Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by ahsansenan
Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It's So Hard to Think Straight About Animals by Hal Herzog
3.0
Some people seem to take issue with the fact that the author refrains from making any sweeping conclusions or takes any side in this book. But that is what is the best thing about this book - unlike trying to play a preacher like Jonathan Safran Foer in Eating Animals - Hal Herzog focuses on providing his readers with an unbiased (as much as humanely possible) account of the paradoxical relationship that exists between man and animal.
The book hinges on a very simple point - that it is not possible to have a consistent notion of the role (and place) animals hold in our modern society. Do you support killing a million lab rats to test cosmetics products? How about killing a million lab rats to find a cure for dengue? How about a million dogs instead?
Granted, we have come a long way since the days of Descartes, who claimed animals are natural robots, and their actions are all mechanized - they feel nothing. But perhaps, in that case, with our increased knowledge, how we treat animals in modern society is far worse. Hal Herzog lifts the curtains and reveals the cruelty on animals that goes on all around us - in medical labs, in animal farms, and households and street corners - and he shows how we are all unwitting participants.
This is not a call-to-action like most books in this genre is, which is consistent with Herzog's message. As an anthrozoologist, his area of expertise is studying the relationship between humans and animals and presenting the findings. He does not feel the need to spoon-fed the readers about how to feel about these issues. Whatever lessons you derive from this book will be spontaneous and personal, shaped by your own past experiences.
You are free to come to your own conclusion after reading the book, and for that alone, this book stands head-and-shoulders above all other book in the category.
The book hinges on a very simple point - that it is not possible to have a consistent notion of the role (and place) animals hold in our modern society. Do you support killing a million lab rats to test cosmetics products? How about killing a million lab rats to find a cure for dengue? How about a million dogs instead?
Granted, we have come a long way since the days of Descartes, who claimed animals are natural robots, and their actions are all mechanized - they feel nothing. But perhaps, in that case, with our increased knowledge, how we treat animals in modern society is far worse. Hal Herzog lifts the curtains and reveals the cruelty on animals that goes on all around us - in medical labs, in animal farms, and households and street corners - and he shows how we are all unwitting participants.
This is not a call-to-action like most books in this genre is, which is consistent with Herzog's message. As an anthrozoologist, his area of expertise is studying the relationship between humans and animals and presenting the findings. He does not feel the need to spoon-fed the readers about how to feel about these issues. Whatever lessons you derive from this book will be spontaneous and personal, shaped by your own past experiences.
You are free to come to your own conclusion after reading the book, and for that alone, this book stands head-and-shoulders above all other book in the category.