Beg: A Radical New Way Of Regarding Animals (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
An enjoyable read, but not a radical new way of regarding animals. First off, the author should learn how to properly cite and use peer-reviewed articles rather than random stuff she finds surfing the net. Thank you, Rory Freedman, for putting everything you could possibly find on PETA's website and stuffing it into a $15 book. I was more than aware of all of the problems explained in the book, and working in veterinary medicine, I disagreed with some of the excerpts. The way she explained spaying and neutering was weird, it is not "the lesser of two evils". It is being a responsible pet owner and preventing unwanted litters and ovarian and testicular diseases, as well as pyometras. Semen testing in bulls is not perverted, I've helped with it and it's definitely not something anyone WANTS to be doing. It's a reproductive health check. And most definitely we are not "masturbating the bulls". Pigs are put into gestation crates so that they don't squish their babies, and they are only kept their for a limited amount of time. Not all slaughterhouses are as awful as she describes. Maybe living in Canada, the farming here is a lot different and there are more laws protecting farm animals. I also got a little ticked when she said "don't let the vet take your pet to the back room without you!" Yes, PLEASE let the vets and techs do their work without having the owner hovering over their shoulder. Absolutely something that I cannot stand. But, very convincing vegan chapter. Although I don't agree with "Skinny Bitch" and playing on women's feelings in order to sell veganism under the table. This is a great book for any one who loves animals and gets that weird feeling in their stomach when they see animals being used for our own selfish purposes. Rory covers nearly every topic from entertainment (circuses, rodeos, zoos), to animal use in clothing (fur and leather), to puppy mill abuse. Rory stays away from the profanity that was rampart in her previous books and she tones down the volume. This is a kinder gentler book, which is how we should be treating the other living creatures sharing the earth with us.
What do You think about Beg: A Radical New Way Of Regarding Animals (2013)?
This is a good book for someone who has an interest in animal issues but is just getting started.
—kagomevalkyria
Anyone who cares about animals should read this book. Animals have gotten a raw deal from man.
—mari
