The Animal Rights Crusade: The Growth of a Moral Protest

Gives a history and analysis of the animal rights movement, and describes its highly publicized protests of and attacks on laboratories, cosmetic companies, women in furs, rodeos, circuses, and zoos

YA-- This useful book traces animal welfare interest groups from their earliest beginnings to the present day. Conflicts between the meat industry, the AMA, and National Institutes of Health, and the hunting and trapping industries versus the various national animal organizations that object to inhumane and cruel practices for the sake of profit are dealt with dispassionately; both sides' views and concerns are explained succinctly. Many individuals from such fields as medicine, law, science, and education describe how they became involved in animal protection activism. YAs with an interest in political movements or in animal rights will find this history fascinating and helpful in deciding how to channel their energies. A wonderful chronicle of a movement that is becoming more and more vocal in our society.

Deanna R. Kuhn , Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA

Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

In the last two decades hundreds of thousands Americans have championed animal rights as part of a new, powerful and controversial social movement. In this lively, objective history, Jasper and Nelkin, sociology professors at New York University, define three types of animal rights organizations. ``Welfarist'' groups, e.g., the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, accept most current uses of animals in scientific experiments while seeking to minimize their suffering. Such ``pragmatist'' organizations as Friends of Animals condone the use of animals when the benefits are likely to outweigh the animals' suffering. Most militant are such ``fundamentalist'' groups as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that encourage tactics of intimidation and violence. The authors point out that the pragmatists have achieved many of their goals through negotiation and legislation and that the movement has accelerated development of alternatives to live-animal testing.

Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information, Inc.