I rather like the name this book had previously, A Heretic's Feast. I think the publisher was right to ask the author to change it, but still what improved the marketing lessened the interestingness of the title.
Well, what an amazing book. All through history, it seems people have questioned eating animals, in a way they perhaps haven't for other social issues.
I love how Safran Foer starts this book, talking about his grandmother's table. It gets very much to the heart of how, what seems an obvious improvement in the ethics of humanity, is actually so difficult. Caught up as we are in habit, story, family, friends, to make a change from these things is not easy for everyone, regardless of the ethics involved. Far easy to ignore any uncomfortable thoughts and conform.
If there were one book I would want people to read on how to make a vegan world it would be this one.
Cooney takes an approach I think we could do with a lot more of in our movement. Using science and data he looks at what these tell us about the most effective strategies for opening people up to a more compassionate diet and way of thinking.
This book is for everyone who doesn't think we can yell our way to a vegan world.
Using studies, reason and an easy to read writing style, Leenaert sets out his case for a pragmatic approach for behaviour change.
A section of the animal rights community disagrees with the general approach of using the science of behaviour change, preferring instead to go with a morality led approach. I can only echo Christopher Hitchens, in that if you don't have good evidence for your approach, then I don't need to engage with it until you do.
I had been vegan for a few years, done some volunteering for Animal Liberation Queensland, and read some of Peter Singer's other works before I finally read his classic Animal Liberation.
I didn't really see why I needed to read it, after all, I was vegan and very much believed in Animal Liberation. As fate would have it I was given two copies of the book in the same week, and although a sceptic I believe in fate just enough not to tempt very obvious expressions of its desires so I had little choice but to start reading.
"What the All-American Meal is Doing to the World".
This book is a landmark book, one of those I often saw quoted in cool articles, so it was inevitable that I would read it. It lived up to all my expectations.
The famous civil court case between the global might of the MacDonalds corporation, and two English vegetarians, is a lesson in how committed individuals can do great things.
What started our with MacDonalds trying to quash public debate about their responsibility to society, turned into MacDonalds worst nightmare, an expose on their labour, animal welfare, environmental and advertising practises. Instead of backing down, two activists decided to defend themselves against one of the largest food corporations in the world.
As someone who believes passionately in animal liberation, the fact that I have never gotten around to reading the ground breaking Animal Liberation by Peter Singer, was only due to slackness.
To make up for this, and to get a feel for Singers other writings, I bought this book for a bargain price and proceeded to read.
This beautiful book about the emotional lives of animals is one of my favourites.