Animal Rights Books

A Rare Breed of Love: The True Story of Baby and the Mission She Inspired to Help Dogs Everywhere

Jana Kohl

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A tale of hope, courage, and the amazing journey of one special dog.

When you meet Baby, the first thing you notice is her limp. She only has three legs, you see -- she lost one following years of mistreatment at a puppy mill. But spend a little more time with Baby and her irrepressible "Ma," Jana Kohl, and you'll hear the story of how this gentle creature has gone from puppy-mill victim to celebrity "spokesdog" -- hobnobbing with celebrities, lobbying politicians, and inspiring an entire movement to end the kind of animal abuse she suffered for so many years.

Several years ago, Jana decided she wanted to buy a toy poodle. But the nightmarish conditions she was confronted with at a breeder's farm -- hundreds of dogs confined to small, dirty cages for their entire lives until they were killed for the crime of being too old to produce puppies -- opened her eyes to abuses in the world of commercial breeding. There are thousands of puppy mills all across the United States, and most of those cute little puppies in pet store windows are products of such nightmarish places. Jana knew this was a wrong she couldn't ignore.

Her first step was to adopt a rescued adult dog instead of buying a puppy from a commercial breeder. And that's how she found Baby, a roughly nine-year-old poodle who had been locked in a cage. But Jana's mission didn't stop there. Soon, Jana and Baby (whose sweet face and three-legged hobble attract attention wherever she goes) found themselves speaking to groups about the terrible conditions at many breeders' farms and urging politicians to change the lax laws that regulate this industry. Today, Baby is the unofficial spokesdog for the Humane Society of the United States on the topic of puppy mills, and she and Jana travel around the country lobbying for reform on this important issue.

A Rare Breed of Love contains more than sixty photographs of Baby with many of her high-profile fans, from Barack Obama to Judge Judy to Patti LaBelle, as well as original essays from luminaries such as Alice Walker and Gloria Steinem about the special love we all have for the pets in our lives. In this heartbreaking, compelling, and ultimately heartwarming book, Jana Kohl and Baby offer practical advice on what each of us can do to raise awareness, make a difference, and stop animal suffering everywhere.

The Horses of Proud Spirit

Melanie Sue Bowles

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Total reviews: 54 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

There are approximately seven million horses in America. Each year, over seventy thousand are abused, abandoned, and fated to slaughter by callous and irresponsible owners. With a heart as big as a pasture, author Melanie Bowles takes some of these horses into her sanctuary called Proud Spirit. Here, horses that arrive listless and broken find a home where they finally know safety.

The bond between horse and caretaker does not happen overnight. It hangs by a fine thread of trust that the author earns with endless patience and a full commitment to the well-being of the horses in her care. The horses, some of which have suffered severe abuse, astound her time and again with their ability to trust, return the love they are given, and enjoy the companionship of other horses.

You will meet a whole stableful of remarkable horses:

Dusty, a Thoroughbred who recovered from severe injuries to reveal a rambunctious personality and a knack for stealing hats;

Maddy, an old mare, and Dancer, a gallant Appaloosa, both of whom had been isolated for years but whose ecstatic first acquaintance at Proud Spirit was, mysteriously, like the reunion of two soul mates;

Annie, a little sorrel mare who will break your heart with her weary kindness and who found peace and compassion, at last, under an old oak tree in a pasture at Proud Spirit;

Wrangler, a Miniature whose premature separation from his dam turned him into a tiny tormentor. His rowdy innocence helped Marshal, a huge Palomino gelding with neurological trauma, become playful and engaged as he educated Wrangler in horsy manners. Horses of Proud Spirit is an homage to the spirit of these alluring creatures and a moving memoir of lessons learned in compassion, strength, and loss.

Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World

Bob Torres, Jenna Torres

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Diets & Weight Loss -> Diets -> Vegan

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 58 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Must Have Tough Skin 3 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I thought this book was good and provided a lot of information, but the authors were in my opinion, a bit too judgemental. Ive been a vegetarian for years and have been a vegan only a few months. It has been a challenge for me with determining whether a product has animal by-products. The authors make you feel like the worst person in the world if you call yourself a vegan and accidently eat a by product. They really hard core put you down if you are not a "perfect vegan" which earlier in the book they praised people for trying. Towards the end of this book it turned into a "BASH ALL THE VEGANS WHO ARE TRYING BUT MIGHT NOT BE 100% YET" which turned me more off to veganism than on. So, if you do not have tough skin, do not read this book.

Editorial Review:

Curious about veganism? Want to be a vegan? Already a vegan? Just wondering how to be vegan without going insane? In this informative and practical guide on veganism, team Torres helps you love your inner vegan freak. Loaded with tips, advice, stories, and comprehensive lists of resources that no vegan should live without, this book is key to helping you thrive as a happy, healthy, and sane vegan in a decidedly non-vegan world. Witty, opinionated, and eminently useful.

Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World

Bob Torres, Jenna Torres

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Not yet published By: PM Press

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 58 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Going vegan is easy, and even easier if you have the tools at hand to make it work right.  In the second edition of this informative and practical guide, two seasoned vegans help you learn to love your inner vegan freak. Loaded with tips, advice, and stories, this book is the key to helping you thrive as a happy, healthy, and sane vegan in a decidedly non-vegan world that doesn't always get what you're about. In this sometimes funny, sometimes irreverent, and sometimes serious guide that's not afraid to tell it like it is, you will:





- find out how to go vegan in three weeks or less with our "cold tofu method;"


- discover and understand the arguments for ethical, abolitionist veganism;


- learn how to convince family, friends, and others that you haven't joined a vegetable cult by going vegan;


- get some advice on dealing with people in your life without creating havoc or hurt feelings;


- learn to survive restaurants, grocery stores, and meals with omnivores;


- find advice on how to respond when people ask you if you "like, live on apples and twigs."





In a revised and rewritten second edition, Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World is your guide to embracing vegan freakdom. Come on, get your freak on!

Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy

Matthew Scully

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Total reviews: 97 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."--Genesis 1:24-26

In this crucial passage from the Old Testament, God grants mankind power over animals. But with this privilege comes the grave responsibility to respect life, to treat animals with simple dignity and compassion.

Somewhere along the way, something has gone wrong.

In Dominion, we witness the annual convention of Safari Club International, an organization whose wealthier members will pay up to $20,000 to hunt an elephant, a lion or another animal, either abroad or in American "safari ranches," where the animals are fenced in pens. We attend the annual International Whaling Commission conference, where the skewed politics of the whaling industry come to light, and the focus is on developing more lethal, but not more merciful, methods of harvesting "living marine resources." And we visit a gargantuan American "factory farm," where animals are treated as mere product and raised in conditions of mass confinement, bred for passivity and bulk, inseminated and fed with machines, kept in tightly confined stalls for the entirety of their lives, and slaughtered in a way that maximizes profits and minimizes decency.

Throughout Dominion, Scully counters the hypocritical arguments that attempt to excuse animal abuse: from those who argue that the Bible's message permits mankind to use animals as it pleases, to the hunter's argument that through hunting animal populations are controlled, to the popular and "scientifically proven" notions that animals cannot feel pain, experience no emotions, and are not conscious of their own lives.

The result is eye opening, painful and infuriating, insightful and rewarding. Dominion is a plea for human benevolence and mercy, a scathing attack on those who would dismiss animal activists as mere sentimentalists, and a demand for reform from the government down to the individual. Matthew Scully has created a groundbreaking work, a book of lasting power and importance for all of us.

Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food

Gene Baur

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Leading animal rights activist Gene Baur examines the real cost of the meat on our plates -- for both humans and animals alike -- in this provocative and thorough examination of the modern farm industry.

Many people picture cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens as friendly creatures who live happily within the confines of a peaceful family farm, arriving as food for humans only at the end of their sun-drenched lives. That's what Gene Baur had been told -- but when he first visited a stockyard he realized that this rosy depiction couldn't be more inaccurate.

Amid the stench, noise, and filth, his attention was drawn in particular to one sheep who had been cast aside for dead. But as Baur walked by, the sheep raised her head and looked right at him. She was still alive, and the one thing Baur knew for sure that day was that he had to get her to safety. Hilda, as she was later named, was nursed back to health and soon became the first resident of Farm Sanctuary -- an organization dedicated to the rescue, care, and protection of farm animals.

The truth is that farm production does not depend on the family farmer with a small herd of animals but instead resembles a large, assembly-line factory. Animals raised for human consumption are confined for the entirety of their lives and often live without companionship, fresh air, or even adequate food and water.Viewed as production units rather than living beings with feelings, ten billion farm animals are exploited specifically for food in the United States every year.

In Farm Sanctuary, Baur provides a thoughtprovoking investigation of the ethical questions involved in the production of beef, poultry, pork, milk,and eggs -- and what each of us can do to stop the mistreatment of farm animals and promote compassion. He details the triumphs and the disappointments of more than twenty years on the front lines of the animal protection movement. And he introduces sanctuary. us to some of the special creatures who live at Farm Sanctuary -- from Maya the cow to Marmalade the chicken -- all of whom escaped horrible circumstances to live happier, more peaceful lives. Farm Sanctuary shows how all of us have an opportunity and a responsibility to consume a kinder plate, making a better life for ourselves and animals as well. You will certainly never think of a hamburger or chicken breast the same way after reading this book.

Best Friends: The True Story of the World's Most Beloved Animal Sanctuary

Samantha Glen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Good animal stories 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This was a good book, but I was disappointed in the ratio of actual animals stories to chapters about the trials and tribulations of getting the shelter off the ground. I appreciate what a monumental task it was, but I was thirsty for more about the animals.

It's all about SOUL 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Best Friends is the story of how several dedicated animal lovers used all of their resources to become THE foremost Animal Sanctuary on Earth!

Angel Canyon, located in Kanab, Utah is a place where it's all about SOUL.

Best Friends Animal Society/Sanctuary understands that, whether two-legged or four-legged, we are ALL precious souls, who deserve love, kindness, respect and to be treated with a reverence for our precious lives.

That's correct: ANIMALS HAVE SOULS, just like we human animals do!
To think otherwise is to be ignorant, arrogant, speciesist, and one other thing: Wrong.

That is what makes Best Friends so special. They recognize and treat animals as their fellow souls.
We are all in this together. One life. One love. One Soul.

This book captures the love, the kindness, the dedication, and the soul of everyone at Best Friends,
four-legged and two-legged!

My favorite part of the book is the story about the two brother cats, Tommy and Tyson. The cats were born on the streets, because someone wasnt responsible enough to SPAY or NEUTER their cats.
A wonderful woman fed the cats and gave them fresh water, daily. While doing so, she noticed that the two brothers would always walk side by side, with their tails intertwined, as if they were Siamese Twins.
The kind woman couldnt understand what that meant. The woman realized that the cats were in danger, as they always crossed the busy City streets.
So, she contacted Best Friends.
Best Friends glady accepted the cats, and when the cats received a check-up from the veterinarian, the woman finally found out why Tyson and Tommy always walked together, with their tails intertwined: One of the cats was blind!! HIS BROTHER WAS GUIDING HIM ACROSS THE STREET TO SAFETY, BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT HIS BROTHER COULDNT SEE WHERE HE WAS GOING! That was why their tails were intertwined, and why one of the brothers seemed to be guiding his brother to safety......because he WAS guiding his brother to safety!

We can learn alot from our animal soulmates, if we only would take the time to watch them, and learn from them, and bond with them.

At Best Friends, all souls are treated equally, as one family.

That is why Best Friends are so loved around the world: they are the real deal.

I am honored to be a monthly donor to Best Friends' programs. I cant think of anything better to do with my money than to give it to my fellow souls who need it most: The cats, dogs, bunnies, etc of this world who are often neglected, or forgotten, or sent to a death chamber, even though they have not committed any crimes, and even though they are as equally precious as the rest of us.

This book offers a glimpse into the SOUL of Best Friends. I recommend it to any cat lover, dog lover, bunny lover, or to ANY animal lover for that matter.

This is a very special book, about very special souls, at a very special place.

To learn more about Best Friends, and all of the precious souls who live there, please visit: [...]

I hope that you enjoy this book, while cuddled next to YOUR precious cat or dog.
After all, they are precious souls, who happen to be members of the family, too!

Editorial Review:

The inspiring true story of Best Friends, the Angel Canyon, Utah sanctuary, and a few dedicated people who made it happen.

Animal Liberation

Peter Singer

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Total reviews: 98 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The fruits of atheism 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 44 people found this review helpful.

Singer would do well to read the Declaration of Independence, written by men far more ethical and wise than he:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

This simple yet profound statement cuts directly to the heart of the so-called animal "rights" debate and shines a glaring spotlight on the moral and ethical bankruptcy of those who equate animals with people.

Simply put, they do not believe in the Judeo-Christian God. Whether such a god exists is beside the point. The ethical nihilism that is the natural result of atheism leads irrevocably to acceptance of the position that animals and people are equally deserving of consideration and freedom. After all, they would say, all living things are the accidental by-product of a mindless system of natural law that did not have us in mind and cares nothing for us. If you accept that premise, it's obvious that animals and humans deserve the same rights, if they deserve any at all.

For those of us who believe in a God who created Man in His image, the animal rights argument rings hollow from the start. This stance must make the animal rightist howl with indignation as it appeals to an objective moral authority above and beyond that of any human mind, specifically Singer's.

Editorial Review:

The Book That Started A Revolution

Since its original publication in 1975, this groundbreaking work has awakened millions of concerned men and women to the shocking abuse of animals everywhere -- inspiring a worldwide movement to eliminate much of the cruel and unnecessary laboratory animal experimentation of years past.

In this newly revised and expanded edition, author Peter Singer exposes the chilling realities of today's "factory forms" and product-testing procedures -- offering sound, humane solutions to what has become a profound environmental and social as well as moral issue. An important and persuasive appeal to conscience, fairness, decency and justice, Animal Liberation is essential reading for the supporter and the skeptic alike.

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul: Stories About Pets as Teachers, Healers, Heroes and Friends (Chicken Soup for the Soul)

Marty Becker, Carol Kline, Mary Marcdante

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Total reviews: 90 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Warm and fuzzy 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Most of the series of 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' has the kind of warm and fuzzy story that many find endearing and sweet. They are not 'deep' most of the time, but do point to things beyond themselves; for my own use, I often find sermon illustrations and stories within the pages of volumes of Chicken Soup -- as chaplain at a retirement centre, many of the stories help people to recall happier times, and help them deal with their present situation.

This particular volume involves stories with animals. The relationship between animals and people of all ages can make for some of the funniest, most heart-warming, most sad, and most meaningful stories. There are contributing authors of some note (Barbara Bush, James Herriot, Jimmy Stewart, Gilda Radner, Art Linkletter) among other authors who had stories to tell and volunteered them. Much in the manner that Readers Digest accepts unsolicited stories from amateur authors, so does the Chicken Soup series. Often the most meaningful stories are those that happen to people who are not professional writers.

Few animals are left out here, as many animals have come to be companions with humans over the centuries. Dogs and cats feature prominently, as do horses and other farm animals, but there are also wolves, birds, dolphins, deer, wild turkeys, gorillas and even a Christmas mouse. The stories cover a wide range of topics, including pets as friends and healers, animals as rescuers and performers of other amazing feats, animals whose companionship meant a lot, and finally on the sadness and meaning of saying goodbye to an important family member.

Each of this stories can easily be read in a short time. This makes it a good source for 'falling-asleep reading', for use in public speaking and preaching opportunites, for shared reading-aloud times, and for simple enjoyment and entertainment. Many of the stories here are ones that stay with you; the story about the wild turkeys and the story of the Christmas mouse are stories I use again and again in my chaplaincy, and they are always appreciated.

The editors of the primary series 'Chicken Soup' are Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen; for purposes of this volume, they are joined by Marty Becker and Carol Kline, authors and animal-professionals in various capacities.

My cats give their paws-up to this!

Editorial Review:

Animals bring out the goodness, humanity and optimism in people and speak directly to our souls. This joyous, inspiring and entertaining Chicken Soup collection relates the unique bonds between animals and the people whose lives they've changed. Such as the dolphins who helped a paralyzed woman heal when doctors offered little hope; the dog who brought life into a failing marriage; the kitten who helped a mother mourn; and the flying squirrel who taught a man the power of laughter.

Packed with celebrity pet-lore, Chicken Soup for the Soul relates the unconditional love, loyalty, courage and companionship that only animals possess. Just like our furry, feathered and four-legged friends, this enchanting book will bring a smile to any pet lover's face ... and it's housebroken!

Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals

Karen Dawn

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Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The animal rights movement has reached a tipping point. No longer a fringe extremist cause, it has become a social concern that leading members of society endorse and young people embrace. From Michael Vick's dog fighting scandal to the incredible success of the bestselling Skinny Bitch veggie diet book, animal rights issues have hit the headlines—and are being championed by students and senators, pop stars and producers, and actors and activists.

Don't you want to be part of the conversation? In Thanking the Monkey, Karen Dawn covers pets, fur, fashion, food, animal testing, activism, and more. But as the title playfully suggests, this isn't like any previous animal rights book. Thanking the Monkey is light on lectures meant to make you feel guilty if you're not a leather-eschewing vegan. It lets you have fun as you learn about Paul McCartney's love of lambs and why Prince won't wear wool. You'll meet Fall Out Boy's Andy Hurley and Pete Wentz—and their favorite traveling companion, Hemingway, Pete's dog. You'll read why Natalie Portman, Alicia Silverstone, and so many of those skinny but not bitchy actresses won't eat or wear animals. And you'll laugh over dozens of cartoons from Dan Piraro's Bizzaro to other animal-friendly comics.

This fun primer for a smart and socially committed generation delivers some serious surprises in the form of facts and figures about the treatment of animals. Yes, it will shock you with tales of primates still used in animal testing on nicotine or killed for oven cleaner. But it will also let you lighten up and laugh a little as we work out how to do a better job of thanking the monkey.