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Animals Behind Bars
Provides the facts about how we treat animals in captivity and what goes on in their minds. Find out both sides of the argument on animal rights and make your own decisions. Are experiments on animals ever justified? Should we all become vegetarians? Are zoos nothing more than animal prisons? Do animals suffer in the same way we do? Once you have heard all the arguments, things might not seem as straightforward as you'd thought. Is there any such thing as a dumb animal? Or is it just humans who are stupid?
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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June 1, 2014
Surprisingly, for a book written in 1999, much of the information isn't out-of-date. The topics it deals with, animal living conditions in zoos, factory farms, and research laboratories are discussed well and looked at in a rather balanced perspective, though there's a slant towards the side of the animals. The author brings up relevant points to the discussion and supports them well. It's well-written and easy to understand.
Due to the book's relatively old-age, I was a little sceptical of its claims. So, I did a little research on the Farm Sanctuary, ASPCA, AWI, and WSPA websites to see if the cruelties in factory farms described in the book still go on today. They do. And I don't think the author even mentioned foie gras. Developments such as synthetic leather and meat will end this soon, I hope (watch Andras Forgacs' TED talk). I just wonder why more money isn't going into them.
The zoo living conditions still happen here and there, unfortunately. Just look at the Changsha Ecological Zoo (tiger tug-of-war played with a live chicken) and the Copenhagen Zoo (killing animals! Shooting giraffes!). Even my local zoo needs some work.
Research lab animal cruelty still goes on, with China allowing only animal-tested products to be sold in the country. I can't find anything about testing on micro-organisms, hydras (the invertebrate), protozoa, and bacteria like the author suggests, though. I wonder where she got it from. PETA, Humane Society, and Cruelty-Free International have pages on animal testing alternatives (they don't mention testing on micro-organisms, though). There are even complaints from doctors and researchers themselves on how animal testing slows down the process of developing new cures. Look at Siddharthan Chandran's TED talk. I think the EU banned the sale of animal-tested cosmetics recently, which is a cause for celebration.
The thing I don't quite like about this book is that the author doesn't have a bibliography or list of works cited. She should at least tell us where she got her information from. Other than that, the book is a good discussion on animal rights and human ethics, and is surprisingly not outdated.
Due to the book's relatively old-age, I was a little sceptical of its claims. So, I did a little research on the Farm Sanctuary, ASPCA, AWI, and WSPA websites to see if the cruelties in factory farms described in the book still go on today. They do. And I don't think the author even mentioned foie gras. Developments such as synthetic leather and meat will end this soon, I hope (watch Andras Forgacs' TED talk). I just wonder why more money isn't going into them.
The zoo living conditions still happen here and there, unfortunately. Just look at the Changsha Ecological Zoo (tiger tug-of-war played with a live chicken) and the Copenhagen Zoo (killing animals! Shooting giraffes!). Even my local zoo needs some work.
Research lab animal cruelty still goes on, with China allowing only animal-tested products to be sold in the country. I can't find anything about testing on micro-organisms, hydras (the invertebrate), protozoa, and bacteria like the author suggests, though. I wonder where she got it from. PETA, Humane Society, and Cruelty-Free International have pages on animal testing alternatives (they don't mention testing on micro-organisms, though). There are even complaints from doctors and researchers themselves on how animal testing slows down the process of developing new cures. Look at Siddharthan Chandran's TED talk. I think the EU banned the sale of animal-tested cosmetics recently, which is a cause for celebration.
The thing I don't quite like about this book is that the author doesn't have a bibliography or list of works cited. She should at least tell us where she got her information from. Other than that, the book is a good discussion on animal rights and human ethics, and is surprisingly not outdated.
Displaying 1 of 1 review