Of Mice, Models, and Men

Too much emotion and insufficient fact. This paradox has long characterized the controversy surrounding animal research.

Of Mice, Models, and Men is the first exhaustive treatment of all areas—empirical and conceptual—relevant to the use of animals in research. It is also the first study to combine regard for the welfare of laboratory animals with a knowledgeable acceptance of the continuing need for research involving animals.

The book has another rare quality. It is virtually devoid of any of the emotional and exaggerated attacks that have characterized many of the other publications in this area. Instead, it presents, in a manner accessible to both sides, all the relevant historical, social, and scientific information required to form an opinion on the subject. The book thus achieves a most difficult goal—that of bridging the gap between researchers using animals and animal welfare advocates, while pointing out the need for a more active program to promote laboratory animal welfare.

Andrew N. Rowan is Assistant Dean for New Programs, Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.