Gary L. FrancioneBesprekingen

This is a short, critical, morally sound and instructive book. It's teachy, not preachy, and is based on two principles:

1) Humans have a moral obligation not to impose unnecessary suffering on animals. 2) Animals matter morally, but humans matter more.

I, a vegetarian since six years, got angry while reading this book. Angry at myself and at the meat, dairy and egg industry. Some of the findings in this book are details that I already knew, some are daunting and shocking but all are easily found (and verified), for instance that over 100 million male chicks are killed each year, because they are biologically unable to lay eggs, and other information shocked me because I didn't know of it, e.g. the vast amounts of grain that animals are fed in order to eat them or their produce, in relation to how many people can be fed using that very same grain instead - while not leading to the systematic torture of animals, ruin of water sources and our bodies in the process.

The authors make a very stable case for how eating animals and animal products is not equal, morally speaking, to torturing animals for enjoyment; and yes, they actually don't preach as they do this, but use logical arguments that anyone can follow.

A vegan way of life is - naturally - suggested by the authors, who give tips on how to go about this, in an easy and most palatable way.

All in all: short, highly recommendable and natural for all humans.

Dr. Francione's philosophical framework ("ideology") is compelling, clear, consistent. He provides a very solid casing in which to arrange one's thinking about animal ethics. His writing is severely redundant, though perhaps because the evidence he marshals to demonstrate the attitudes of the "new welfarists" are so repetitive (not due to any fault of his own).

A must-read, if only to demonstrate irrevocably the weakness in the arguments in favour of new welfarism.

Compelling evidence and arguments as to how the property status of non-humans renders animal welfare laws meaningless, and presents a quasi-insurmountable obstacle to their inclusion in the moral community.

Indispensible reading for anyone who considers themselves an animal rights activist.

A brilliant analysis of the politics of what are now multiple animal protection movements. Written 15+ years ago, but has only become even more relevant ever since.

A must-read for animal advocates of any stripe.

If you can only read one book about animal ethics in your entire life, let it be this one.