationist, socially progressive perspective. And the discussion remained rooted in sound social and biological science all the while! Totally awesome. Methinks we need more therapists - and activists - like jones in the world.

Amazon review after the jump. If you likey, please hop on over to Amazon and give my review(s) a helpful vote(s). Remember, the more votes I get, the further on up in the page my reviews will appear - thus exposing more and more Amazonians to a pro-animal view. So a vote for me is a vote for the fuzzy wuzzies, is what I’m sayin’.

/ groveling /

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So I finished Aftershock almost a week ago now, but haven’t yet gotten around to writing a review. Sure, I’ve given it an inordinate amount of thought, but that’s as much as I’ve mustered. Shocker, eh? It’s a wonder how I ever graduated college, I tell ya, wut with my perpetual procrastinating and all.

I can tell you, though, that the book was unexpectedly awesome. I say “unexpectedly”, not because I thought it would suck (I didn’t!), but because I’m not usually a fan of the whole self-help genre. Particularly when I’m “assigned” the book (for lack of a better term, in this case), and thus am not in need of the type of help offered in said book. Rather than shooting for folksy and falling just short of readable, Aftershock is the rare self-help/advice tome that manages to make the material accessible without completely dumbing it down for the lowest common denominator.

I also love, love, love that author pattrice jones approaches the issue from a vegan / animal rights / feminist / queer / ecological / radical / progressive perspective. More often than not, veg*ns and ARAs are ridiculed by social conservatives and “progressive” “liberals” alike; much like atheists, us animal rights “fanatics” are the lone group that manages to inspire scorn on both sides of the political aisle. Browse enough liberal blogs while agitating for animals, and you start to feel awfully isolated from other so-called lefties. So it’s really freaking awesome to find the topic of post-traumatic stress and depression among activists discussed with a deference to the experiences of animal rights activists.

Anywho, this is starting to sound like a review, so I’ll shut up now. Instead, I thought I’d pull some quotes directly from the mouth of existentialist - eco/anarchafeminist - lesbian - dreamer/blamer pattrice jones herself. Much to my surprise, “Quotables” was the most frequently viewed category in May…so I may as well give y’all whatchawant.

After the jump, words of wisdom via pattrice jones. Who is currently blogging at SuperWeed. So go give her a shout out, is what I’m sayin.

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Got another care package from the good folks at Lantern Books. Actually, I guess it was a few weeks ago now…wow, do I move slowly! Better stop dilly dallying here and get a-readin’.

Anywho, this time they sent me copies of Aftershock by pattrice jones (of Eastern Shore Sanctuary fame) and Claude and Medea: The Hellburn Dogs by Zoe Weil. I started Aftershock last week, right before my basement flooded and I became otherwise occupied with waterlogged books and moldy floors. So far, all’s good - I’ve got high expectations for this one. While you’re waiting for my slow self to post a review, check out this one from invisible voices.

On that note, I best retire to bed for the night.

Thanks again, Kara!

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare shout out lantern books books book reviews aftershock Claude and Medea pattrice jones Zoe Weil flickr

Well, it took me long enough, but I’ve finally read and reviewed Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching, by Michael Greger (2006). The review is posted on Amazon, but in the spirit of supporting independent publishing, if you decide to buy a copy, hop on over to Lantern Books to make your purchase. Dr. Greger has also made the book, in its entirety, available for free online: birdflubook.com - so really, you’ve got no reason not to read it.

Just to add to the review I posted on Amazon - a longer version of which I included after the jump - this is one of the rare books I’d recommend to anyone, veg*n or omni, ARA or anti. Greger does address animal welfare issues in the animal agriculture industry, however, this isn’t his main focus. Rather, he explains how our mistreatment of animals actually comes back to bite us in the arse, time and time again. For example, commonplace factory farming practices make livestock more susceptible to disease. Because of various anatomical and biological similarities that chicken and pigs (in particular) share with humans, these diseases reproduce, mutate and evolve in their avian and swine hosts until they’re capable of infecting people. Case in point: bird flu, which may very well cause the next global pandemic.

Given that Greger is the is Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture for the HSUS and was previously Farm Sanctuary’s Chief Medical Investigator, I think it’s safe to say that he’s a vegetarian or vegan, with at least a strong animal welfare streak. Even so, he avoids calling for the worldwide adoption of veganism. His most radical suggestion is a global moratorium on (chicken) meat/egg production: cycle through the existing flocks of broiler and laying birds, and then simply stop breeding more in order to eradicate bird flu from all domestic bird sources. Implicit in the plan is the eventual return to chicken and egg production, albeit on a less intensive scale (read: no more factory farming and artificially cheap meat). Not exactly ideal by animals rights standards, but still too radical to actually happen anytime soon.

So, while the book isn’t explicitly an animal rights (or even welfare) treatise, it does make a very compelling case for the humane treatment of animals - if not for their sake, then for our own. And, quite frankly, self-preservation might be the only argument to sway some hard-core omnivores.

If you’d like to learn more, Dr. Greger will be updating the online version of the book; he’s already noted some important corrections, such as how Tamiflu cannot be readministered through urine (!). He also maintains a newsletter, “Dr. Greger’s Pandemic Updates”, over at Google Groups. And do check out Dr. Karen Davis (of United Poultry Concerns) and Dr. John Oxford’s (.pdf; Centre for Infectious Diseases) reviews, too.

And, of course, a video summary for the bibliophobic among us:

If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my basement bunker fortress of solitude, rearranging my canned corn.

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Wow, has it been a month already?

Awhile back, you may remember, Lantern Books sent me my very first package of swag, which consisted of Dr. Michael Greger’s newest book, Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching, as well as Hillary Rettig’s recent release, The Lifelong Activist: How to Change the World Without Losing Your Way.

After a long delay, here’s my Amazon review of The Lifelong Activist.

And then ’scuse me while I go get moving on Bird Flu - which, I might add, is available in full online (!). How cool is that?

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I received my first package of swag in the mail Friday, so here comes the promised shout-out.

Sorry, I had to do that. Really.

Anywho - the good folks at Lantern Books sent me copies of Dr. Michael Greger’s newest book, Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching (tbr November 15),

as well as Hillary Rettig’s recent release, The Lifelong Activist: How to Change the World Without Losing Your Way.

Thanks, guys!

So far I’ve only had a chance to skim each, but they both look like good reads. Reviews forthcoming - I’ll post them here and on Amazon when I’m done.

BTW, if you haven’t yet, go check out Lantern Books. Their catalog focuses on a number of progressive topics, including animal advocacy, vegetarianism, nature and environment, and social thought. They also maintain a mailing list for animal advocates and NYC residents (sign up to receive notices of NYC events, and watch while this Kansan turns green with envy).

As always, if you’ve got a book, CD, movie, etc. that you’d like me to mention here and/or review - I like stuff. Especially free stuff. Details and contact info here.

An interesting aside on Bird Flu - one of my biggest gripes with the mainstream media is their (collective) bad habit of not following up on stories. I was recently considering this in relation to the whole bird flu scare (remember how the bird flu reports practically disappeared after 2004, even though the virus is still spreading today?), when I happened to spot a mention of the bird flu on the CNN ticker.

The general gist of it:

The U.S. government has approved the use of firefighting foam to kill chickens quickly if there is an outbreak of deadly bird flu in commercial poultry.

The Agriculture Department says water-based foam can be an alternative to carbon dioxide, which has traditionally been used to quickly kill large quantities of birds.

Foam can be used to suffocate floor-reared flocks _ chickens and turkeys raised primarily for meat _ to contain deadly bird flu, said APHIS spokeswoman Karen Eggert. Foam also can be used in outbreaks of rapidly spreading disease such as Exotic Newcastle, a fatal respiratory virus in birds, when state or federal officials deem it necessary.

And it can be used when birds are in structurally unsound buildings, such as a building damaged by a hurricane or other natural disaster, she said.

But in Canada, a senior official with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said this form of killing is not considered humane and Canada will not adopt the practice.

“The information that we have at this point in time suggests that rather than humanely destroying the birds, they in effect drown from inhaling the material, the water in it.'’

The practice has other critics. Animal rights advocates argue against using the foam because it suffocates the animals, and they are urging authorities to use gases instead.

Lovely. And in their true lazy, ADD-addled fashion, nary a word of this was said on CNN. Apparently, only the intern who operates the ticker thought that widespread, government-endorsed animal cruelty was worth a mention.

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Tagged: animals animal+rights poultry chickens birds bird+flu avian+flu shout-out activism book+reviews the+media lantern+books