I have been hearing great things about this book, Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals
and am definitley planning on picking up a copy! The author, Karen Dawn was honored with the outstanding activist award at the Farm Sanctuary Gala on May 18.
Her goal is “to tell you everything you wanted to know about animal rights—but were afraid to get into a fight about—and to let you weigh that information against your own values.”
The book is getting amazing reviews from Hollywood stars and others. Some endorsments:
“Vegetarianism was a source of Gandhi’s successful non-violence, and cruelty to animals is a predictor of everything from domestic violence to serial killing. With wisdom and insight, Karen Dawn introduces readers to the fact that animal rights are an organic part of social justice movements everywhere. Her book is a bridge between worlds for both the committed and the curious.”— Gloria Steinem
“I am sick of being ignorant! This book is education with a smile, information with a kiss from a dog who just drank out of a toilet, and should be required reading for all college students.”— Anthony Kiedis – Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Karen Dawn’s work is powerful — compelling and well-argued, intellectually sound and passionate.”— Paul Haggis, Oscar-winning writer/director of Crash
“Thanking the Monkey is fun, and it will give people information they wish they had all their lives. I can’t wait to give one to everybody I know. It is going to change the world.”— Rory Freedman, co-author of New York Times number one bestseller Skinny Bitch
"This is a book that brings up a view of animals that should be part of mainstream thought. I applaud its publication.”— Bill Maher, host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher
“Charming and thoughtful, witty yet engaged, it would be a hard heart that could put this book down without having old prejudices seriously shaken. Thanking the Monkey will make you sit up and take notice and probably, too, drop your fork and reach for the fruit.”-Jeffrey Masson, best-selling author of When Elephants Weep and Dogs Never Lie About Love
“I am so excited about Thanking the Monkey because I have loved Karen Dawn’s approach to animal rights for a long time. I love her way of taking it and making it fresh, making it young and making it interesting.”— Persia White, star of Girlfriends
“Karen Dawn's book made me realize I know little about animal rights and I would like to know more. It is the kind of book you can pick up and get something of value out of without reading chapter one first and chapter two second. You can flip it open virtually anywhere and find something you didn’t know.”— Bruce Greenwood –John From Cincinnati, National Treasure: Book of Secrets
“Thanking the Monkey is a fun way to talk about animal rights and the interconnectivity of humans and other beings. It will appeal to the younger generation and people who have a harsher idea about animal rights books. I am so excited it is coming out!”— Daniela Sea, Max on The L Word
“Give this book to somebody you know who doesn’t know.”— David Duchovny
From Booklist
BYLINE: Nancy Bent
A fun book about the animal-rights movement? Dawn, an activist and author (online and print), has produced an easily digested, sound-bite-laden primer to all sides and gradations of the crusade for animal rights. In short, easy sections, Dawn works through all of the arenas in which animals are used or exploited as well as the differences in philosophy within the movement itself. She covers essential topics, such as the owning of pets (in the chapter “Slaves to Love”), and doesn’t stop with the more numerous dogs and cats but also questions keeping birds, fish, and reptiles in cages. She also acknowledges the positive sides of pet keeping, using the abandonment of pets by aid workers and the consequent stress on their owners as an example. The author takes a similarly nuanced look at zoos and circuses, the fashion industry, animals as food, and animal testing, finishing with a look at the similarities and differences betweenenvironmentalists and animal activists with examples of animal activism in action. Well illustrated with numerous drawings and cartoons. An excellent introduction.
A fun book about the animal-rights movement? Dawn, an activist and author (online and print), has produced an easily digested, sound-bite-laden primer to all sides and gradations of the crusade for animal rights. In short, easy sections, Dawn works through all of the arenas in which animals are used or exploited as well as the differences in philosophy within the movement itself. She covers essential topics, such as the owning of pets (in the chapter “Slaves to Love”), and doesn’t stop with the more numerous dogs and cats but also questions keeping birds, fish, and reptiles in cages. She also acknowledges the positive sides of pet keeping, using the abandonment of pets by aid workers and the consequent stress on their owners as an example. The author takes a similarly nuanced look at zoos and circuses, the fashion industry, animals as food, and animal testing, finishing with a look at the similarities and differences betweenenvironmentalists and animal activists with examples of animal activism in action. Well illustrated with numerous drawings and cartoons. An excellent introduction.
So if you have read it, let me know what you think. I am planning on getting it and will post more about it later.
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