Animal Liberation - a phenomenal book!, 22 Nov 2007
Quite simply this book changed my life. I have never read anything like it. Exceptional, important, morally bang on, inspirational - as they say, the Bible of the movement. Buy it! And buy one for all your friends and family while you're at it too. You won't look back.

All politicians AND vets in pharmaceutical and military industry should read this..., 14 May 2006
Veterany students and politicians should read this book before they start torturing animals or make any political statement. The British Prime Minister -while allowing military tests on primates and other experiments at American funded research centres- has not read this book. The Bishops of Canterbury and Westminster have not read this book - they allow military torture of primates. The Oxford professors have not read this book - they have no moral conscience, it's not in their "package". Bush has not read this book - if he ever read a book. If they had read this book ... they would have been much better humans. Now they are only primitive greedy human beings without any moral conscience. How do you expect any of them to respect human rights if they cannot respect animal rights? If you do not agree with this statement: read the book!

Most important and powerful book I've ever read., 22 Feb 2006
It makes people feel bad for the disgraceful animals without appealing or look so emotional.
He uses only reasons and the most powerful arguments I´ve seen somebody defending.

I've already became a vegetarian before reading it, but the book gave me the perfect reasons to keep on this diet for the rest of my life.

Singer is a guy blessed with intelligence and power of convinciment. Even a slaughterhouse owner should agree with 90% which is in the book.

Some try to dismiss Singer as a nazi, who would defend testing in disabled people or orphan babies than in pigs or dogs. Those people or have bad intentions or don´t have a clue, cause what Singer does is exactly the other way, claiming the animals should have many rights we have, and not that we should destroy weaker humans like we do on that creatures.

The book is heavy, cruel, sometimes you feel very bad and if you really love animals, have to close it and continue another day. But we live in a real world, and we must read serious subjects.

It´s one to avoid if you are afraid of the reality. If you have a strong sense of justice, this book will make you disturbed and encourage you to do something. Should be in all public libraries in the world.

One of the toughest-to-argue with books I've ever read, 17 Oct 2005
I read this book partly out of curiosity and partly out of a wish to confront a position that I found challenging to my own hazy sense of ethics. Specifically, I love cooking but was beginning to wonder if I didn't eat more meat than was really a good idea.

The fundamental insight I got from Singer's book is that the human tendency to elevate the interests of our species over those of other species is an entirely irrational prejudice, with no authority other than tradition. This is not to say that the interests of other species are always to be preferred to our own - that would also be illogical. But they must be taken into consideration, if our ethics are to have any rationality whatsoever.

As far as I'm concerned, this argument demolishes the objection often made to Singer's work by e.g. some religious people - that his concern for animals, coupled with his belief that abortion is sometimes morally justified, means that he "dehumanises" people, or "lowers them to the level of animals". The unspoken assumption here is that humans are self-evidently above animals to begin with. This argument fits much ancient theology but is not consistent with reason (or, it might be added, with science). It is nothing more than bigotry for religious authorities to claim that humans are in any way superior to other creatures.

So did it turn me into a vegetarian? No. I probably read too much Nietzsche when I was young. But I know now that the continued presence of meat in my diet is the result of nothing other than force and self-interest working in harmony. Humans eat meat because they can get away with it, and any other attempt to justify it is hypocrisy. One day, when I can't live any longer with the contradiction, I'll probably become a vegetarian, but in the meantime I have to find more ways of making mushrooms interesting.

Incidentally, Singer is also eloquent about the sheer wastefulness and incompetence of the meat industry. If we didn't eat so many hamburgers, it would be possible to do a lot more for the starving in the rest of the world. (If beef, pork, lamb and chicken were farmed less intensively and more in harmony with traditional methods, we would undoubtedly pay more for them, but they'd also start tasting better. But unsurprisingly, Singer doesn't make that particular point.)

This is undoubtedly one of the most challenging and rigorous works of philosophy of the last century. Insofar as it has a power of making us examine our own attitudes and behaviour, it's also one of the best.

Everybody should read this book, 21 Jun 2005
This book shows how we contribute to cruelty toward animals if we continue eating meat from industrial production, don't boycott cosmetics that test on animals and live in ignorance.
Peter Singer beat everybody with his ethical arguments.
I became vegetarian after reading it.

Animal Liberation - a phenomenal book!, 22 Nov 2007
Quite simply this book changed my life. I have never read anything like it. Exceptional, important, morally bang on, inspirational - as they say, the Bible of the movement. Buy it! And buy one for all your friends and family while you're at it too. You won't look back.

All politicians AND vets in pharmaceutical and military industry should read this..., 14 May 2006
Veterany students and politicians should read this book before they start torturing animals or make any political statement. The British Prime Minister -while allowing military tests on primates and other experiments at American funded research centres- has not read this book. The Bishops of Canterbury and Westminster have not read this book - they allow military torture of primates. The Oxford professors have not read this book - they have no moral conscience, it's not in their "package". Bush has not read this book - if he ever read a book. If they had read this book ... they would have been much better humans. Now they are only primitive greedy human beings without any moral conscience. How do you expect any of them to respect human rights if they cannot respect animal rights? If you do not agree with this statement: read the book!

Most important and powerful book I've ever read., 22 Feb 2006
It makes people feel bad for the disgraceful animals without appealing or look so emotional.
He uses only reasons and the most powerful arguments I´ve seen somebody defending.

I've already became a vegetarian before reading it, but the book gave me the perfect reasons to keep on this diet for the rest of my life.

Singer is a guy blessed with intelligence and power of convinciment. Even a slaughterhouse owner should agree with 90% which is in the book.

Some try to dismiss Singer as a nazi, who would defend testing in disabled people or orphan babies than in pigs or dogs. Those people or have bad intentions or don´t have a clue, cause what Singer does is exactly the other way, claiming the animals should have many rights we have, and not that we should destroy weaker humans like we do on that creatures.

The book is heavy, cruel, sometimes you feel very bad and if you really love animals, have to close it and continue another day. But we live in a real world, and we must read serious subjects.

It´s one to avoid if you are afraid of the reality. If you have a strong sense of justice, this book will make you disturbed and encourage you to do something. Should be in all public libraries in the world.

One of the toughest-to-argue with books I've ever read, 17 Oct 2005
I read this book partly out of curiosity and partly out of a wish to confront a position that I found challenging to my own hazy sense of ethics. Specifically, I love cooking but was beginning to wonder if I didn't eat more meat than was really a good idea.

The fundamental insight I got from Singer's book is that the human tendency to elevate the interests of our species over those of other species is an entirely irrational prejudice, with no authority other than tradition. This is not to say that the interests of other species are always to be preferred to our own - that would also be illogical. But they must be taken into consideration, if our ethics are to have any rationality whatsoever.

As far as I'm concerned, this argument demolishes the objection often made to Singer's work by e.g. some religious people - that his concern for animals, coupled with his belief that abortion is sometimes morally justified, means that he "dehumanises" people, or "lowers them to the level of animals". The unspoken assumption here is that humans are self-evidently above animals to begin with. This argument fits much ancient theology but is not consistent with reason (or, it might be added, with science). It is nothing more than bigotry for religious authorities to claim that humans are in any way superior to other creatures.

So did it turn me into a vegetarian? No. I probably read too much Nietzsche when I was young. But I know now that the continued presence of meat in my diet is the result of nothing other than force and self-interest working in harmony. Humans eat meat because they can get away with it, and any other attempt to justify it is hypocrisy. One day, when I can't live any longer with the contradiction, I'll probably become a vegetarian, but in the meantime I have to find more ways of making mushrooms interesting.

Incidentally, Singer is also eloquent about the sheer wastefulness and incompetence of the meat industry. If we didn't eat so many hamburgers, it would be possible to do a lot more for the starving in the rest of the world. (If beef, pork, lamb and chicken were farmed less intensively and more in harmony with traditional methods, we would undoubtedly pay more for them, but they'd also start tasting better. But unsurprisingly, Singer doesn't make that particular point.)

This is undoubtedly one of the most challenging and rigorous works of philosophy of the last century. Insofar as it has a power of making us examine our own attitudes and behaviour, it's also one of the best.

Everybody should read this book, 21 Jun 2005
This book shows how we contribute to cruelty toward animals if we continue eating meat from industrial production, don't boycott cosmetics that test on animals and live in ignorance.
Peter Singer beat everybody with his ethical arguments.
I became vegetarian after reading it.

I dare you to read this, 25 Feb 2008
This book was written over 10 years ago and in addition to unearthing the realities of meat eating on the health and wellbeing of humans & animals it dared to suggest that this industry was causing huge damage to the planet and its resources. Even I (as a vegetarian) was a bit sceptible of the claims made. Surely if the damage was that bad wouldn't the Green lobby be championing the cause?

Then in 2006, 10 years later, this hit some (but not all) headlines:

"Livestock's contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale. The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency." United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation

This month, the Green Party (of which I am a member) thought it was about time to raise the profile of this subject and will be announcing a new policy statement on the environmental damage caused by the livestock industry, they are a decade too late.

Just think about it, there are 6BN humans who require over 20BN animals to be born, fed, watered & slaughtered or used for milk. The books sets out in detail how much it takes to maintain this statistic, how the developing world pays for the developed world's needs. This is not rocket science, it's obvious stuff once you bother to read about it.

We bang on about cars/planes/boats & transport in general. The global warming caused by our livestock industry is far in excess of all transport emissions put together? It is easier for you and me to make a difference in the food that we eat than in the car we drive.

How many people wonder what happens to male dairy calves or male chicks born to egg laying hens, ie half the millions of births a year? Or how are cows able to continue to produce milk all year around?

If you say you don't wonder or don't care I dare you to read this book and repeat your opinion. Yes I am angry, I read this book three years ago and am still cross with myself that I didn't question this stuff.


For veggies - a bible, for meat eaters - a horror story, 26 Jan 2007
Absolutely brilliant book, outlines all the cruel aspects of farming animals for meat consumption. Veggies and vegans can treat this like a bible full of ammunition to shoot at sceptical meat eaters. Give this to a meat eater and they will likely recoil in terror as it outlines how unnatural and unhealthy their diet is.

THIS BOOK SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ALL, 04 Nov 2004
This book lifts the lid on the horrors of the meat industry.

It is impeccably researched and written.

Millions of animals are unnecessarily slaughtered for food in the UK every year; worldwide it is billions. We'd all like to believe that this is done with concern for their welfare during their lives, and humane methods used when it is time to slaughter. The meat industry would LOVE us to keep thinking that. Sadly, though, it could not be further from the truth.

Few people would carry on eating meat if they had to spend just one day in a factory farm or a slaughterhouse. People should know the pain, misery and suffering that goes into their meals, and THEN decide if they want to economically support it by continuing to consume meat.

This book, however, goes MUCH further than the animal welfare issue and demonstrates that we benefit both our health and the environment when we stop eating meat.

Most compelling of all, she catalogues how meat production contributes DIRECTLY to humans dying of starvation. Many poor countries are economically incentivised to export their crops as livestock feed so that rich foreigners can eat steak, while the local populations starve.

The only thing one can possibly say in favour of meat (and even this is a matter of opinion) is that it 'tastes' good. Is that really enough to justify the third world children and babies dying of starvation, the animal cruelty, the first world heart attacks, and the wholesale destruction of the environment?

A must for people who claim to care about animals., 16 Apr 2001
Although some of the content of this book is hard to read, and even harder to comprehend, we owe it to the animals to read it, and to feel shame as we close the final cover.

This book is a must for everyone who claims to be an animal lover whilst tucking into their dinner of roast lamb.

Possibly the most informative book ever written., 21 Jan 2000
This book sets out to do the impossible - to challenge nearly all the beliefs held by compassionate people all over the world - and, somehow, it manages it.

From the personal stories to the devastating statistics, every page brings a new shock about the hidden world of animal cruelty, and the pure evils of a dishonest meat industry.

If everyone read this book, we would have far fewer meat eaters. I decided when I picked this book up that it was not going to convert me. It didn't, but it gave me, literally, food for thought, and now I am a definite and strict vegetarian.

This book isn't about emotional blackmail, it isn't about horriffic pictures and over dramtised writing style. It is about simple facts, which should not, and indeed cannot, be ignored.

Animal Liberation - a phenomenal book!, 22 Nov 2007
Quite simply this book changed my life. I have never read anything like it. Exceptional, important, morally bang on, inspirational - as they say, the Bible of the movement. Buy it! And buy one for all your friends and family while you're at it too. You won't look back.

All politicians AND vets in pharmaceutical and military industry should read this..., 14 May 2006
Veterany students and politicians should read this book before they start torturing animals or make any political statement. The British Prime Minister -while allowing military tests on primates and other experiments at American funded research centres- has not read this book. The Bishops of Canterbury and Westminster have not read this book - they allow military torture of primates. The Oxford professors have not read this book - they have no moral conscience, it's not in their "package". Bush has not read this book - if he ever read a book. If they had read this book ... they would have been much better humans. Now they are only primitive greedy human beings without any moral conscience. How do you expect any of them to respect human rights if they cannot respect animal rights? If you do not agree with this statement: read the book!

Most important and powerful book I've ever read., 22 Feb 2006
It makes people feel bad for the disgraceful animals without appealing or look so emotional.
He uses only reasons and the most powerful arguments I´ve seen somebody defending.

I've already became a vegetarian before reading it, but the book gave me the perfect reasons to keep on this diet for the rest of my life.

Singer is a guy blessed with intelligence and power of convinciment. Even a slaughterhouse owner should agree with 90% which is in the book.

Some try to dismiss Singer as a nazi, who would defend testing in disabled people or orphan babies than in pigs or dogs. Those people or have bad intentions or don´t have a clue, cause what Singer does is exactly the other way, claiming the animals should have many rights we have, and not that we should destroy weaker humans like we do on that creatures.

The book is heavy, cruel, sometimes you feel very bad and if you really love animals, have to close it and continue another day. But we live in a real world, and we must read serious subjects.

It´s one to avoid if you are afraid of the reality. If you have a strong sense of justice, this book will make you disturbed and encourage you to do something. Should be in all public libraries in the world.

One of the toughest-to-argue with books I've ever read, 17 Oct 2005
I read this book partly out of curiosity and partly out of a wish to confront a position that I found challenging to my own hazy sense of ethics. Specifically, I love cooking but was beginning to wonder if I didn't eat more meat than was really a good idea.

The fundamental insight I got from Singer's book is that the human tendency to elevate the interests of our species over those of other species is an entirely irrational prejudice, with no authority other than tradition. This is not to say that the interests of other species are always to be preferred to our own - that would also be illogical. But they must be taken into consideration, if our ethics are to have any rationality whatsoever.

As far as I'm concerned, this argument demolishes the objection often made to Singer's work by e.g. some religious people - that his concern for animals, coupled with his belief that abortion is sometimes morally justified, means that he "dehumanises" people, or "lowers them to the level of animals". The unspoken assumption here is that humans are self-evidently above animals to begin with. This argument fits much ancient theology but is not consistent with reason (or, it might be added, with science). It is nothing more than bigotry for religious authorities to claim that humans are in any way superior to other creatures.

So did it turn me into a vegetarian? No. I probably read too much Nietzsche when I was young. But I know now that the continued presence of meat in my diet is the result of nothing other than force and self-interest working in harmony. Humans eat meat because they can get away with it, and any other attempt to justify it is hypocrisy. One day, when I can't live any longer with the contradiction, I'll probably become a vegetarian, but in the meantime I have to find more ways of making mushrooms interesting.

Incidentally, Singer is also eloquent about the sheer wastefulness and incompetence of the meat industry. If we didn't eat so many hamburgers, it would be possible to do a lot more for the starving in the rest of the world. (If beef, pork, lamb and chicken were farmed less intensively and more in harmony with traditional methods, we would undoubtedly pay more for them, but they'd also start tasting better. But unsurprisingly, Singer doesn't make that particular point.)

This is undoubtedly one of the most challenging and rigorous works of philosophy of the last century. Insofar as it has a power of making us examine our own attitudes and behaviour, it's also one of the best.

Everybody should read this book, 21 Jun 2005
This book shows how we contribute to cruelty toward animals if we continue eating meat from industrial production, don't boycott cosmetics that test on animals and live in ignorance.
Peter Singer beat everybody with his ethical arguments.
I became vegetarian after reading it.

I dare you to read this, 25 Feb 2008
This book was written over 10 years ago and in addition to unearthing the realities of meat eating on the health and wellbeing of humans & animals it dared to suggest that this industry was causing huge damage to the planet and its resources. Even I (as a vegetarian) was a bit sceptible of the claims made. Surely if the damage was that bad wouldn't the Green lobby be championing the cause?

Then in 2006, 10 years later, this hit some (but not all) headlines:

"Livestock's contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale. The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency." United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation

This month, the Green Party (of which I am a member) thought it was about time to raise the profile of this subject and will be announcing a new policy statement on the environmental damage caused by the livestock industry, they are a decade too late.

Just think about it, there are 6BN humans who require over 20BN animals to be born, fed, watered & slaughtered or used for milk. The books sets out in detail how much it takes to maintain this statistic, how the developing world pays for the developed world's needs. This is not rocket science, it's obvious stuff once you bother to read about it.

We bang on about cars/planes/boats & transport in general. The global warming caused by our livestock industry is far in excess of all transport emissions put together? It is easier for you and me to make a difference in the food that we eat than in the car we drive.

How many people wonder what happens to male dairy calves or male chicks born to egg laying hens, ie half the millions of births a year? Or how are cows able to continue to produce milk all year around?

If you say you don't wonder or don't care I dare you to read this book and repeat your opinion. Yes I am angry, I read this book three years ago and am still cross with myself that I didn't question this stuff.


For veggies - a bible, for meat eaters - a horror story, 26 Jan 2007
Absolutely brilliant book, outlines all the cruel aspects of farming animals for meat consumption. Veggies and vegans can treat this like a bible full of ammunition to shoot at sceptical meat eaters. Give this to a meat eater and they will likely recoil in terror as it outlines how unnatural and unhealthy their diet is.

THIS BOOK SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ALL, 04 Nov 2004
This book lifts the lid on the horrors of the meat industry.

It is impeccably researched and written.

Millions of animals are unnecessarily slaughtered for food in the UK every year; worldwide it is billions. We'd all like to believe that this is done with concern for their welfare during their lives, and humane methods used when it is time to slaughter. The meat industry would LOVE us to keep thinking that. Sadly, though, it could not be further from the truth.

Few people would carry on eating meat if they had to spend just one day in a factory farm or a slaughterhouse. People should know the pain, misery and suffering that goes into their meals, and THEN decide if they want to economically support it by continuing to consume meat.

This book, however, goes MUCH further than the animal welfare issue and demonstrates that we benefit both our health and the environment when we stop eating meat.

Most compelling of all, she catalogues how meat production contributes DIRECTLY to humans dying of starvation. Many poor countries are economically incentivised to export their crops as livestock feed so that rich foreigners can eat steak, while the local populations starve.

The only thing one can possibly say in favour of meat (and even this is a matter of opinion) is that it 'tastes' good. Is that really enough to justify the third world children and babies dying of starvation, the animal cruelty, the first world heart attacks, and the wholesale destruction of the environment?

A must for people who claim to care about animals., 16 Apr 2001
Although some of the content of this book is hard to read, and even harder to comprehend, we owe it to the animals to read it, and to feel shame as we close the final cover.

This book is a must for everyone who claims to be an animal lover whilst tucking into their dinner of roast lamb.

Possibly the most informative book ever written., 21 Jan 2000
This book sets out to do the impossible - to challenge nearly all the beliefs held by compassionate people all over the world - and, somehow, it manages it.

From the personal stories to the devastating statistics, every page brings a new shock about the hidden world of animal cruelty, and the pure evils of a dishonest meat industry.

If everyone read this book, we would have far fewer meat eaters. I decided when I picked this book up that it was not going to convert me. It didn't, but it gave me, literally, food for thought, and now I am a definite and strict vegetarian.

This book isn't about emotional blackmail, it isn't about horriffic pictures and over dramtised writing style. It is about simple facts, which should not, and indeed cannot, be ignored.

No need for shock tactics. The facts speak loud and clear., 22 Feb 2004
A fabulous read. Unlike many other vegan authors, Erik Markus makes the case for veganism (extremely well) by stating the facts. The book is all the more powerful for the matter of fact approach Markus adopts. Buy it now. If you're thinking about becoming vegan, this book will confirm time and again, that you'll be making the right choice.

A must-read..., 19 Jun 1999
Erik Marcus hits the nail on the head with this book. As a vegetarian making the transition to veganism, this book not only answered my questions about veganism (such as, will I get enough calcium?), but it also re-enforced my reasons for choosing to go vegan in the first place: to do my part in healing the planet. I applaud this book and I encourage anyone who cares about either the environment, animal welfare, their own health, or even weight loss to read this book.

A Compassionate Look at the Effects of our Diet, 11 Jun 1999
Erik Marcus has done a phenomenal job researching and writing this book. I highly recommend it for anyone concerned about their health, the environment, and animal suffering. It has reaffirmed my beliefs in choosing a plant-based diet and that the right amount of animal products for optimal health is zero. It's time for everyone to make the transition to a plant-based diet and Erik has done a great job to support this argument.

Vegans rock and this book makes you proud of it., 29 Apr 1999
This book is really awesome, especially for a person who is interested in becoming a vegan. If everyone read this book they would think twice about what they stick in their mouths. Animal liberation!!!! Eight billion are killed every year in the U.S. E-mail me fellow vegans!!

An amazing read that makes animal suffering all too real., 18 Feb 1999
Marcus makes the intense suffering of animals something real - not just a myth that activists tote around the world. The information covers an amazing amount of material in a way that is both moving and inspiring. The descriptions of suffering and health concerns are just enough to give people reasons to continue being vegan, and others the chance to experience true people, animal, and environmental concerns.

Animal Liberation - a phenomenal book!, 22 Nov 2007
Quite simply this book changed my life. I have never read anything like it. Exceptional, important, morally bang on, inspirational - as they say, the Bible of the movement. Buy it! And buy one for all your friends and family while you're at it too. You won't look back.

All politicians AND vets in pharmaceutical and military industry should read this..., 14 May 2006
Veterany students and politicians should read this book before they start torturing animals or make any political statement. The British Prime Minister -while allowing military tests on primates and other experiments at American funded research centres- has not read this book. The Bishops of Canterbury and Westminster have not read this book - they allow military torture of primates. The Oxford professors have not read this book - they have no moral conscience, it's not in their "package". Bush has not read this book - if he ever read a book. If they had read this book ... they would have been much better humans. Now they are only primitive greedy human beings without any moral conscience. How do you expect any of them to respect human rights if they cannot respect animal rights? If you do not agree with this statement: read the book!

Most important and powerful book I've ever read., 22 Feb 2006
It makes people feel bad for the disgraceful animals without appealing or look so emotional.
He uses only reasons and the most powerful arguments I´ve seen somebody defending.

I've already became a vegetarian before reading it, but the book gave me the perfect reasons to keep on this diet for the rest of my life.

Singer is a guy blessed with intelligence and power of convinciment. Even a slaughterhouse owner should agree with 90% which is in the book.

Some try to dismiss Singer as a nazi, who would defend testing in disabled people or orphan babies than in pigs or dogs. Those people or have bad intentions or don´t have a clue, cause what Singer does is exactly the other way, claiming the animals should have many rights we have, and not that we should destroy weaker humans like we do on that creatures.

The book is heavy, cruel, sometimes you feel very bad and if you really love animals, have to close it and continue another day. But we live in a real world, and we must read serious subjects.

It´s one to avoid if you are afraid of the reality. If you have a strong sense of justice, this book will make you disturbed and encourage you to do something. Should be in all public libraries in the world.

One of the toughest-to-argue with books I've ever read, 17 Oct 2005
I read this book partly out of curiosity and partly out of a wish to confront a position that I found challenging to my own hazy sense of ethics. Specifically, I love cooking but was beginning to wonder if I didn't eat more meat than was really a good idea.

The fundamental insight I got from Singer's book is that the human tendency to elevate the interests of our species over those of other species is an entirely irrational prejudice, with no authority other than tradition. This is not to say that the interests of other species are always to be preferred to our own - that would also be illogical. But they must be taken into consideration, if our ethics are to have any rationality whatsoever.

As far as I'm concerned, this argument demolishes the objection often made to Singer's work by e.g. some religious people - that his concern for animals, coupled with his belief that abortion is sometimes morally justified, means that he "dehumanises" people, or "lowers them to the level of animals". The unspoken assumption here is that humans are self-evidently above animals to begin with. This argument fits much ancient theology but is not consistent with reason (or, it might be added, with science). It is nothing more than bigotry for religious authorities to claim that humans are in any way superior to other creatures.

So did it turn me into a vegetarian? No. I probably read too much Nietzsche when I was young. But I know now that the continued presence of meat in my diet is the result of nothing other than force and self-interest working in harmony. Humans eat meat because they can get away with it, and any other attempt to justify it is hypocrisy. One day, when I can't live any longer with the contradiction, I'll probably become a vegetarian, but in the meantime I have to find more ways of making mushrooms interesting.

Incidentally, Singer is also eloquent about the sheer wastefulness and incompetence of the meat industry. If we didn't eat so many hamburgers, it would be possible to do a lot more for the starving in the rest of the world. (If beef, pork, lamb and chicken were farmed less intensively and more in harmony with traditional methods, we would undoubtedly pay more for them, but they'd also start tasting better. But unsurprisingly, Singer doesn't make that particular point.)

This is undoubtedly one of the most challenging and rigorous works of philosophy of the last century. Insofar as it has a power of making us examine our own attitudes and behaviour, it's also one of the best.

Everybody should read this book, 21 Jun 2005
This book shows how we contribute to cruelty toward animals if we continue eating meat from industrial production, don't boycott cosmetics that test on animals and live in ignorance.
Peter Singer beat everybody with his ethical arguments.
I became vegetarian after reading it.

I dare you to read this, 25 Feb 2008
This book was written over 10 years ago and in addition to unearthing the realities of meat eating on the health and wellbeing of humans & animals it dared to suggest that this industry was causing huge damage to the planet and its resources. Even I (as a vegetarian) was a bit sceptible of the claims made. Surely if the damage was that bad wouldn't the Green lobby be championing the cause?

Then in 2006, 10 years later, this hit some (but not all) headlines:

"Livestock's contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale. The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency." United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation

This month, the Green Party (of which I am a member) thought it was about time to raise the profile of this subject and will be announcing a new policy statement on the environmental damage caused by the livestock industry, they are a decade too late.

Just think about it, there are 6BN humans who require over 20BN animals to be born, fed, watered & slaughtered or used for milk. The books sets out in detail how much it takes to maintain this statistic, how the developing world pays for the developed world's needs. This is not rocket science, it's obvious stuff once you bother to read about it.

We bang on about cars/planes/boats & transport in general. The global warming caused by our livestock industry is far in excess of all transport emissions put together? It is easier for you and me to make a difference in the food that we eat than in the car we drive.

How many people wonder what happens to male dairy calves or male chicks born to egg laying hens, ie half the millions of births a year? Or how are cows able to continue to produce milk all year around?

If you say you don't wonder or don't care I dare you to read this book and repeat your opinion. Yes I am angry, I read this book three years ago and am still cross with myself that I didn't question this stuff.


For veggies - a bible, for meat eaters - a horror story, 26 Jan 2007
Absolutely brilliant book, outlines all the cruel aspects of farming animals for meat consumption. Veggies and vegans can treat this like a bible full of ammunition to shoot at sceptical meat eaters. Give this to a meat eater and they will likely recoil in terror as it outlines how unnatural and unhealthy their diet is.

THIS BOOK SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ALL, 04 Nov 2004
This book lifts the lid on the horrors of the meat industry.

It is impeccably researched and written.

Millions of animals are unnecessarily slaughtered for food in the UK every year; worldwide it is billions. We'd all like to believe that this is done with concern for their welfare during their lives, and humane methods used when it is time to slaughter. The meat industry would LOVE us to keep thinking that. Sadly, though, it could not be further from the truth.

Few people would carry on eating meat if they had to spend just one day in a factory farm or a slaughterhouse. People should know the pain, misery and suffering that goes into their meals, and THEN decide if they want to economically support it by continuing to consume meat.

This book, however, goes MUCH further than the animal welfare issue and demonstrates that we benefit both our health and the environment when we stop eating meat.

Most compelling of all, she catalogues how meat production contributes DIRECTLY to humans dying of starvation. Many poor countries are economically incentivised to export their crops as livestock feed so that rich foreigners can eat steak, while the local populations starve.

The only thing one can possibly say in favour of meat (and even this is a matter of opinion) is that it 'tastes' good. Is that really enough to justify the third world children and babies dying of starvation, the animal cruelty, the first world heart attacks, and the wholesale destruction of the environment?

A must for people who claim to care about animals., 16 Apr 2001
Although some of the content of this book is hard to read, and even harder to comprehend, we owe it to the animals to read it, and to feel shame as we close the final cover.

This book is a must for everyone who claims to be an animal lover whilst tucking into their dinner of roast lamb.

Possibly the most informative book ever written., 21 Jan 2000
This book sets out to do the impossible - to challenge nearly all the beliefs held by compassionate people all over the world - and, somehow, it manages it.

From the personal stories to the devastating statistics, every page brings a new shock about the hidden world of animal cruelty, and the pure evils of a dishonest meat industry.

If everyone read this book, we would have far fewer meat eaters. I decided when I picked this book up that it was not going to convert me. It didn't, but it gave me, literally, food for thought, and now I am a definite and strict vegetarian.

This book isn't about emotional blackmail, it isn't about horriffic pictures and over dramtised writing style. It is about simple facts, which should not, and indeed cannot, be ignored.

No need for shock tactics. The facts speak loud and clear., 22 Feb 2004
A fabulous read. Unlike many other vegan authors, Erik Markus makes the case for veganism (extremely well) by stating the facts. The book is all the more powerful for the matter of fact approach Markus adopts. Buy it now. If you're thinking about becoming vegan, this book will confirm time and again, that you'll be making the right choice.

A must-read..., 19 Jun 1999
Erik Marcus hits the nail on the head with this book. As a vegetarian making the transition to veganism, this book not only answered my questions about veganism (such as, will I get enough calcium?), but it also re-enforced my reasons for choosing to go vegan in the first place: to do my part in healing the planet. I applaud this book and I encourage anyone who cares about either the environment, animal welfare, their own health, or even weight loss to read this book.

A Compassionate Look at the Effects of our Diet, 11 Jun 1999
Erik Marcus has done a phenomenal job researching and writing this book. I highly recommend it for anyone concerned about their health, the environment, and animal suffering. It has reaffirmed my beliefs in choosing a plant-based diet and that the right amount of animal products for optimal health is zero. It's time for everyone to make the transition to a plant-based diet and Erik has done a great job to support this argument.

Vegans rock and this book makes you proud of it., 29 Apr 1999
This book is really awesome, especially for a person who is interested in becoming a vegan. If everyone read this book they would think twice about what they stick in their mouths. Animal liberation!!!! Eight billion are killed every year in the U.S. E-mail me fellow vegans!!

An amazing read that makes animal suffering all too real., 18 Feb 1999
Marcus makes the intense suffering of animals something real - not just a myth that activists tote around the world. The information covers an amazing amount of material in a way that is both moving and inspiring. The descriptions of suffering and health concerns are just enough to give people reasons to continue being vegan, and others the chance to experience true people, animal, and environmental concerns.

Excellent and constructive read., 02 Feb 2008
A really clear political exposition, which helps provide solid philosophical underpinnings to veganism and a way forward for animal rights' thinking which does not include a lot of "they're-just-like-us-no-they're-not" irrelevancies. Very readable, too! Highly recommended.

The most interesting book on animal rights philosophy for sometime?, 10 Jan 2008
'With a focus on labour, property and the life of commodities, Making a Killing contains key insights into the broad nature of domination, power and hierarchy. It explores the intersections between human and animal oppressions in relation to the exploitative dynamics of capitalism.'

Not many books like this about, it looks at some of the structural issues at play which create and enforce the role of animals as objects to be utilised for the economic growth of society.

I've only just started reading it, but at last a book that seems to pull together different aspects of discrimination and exploitation under the capitalist umbrella. Animal rights is after all a lot more than just 'animal rights'!

Animal Liberation - a phenomenal book!, 22 Nov 2007
Quite simply this book changed my life. I have never read anything like it. Exceptional, important, morally bang on, inspirational - as they say, the Bible of the movement. Buy it! And buy one for all your friends and family while you're at it too. You won't look back.

All politicians AND vets in pharmaceutical and military industry should read this..., 14 May 2006
Veterany students and politicians should read this book before they start torturing animals or make any political statement. The British Prime Minister -while allowing military tests on primates and other experiments at American funded research centres- has not read this book. The Bishops of Canterbury and Westminster have not read this book - they allow military torture of primates. The Oxford professors have not read this book - they have no moral conscience, it's not in their "package". Bush has not read this book - if he ever read a book. If they had read this book ... they would have been much better humans. Now they are only primitive greedy human beings without any moral conscience. How do you expect any of them to respect human rights if they cannot respect animal rights? If you do not agree with this statement: read the book!

Most important and powerful book I've ever read., 22 Feb 2006
It makes people feel bad for the disgraceful animals without appealing or look so emotional.
He uses only reasons and the most powerful arguments I´ve seen somebody defending.

I've already became a vegetarian before reading it, but the book gave me the perfect reasons to keep on this diet for the rest of my life.

Singer is a guy blessed with intelligence and power of convinciment. Even a slaughterhouse owner should agree with 90% which is in the book.

Some try to dismiss Singer as a nazi, who would defend testing in disabled people or orphan babies than in pigs or dogs. Those people or have bad intentions or don´t have a clue, cause what Singer does is exactly the other way, claiming the animals should have many rights we have, and not that we should destroy weaker humans like we do on that creatures.

The book is heavy, cruel, sometimes you feel very bad and if you really love animals, have to close it and continue another day. But we live in a real world, and we must read serious subjects.

It´s one to avoid if you are afraid of the reality. If you have a strong sense of justice, this book will make you disturbed and encourage you to do something. Should be in all public libraries in the world.

One of the toughest-to-argue with books I've ever read, 17 Oct 2005
I read this book partly out of curiosity and partly out of a wish to confront a position that I found challenging to my own hazy sense of ethics. Specifically, I love cooking but was beginning to wonder if I didn't eat more meat than was really a good idea.

The fundamental insight I got from Singer's book is that the human tendency to elevate the interests of our species over those of other species is an entirely irrational prejudice, with no authority other than tradition. This is not to say that the interests of other species are always to be preferred to our own - that would also be illogical. But they must be taken into consideration, if our ethics are to have any rationality whatsoever.

As far as I'm concerned, this argument demolishes the objection often made to Singer's work by e.g. some religious people - that his concern for animals, coupled with his belief that abortion is sometimes morally justified, means that he "dehumanises" people, or "lowers them to the level of animals". The unspoken assumption here is that humans are self-evidently above animals to begin with. This argument fits much ancient theology but is not consistent with reason (or, it might be added, with science). It is nothing more than bigotry for religious authorities to claim that humans are in any way superior to other creatures.

So did it turn me into a vegetarian? No. I probably read too much Nietzsche when I was young. But I know now that the continued presence of meat in my diet is the result of nothing other than force and self-interest working in harmony. Humans eat meat because they can get away with it, and any other attempt to justify it is hypocrisy. One day, when I can't live any longer with the contradiction, I'll probably become a vegetarian, but in the meantime I have to find more ways of making mushrooms interesting.

Incidentally, Singer is also eloquent about the sheer wastefulness and incompetence of the meat industry. If we didn't eat so many hamburgers, it would be possible to do a lot more for the starving in the rest of the world. (If beef, pork, lamb and chicken were farmed less intensively and more in harmony with traditional methods, we would undoubtedly pay more for them, but they'd also start tasting better. But unsurprisingly, Singer doesn't make that particular point.)

This is undoubtedly one of the most challenging and rigorous works of philosophy of the last century. Insofar as it has a power of making us examine our own attitudes and behaviour, it's also one of the best.

Everybody should read this book, 21 Jun 2005
This book shows how we contribute to cruelty toward animals if we continue eating meat from industrial production, don't boycott cosmetics that test on animals and live in ignorance.
Peter Singer beat everybody with his ethical arguments.
I became vegetarian after reading it.

I dare you to read this, 25 Feb 2008
This book was written over 10 years ago and in addition to unearthing the realities of meat eating on the health and wellbeing of humans & animals it dared to suggest that this industry was causing huge damage to the planet and its resources. Even I (as a vegetarian) was a bit sceptible of the claims made. Surely if the damage was that bad wouldn't the Green lobby be championing the cause?

Then in 2006, 10 years later, this hit some (but not all) headlines:

"Livestock's contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale. The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency." United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation

This month, the Green Party (of which I am a member) thought it was about time to raise the profile of this subject and will be announcing a new policy statement on the environmental damage caused by the livestock industry, they are a decade too late.

Just think about it, there are 6BN humans who require over 20BN animals to be born, fed, watered & slaughtered or used for milk. The books sets out in detail how much it takes to maintain this statistic, how the developing world pays for the developed world's needs. This is not rocket science, it's obvious stuff once you bother to read about it.

We bang on about cars/planes/boats & transport in general. The global warming caused by our livestock industry is far in excess of all transport emissions put together? It is easier for you and me to make a difference in the food that we eat than in the car we drive.

How many people wonder what happens to male dairy calves or male chicks born to egg laying hens, ie half the millions of births a year? Or how are cows able to continue to produce milk all year around?

If you say you don't wonder or don't care I dare you to read this book and repeat your opinion. Yes I am angry, I read this book three years ago and am still cross with myself that I didn't question this stuff.


For veggies - a bible, for meat eaters - a horror story, 26 Jan 2007
Absolutely brilliant book, outlines all the cruel aspects of farming animals for meat consumption. Veggies and vegans can treat this like a bible full of ammunition to shoot at sceptical meat eaters. Give this to a meat eater and they will likely recoil in terror as it outlines how unnatural and unhealthy their diet is.

THIS BOOK SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ALL, 04 Nov 2004
This book lifts the lid on the horrors of the meat industry.

It is impeccably researched and written.

Millions of animals are unnecessarily slaughtered for food in the UK every year; worldwide it is billions. We'd all like to believe that this is done with concern for their welfare during their lives, and humane methods used when it is time to slaughter. The meat industry would LOVE us to keep thinking that. Sadly, though, it could not be further from the truth.

Few people would carry on eating meat if they had to spend just one day in a factory farm or a slaughterhouse. People should know the pain, misery and suffering that goes into their meals, and THEN decide if they want to economically support it by continuing to consume meat.

This book, however, goes MUCH further than the animal welfare issue and demonstrates that we benefit both our health and the environment when we stop eating meat.

Most compelling of all, she catalogues how meat production contributes DIRECTLY to humans dying of starvation. Many poor countries are economically incentivised to export their crops as livestock feed so that rich foreigners can eat steak, while the local populations starve.

The only thing one can possibly say in favour of meat (and even this is a matter of opinion) is that it 'tastes' good. Is that really enough to justify the third world children and babies dying of starvation, the animal cruelty, the first world heart attacks, and the wholesale destruction of the environment?

A must for people who claim to care about animals., 16 Apr 2001
Although some of the content of this book is hard to read, and even harder to comprehend, we owe it to the animals to read it, and to feel shame as we close the final cover.

This book is a must for everyone who claims to be an animal lover whilst tucking into their dinner of roast lamb.

Possibly the most informative book ever written., 21 Jan 2000
This book sets out to do the impossible - to challenge nearly all the beliefs held by compassionate people all over the world - and, somehow, it manages it.

From the personal stories to the devastating statistics, every page brings a new shock about the hidden world of animal cruelty, and the pure evils of a dishonest meat industry.

If everyone read this book, we would have far fewer meat eaters. I decided when I picked this book up that it was not going to convert me. It didn't, but it gave me, literally, food for thought, and now I am a definite and strict vegetarian.

This book isn't about emotional blackmail, it isn't about horriffic pictures and over dramtised writing style. It is about simple facts, which should not, and indeed cannot, be ignored.

No need for shock tactics. The facts speak loud and clear., 22 Feb 2004
A fabulous read. Unlike many other vegan authors, Erik Markus makes the case for veganism (extremely well) by stating the facts. The book is all the more powerful for the matter of fact approach Markus adopts. Buy it now. If you're thinking about becoming vegan, this book will confirm time and again, that you'll be making the right choice.

A must-read..., 19 Jun 1999
Erik Marcus hits the nail on the head with this book. As a vegetarian making the transition to veganism, this book not only answered my questions about veganism (such as, will I get enough calcium?), but it also re-enforced my reasons for choosing to go vegan in the first place: to do my part in healing the planet. I applaud this book and I encourage anyone who cares about either the environment, animal welfare, their own health, or even weight loss to read this book.

A Compassionate Look at the Effects of our Diet, 11 Jun 1999
Erik Marcus has done a phenomenal job researching and writing this book. I highly recommend it for anyone concerned about their health, the environment, and animal suffering. It has reaffirmed my beliefs in choosing a plant-based diet and that the right amount of animal products for optimal health is zero. It's time for everyone to make the transition to a plant-based diet and Erik has done a great job to support this argument.

Vegans rock and this book makes you proud of it., 29 Apr 1999
This book is really awesome, especially for a person who is interested in becoming a vegan. If everyone read this book they would think twice about what they stick in their mouths. Animal liberation!!!! Eight billion are killed every year in the U.S. E-mail me fellow vegans!!

An amazing read that makes animal suffering all too real., 18 Feb 1999
Marcus makes the intense suffering of animals something real - not just a myth that activists tote around the world. The information covers an amazing amount of material in a way that is both moving and inspiring. The descriptions of suffering and health concerns are just enough to give people reasons to continue being vegan, and others the chance to experience true people, animal, and environmental concerns.

Excellent and constructive read., 02 Feb 2008
A really clear political exposition, which helps provide solid philosophical underpinnings to veganism and a way forward for animal rights' thinking which does not include a lot of "they're-just-like-us-no-they're-not" irrelevancies. Very readable, too! Highly recommended.

The most interesting book on animal rights philosophy for sometime?, 10 Jan 2008
'With a focus on labour, property and the life of commodities, Making a Killing contains key insights into the broad nature of domination, power and hierarchy. It explores the intersections between human and animal oppressions in relation to the exploitative dynamics of capitalism.'

Not many books like this about, it looks at some of the structural issues at play which create and enforce the role of animals as objects to be utilised for the economic growth of society.

I've only just started reading it, but at last a book that seems to pull together different aspects of discrimination and exploitation under the capitalist umbrella. Animal rights is after all a lot more than just 'animal rights'!

If you have any thoughts on animal liberation read this book, 19 Jan 2005
This is not a novel on the struggle of an animal liberationist, it's a collection of essays and published stories collated by two very strong people in this field.

The book introduces the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), why they started, why they employ the methods they do, and why they still exist today. The ALF are always seen in the media as 'terrorists', but this is far from the truth, and it's the reason I bought the book in the first place - I wanted to challenge the media's portrayal of the ALF.

The essays elegantly explain the animal liberation movement, from its beginnings, its links with feminism, and how the governments of the world (specifically the USA and UK) are re-defining the word 'terrorist' to apply it to animal liberationists. To call anyone saving animals from a life of torture, a 'terrorist', serves only to blur the line between saving life and taking life. This is not a fine line. 9/11 was terrorism. Breaking a few locks (and leaving new replacements!) and taking animals to loving homes, is not.

The later part of the book goes into some depth on the USA's Patriot Act (and Patriot Act II) and the repercussions it has on freedom of speech and movement.

I was very pleased with this book. I have an interest in animal liberation, and this book told me a lot of what I didn't know, and the reasons why we all should work towards freeing the innocent from those who profit from torture, pain, suffering and death.

Animal Liberation - a phenomenal book!, 22 Nov 2007
Quite simply this book changed my life. I have never read anything like it. Exceptional, important, morally bang on, inspirational - as they say, the Bible of the movement. Buy it! And buy one for all your friends and family while you're at it too. You won't look back.

All politicians AND vets in pharmaceutical and military industry should read this..., 14 May 2006
Veterany students and politicians should read this book before they start torturing animals or make any political statement. The British Prime Minister -while allowing military tests on primates and other experiments at American funded research centres- has not read this book. The Bishops of Canterbury and Westminster have not read this book - they allow military torture of primates. The Oxford professors have not read this book - they have no moral conscience, it's not in their "package". Bush has not read this book - if he ever read a book. If they had read this book ... they would have been much better humans. Now they are only primitive greedy human beings without any moral conscience. How do you expect any of them to respect human rights if they cannot respect animal rights? If you do not agree with this statement: read the book!

Most important and powerful book I've ever read., 22 Feb 2006
It makes people feel bad for the disgraceful animals without appealing or look so emotional.
He uses only reasons and the most powerful arguments I´ve seen somebody defending.

I've already became a vegetarian before reading it, but the book gave me the perfect reasons to keep on this diet for the rest of my life.

Singer is a guy blessed with intelligence and power of convinciment. Even a slaughterhouse owner should agree with 90% which is in the book.

Some try to dismiss Singer as a nazi, who would defend testing in disabled people or orphan babies than in pigs or dogs. Those people or have bad intentions or don´t have a clue, cause what Singer does is exactly the other way, claiming the animals should have many rights we have, and not that we should destroy weaker humans like we do on that creatures.

The book is heavy, cruel, sometimes you feel very bad and if you really love animals, have to close it and continue another day. But we live in a real world, and we must read serious subjects.

It´s one to avoid if you are afraid of the reality. If you have a strong sense of justice, this book will make you disturbed and encourage you to do something. Should be in all public libraries in the world.

One of the toughest-to-argue with books I've ever read, 17 Oct 2005
I read this book partly out of curiosity and partly out of a wish to confront a position that I found challenging to my own hazy sense of ethics. Specifically, I love cooking but was beginning to wonder if I didn't eat more meat than was really a good idea.

The fundamental insight I got from Singer's book is that the human tendency to elevate the interests of our species over those of other species is an entirely irrational prejudice, with no authority other than tradition. This is not to say that the interests of other species are always to be preferred to our own - that would also be illogical. But they must be taken into consideration, if our ethics are to have any rationality whatsoever.

As far as I'm concerned, this argument demolishes the objection often made to Singer's work by e.g. some religious people - that his concern for animals, coupled with his belief that abortion is sometimes morally justified, means that he "dehumanises" people, or "lowers them to the level of animals". The unspoken assumption here is that humans are self-evidently above animals to begin with. This argument fits much ancient theology but is not consistent with reason (or, it might be added, with science). It is nothing more than bigotry for religious authorities to claim that humans are in any way superior to other creatures.

So did it turn me into a vegetarian? No. I probably read too much Nietzsche when I was young. But I know now that the continued presence of meat in my diet is the result of nothing other than force and self-interest working in harmony. Humans eat meat because they can get away with it, and any other attempt to justify it is hypocrisy. One day, when I can't live any longer with the contradiction, I'll probably become a vegetarian, but in the meantime I have to find more ways of making mushrooms interesting.

Incidentally, Singer is also eloquent about the sheer wastefulness and incompetence of the meat industry. If we didn't eat so many hamburgers, it would be possible to do a lot more for the starving in the rest of the world. (If beef, pork, lamb and chicken were farmed less intensively and more in harmony with traditional methods, we would undoubtedly pay more for them, but they'd also start tasting better. But unsurprisingly, Singer doesn't make that particular point.)

This is undoubtedly one of the most challenging and rigorous works of philosophy of the last century. Insofar as it has a power of making us examine our own attitudes and behaviour, it's also one of the best.

Everybody should read this book, 21 Jun 2005
This book shows how we contribute to cruelty toward animals if we continue eating meat from industrial production, don't boycott cosmetics that test on animals and live in ignorance.
Peter Singer beat everybody with his ethical arguments.
I became vegetarian after reading it.

I dare you to read this, 25 Feb 2008
This book was written over 10 years ago and in addition to unearthing the realities of meat eating on the health and wellbeing of humans & animals it dared to suggest that this industry was causing huge damage to the planet and its resources. Even I (as a vegetarian) was a bit sceptible of the claims made. Surely if the damage was that bad wouldn't the Green lobby be championing the cause?

Then in 2006, 10 years later, this hit some (but not all) headlines:

"Livestock's contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale. The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency." United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation

This month, the Green Party (of which I am a member) thought it was about time to raise the profile of this subject and will be announcing a new policy statement on the environmental damage caused by the livestock industry, they are a decade too late.

Just think about it, there are 6BN humans who require over 20BN animals to be born, fed, watered & slaughtered or used for milk. The books sets out in detail how much it takes to maintain this statistic, how the developing world pays for the developed world's needs. This is not rocket science, it's obvious stuff once you bother to read about it.

We bang on about cars/planes/boats & transport in general. The global warming caused by our livestock industry is far in excess of all transport emissions put together? It is easier for you and me to make a difference in the food that we eat than in the car we drive.

How many people wonder what happens to male dairy calves or male chicks born to egg laying hens, ie half the millions of births a year? Or how are cows able to continue to produce milk all year around?

If you say you don't wonder or don't care I dare you to read this book and repeat your opinion. Yes I am angry, I read this book three years ago and am still cross with myself that I didn't question this stuff.


For veggies - a bible, for meat eaters - a horror story, 26 Jan 2007
Absolutely brilliant book, outlines all the cruel aspects of farming animals for meat consumption. Veggies and vegans can treat this like a bible full of ammunition to shoot at sceptical meat eaters. Give this to a meat eater and they will likely recoil in terror as it outlines how unnatural and unhealthy their diet is.

THIS BOOK SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ALL, 04 Nov 2004
This book lifts the lid on the horrors of the meat industry.

It is impeccably researched and written.

Millions of animals are unnecessarily slaughtered for food in the UK every year; worldwide it is billions. We'd all like to believe that this is done with concern for their welfare during their lives, and humane methods used when it is time to slaughter. The meat industry would LOVE us to keep thinking that. Sadly, though, it could not be further from the truth.

Few people would carry on eating meat if they had to spend just one day in a factory farm or a slaughterhouse. People should know the pain, misery and suffering that goes into their meals, and THEN decide if they want to economically support it by continuing to consume meat.

This book, however, goes MUCH further than the animal welfare issue and demonstrates that we benefit both our health and the environment when we stop eating meat.

Most compelling of all, she catalogues how meat production contributes DIRECTLY to humans dying of starvation. Many poor countries are economically incentivised to export their crops as livestock feed so that rich foreigners can eat steak, while the local populations starve.

The only thing one can possibly say in favour of meat (and even this is a matter of opinion) is that it 'tastes' good. Is that really enough to justify the third world children and babies dying of starvation, the animal cruelty, the first world heart attacks, and the wholesale destruction of the environment?

A must for people who claim to care about animals., 16 Apr 2001
Although some of the content of this book is hard to read, and even harder to comprehend, we owe it to the animals to read it, and to feel shame as we close the final cover.

This book is a must for everyone who claims to be an animal lover whilst tucking into their dinner of roast lamb.

Possibly the most informative book ever written., 21 Jan 2000
This book sets out to do the impossible - to challenge nearly all the beliefs held by compassionate people all over the world - and, somehow, it manages it.

From the personal stories to the devastating statistics, every page brings a new shock about the hidden world of animal cruelty, and the pure evils of a dishonest meat industry.

If everyone read this book, we would have far fewer meat eaters. I decided when I picked this book up that it was not going to convert me. It didn't, but it gave me, literally, food for thought, and now I am a definite and strict vegetarian.

This book isn't about emotional blackmail, it isn't about horriffic pictures and over dramtised writing style. It is about simple facts, which should not, and indeed cannot, be ignored.

No need for shock tactics. The facts speak loud and clear., 22 Feb 2004
A fabulous read. Unlike many other vegan authors, Erik Markus makes the case for veganism (extremely well) by stating the facts. The book is all the more powerful for the matter of fact approach Markus adopts. Buy it now. If you're thinking about becoming vegan, this book will confirm time and again, that you'll be making the right choice.

A must-read..., 19 Jun 1999
Erik Marcus hits the nail on the head with this book. As a vegetarian making the transition to veganism, this book not only answered my questions about veganism (such as, will I get enough calcium?), but it also re-enforced my reasons for choosing to go vegan in the first place: to do my part in healing the planet. I applaud this book and I encourage anyone who cares about either the environment, animal welfare, their own health, or even weight loss to read this book.

A Compassionate Look at the Effects of our Diet, 11 Jun 1999
Erik Marcus has done a phenomenal job researching and writing this book. I highly recommend it for anyone concerned about their health, the environment, and animal suffering. It has reaffirmed my beliefs in choosing a plant-based diet and that the right amount of animal products for optimal health is zero. It's time for everyone to make the transition to a plant-based diet and Erik has done a great job to support this argument.

Vegans rock and this book makes you proud of it., 29 Apr 1999
This book is really awesome, especially for a person who is interested in becoming a vegan. If everyone read this book they would think twice about what they stick in their mouths. Animal liberation!!!! Eight billion are killed every year in the U.S. E-mail me fellow vegans!!

An amazing read that makes animal suffering all too real., 18 Feb 1999
Marcus makes the intense suffering of animals something real - not just a myth that activists tote around the world. The information covers an amazing amount of material in a way that is both moving and inspiring. The descriptions of suffering and health concerns are just enough to give people reasons to continue being vegan, and others the chance to experience true people, animal, and environmental concerns.

Excellent and constructive read., 02 Feb 2008
A really clear political exposition, which helps provide solid philosophical underpinnings to veganism and a way forward for animal rights' thinking which does not include a lot of "they're-just-like-us-no-they're-not" irrelevancies. Very readable, too! Highly recommended.

The most interesting book on animal rights philosophy for sometime?, 10 Jan 2008
'With a focus on labour, property and the life of commodities, Making a Killing contains key insights into the broad nature of domination, power and hierarchy. It explores the intersections between human and animal oppressions in relation to the exploitative dynamics of capitalism.'

Not many books like this about, it looks at some of the structural issues at play which create and enforce the role of animals as objects to be utilised for the economic growth of society.

I've only just started reading it, but at last a book that seems to pull together different aspects of discrimination and exploitation under the capitalist umbrella. Animal rights is after all a lot more than just 'animal rights'!

If you have any thoughts on animal liberation read this book, 19 Jan 2005
This is not a novel on the struggle of an animal liberationist, it's a collection of essays and published stories collated by two very strong people in this field.

The book introduces the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), why they started, why they employ the methods they do, and why they still exist today. The ALF are always seen in the media as 'terrorists', but this is far from the truth, and it's the reason I bought the book in the first place - I wanted to challenge the media's portrayal of the ALF.

The essays elegantly explain the animal liberation movement, from its beginnings, its links with feminism, and how the governments of the world (specifically the USA and UK) are re-defining the word 'terrorist' to apply it to animal liberationists. To call anyone saving animals from a life of torture, a 'terrorist', serves only to blur the line between saving life and taking life. This is not a fine line. 9/11 was terrorism. Breaking a few locks (and leaving new replacements!) and taking animals to loving homes, is not.

The later part of the book goes into some depth on the USA's Patriot Act (and Patriot Act II) and the repercussions it has on freedom of speech and movement.

I was very pleased with this book. I have an interest in animal liberation, and this book told me a lot of what I didn't know, and the reasons why we all should work towards freeing the innocent from those who profit from torture, pain, suffering and death.

A must for animal wellwishers, 08 Oct 2002
Peter Singer explores the realms of animal cruelty and discusses the hypocritical attitude of many who believe themselves to be pro animal rights. I myself am an animal lover and vegetarian who thought she had heard it all but was amazed to read many of Singers' exposes. This book opened my eyes towards my then slightly hypocritical attitude towards animal rights. It is a must for anyone contemplating vegetarianism or simply exploring the world of animal cruelty. This truly shows how one person can make a difference despite adversity and struggle, a sensible and informative account of one mans' struggle against the disbelievers.

Animal Liberation - a phenomenal book!, 22 Nov 2007
Quite simply this book changed my life. I have never read anything like it. Exceptional, important, morally bang on, inspirational - as they say, the Bible of the movement. Buy it! And buy one for all your friends and family while you're at it too. You won't look back.

All politicians AND vets in pharmaceutical and military industry should read this..., 14 May 2006
Veterany students and politicians should read this book before they start torturing animals or make any political statement. The British Prime Minister -while allowing military tests on primates and other experiments at American funded research centres- has not read this book. The Bishops of Canterbury and Westminster have not read this book - they allow military torture of primates. The Oxford professors have not read this book - they have no moral conscience, it's not in their "package". Bush has not read this book - if he ever read a book. If they had read this book ... they would have been much better humans. Now they are only primitive greedy human beings without any moral conscience. How do you expect any of them to respect human rights if they cannot respect animal rights? If you do not agree with this statement: read the book!

Most important and powerful book I've ever read., 22 Feb 2006
It makes people feel bad for the disgraceful animals without appealing or look so emotional.
He uses only reasons and the most powerful arguments I´ve seen somebody defending.

I've already became a vegetarian before reading it, but the book gave me the perfect reasons to keep on this diet for the rest of my life.

Singer is a guy blessed with intelligence and power of convinciment. Even a slaughterhouse owner should agree with 90% which is in the book.

Some try to dismiss Singer as a nazi, who would defend testing in disabled people or orphan babies than in pigs or dogs. Those people or have bad intentions or don´t have a clue, cause what Singer does is exactly the other way, claiming the animals should have many rights we have, and not that we should destroy weaker humans like we do on that creatures.

The book is heavy, cruel, sometimes you feel very bad and if you really love animals, have to close it and continue another day. But we live in a real world, and we must read serious subjects.

It´s one to avoid if you are afraid of the reality. If you have a strong sense of justice, this book will make you disturbed and encourage you to do something. Should be in all public libraries in the world.

One of the toughest-to-argue with books I've ever read, 17 Oct 2005
I read this book partly out of curiosity and partly out of a wish to confront a position that I found challenging to my own hazy sense of ethics. Specifically, I love cooking but was beginning to wonder if I didn't eat more meat than was really a good idea.

The fundamental insight I got from Singer's book is that the human tendency to elevate the interests of our species over those of other species is an entirely irrational prejudice, with no authority other than tradition. This is not to say that the interests of other species are always to be preferred to our own - that would also be illogical. But they must be taken into consideration, if our ethics are to have any rationality whatsoever.

As far as I'm concerned, this argument demolishes the objection often made to Singer's work by e.g. some religious people - that his concern for animals, coupled with his belief that abortion is sometimes morally justified, means that he "dehumanises" people, or "lowers them to the level of animals". The unspoken assumption here is that humans are self-evidently above animals to begin with. This argument fits much ancient theology but is not consistent with reason (or, it might be added, with science). It is nothing more than bigotry for religious authorities to claim that humans are in any way superior to other creatures.

So did it turn me into a vegetarian? No. I probably read too much Nietzsche when I was young. But I know now that the continued presence of meat in my diet is the result of nothing other than force and self-interest working in harmony. Humans eat meat because they can get away with it, and any other attempt to justify it is hypocrisy. One day, when I can't live any longer with the contradiction, I'll probably become a vegetarian, but in the meantime I have to find more ways of making mushrooms interesting.

Incidentally, Singer is also eloquent about the sheer wastefulness and incompetence of the meat industry. If we didn't eat so many hamburgers, it would be possible to do a lot more for the starving in the rest of the world. (If beef, pork, lamb and chicken were farmed less intensively and more in harmony with traditional methods, we would undoubtedly pay more for them, but they'd also start tasting better. But unsurprisingly, Singer doesn't make that particular point.)

This is undoubtedly one of the most challenging and rigorous works of philosophy of the last century. Insofar as it has a power of making us examine our own attitudes and behaviour, it's also one of the best.

Everybody should read this book, 21 Jun 2005
This book shows how we contribute to cruelty toward animals if we continue eating meat from industrial production, don't boycott cosmetics that test on animals and live in ignorance.
Peter Singer beat everybody with his ethical arguments.
I became vegetarian after reading it.

I dare you to read this, 25 Feb 2008
This book was written over 10 years ago and in addition to unearthing the realities of meat eating on the health and wellbeing of humans & animals it dared to suggest that this industry was causing huge damage to the planet and its resources. Even I (as a vegetarian) was a bit sceptible of the claims made. Surely if the damage was that bad wouldn't the Green lobby be championing the cause?

Then in 2006, 10 years later, this hit some (but not all) headlines:

"Livestock's contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale. The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency." United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation

This month, the Green Party (of which I am a member) thought it was about time to raise the profile of this subject and will be announcing a new policy statement on the environmental damage caused by the livestock industry, they are a decade too late.

Just think about it, there are 6BN humans who require over 20BN animals to be born, fed, watered & slaughtered or used for milk. The books sets out in detail how much it takes to maintain this statistic, how the developing world pays for the developed world's needs. This is not rocket science, it's obvious stuff once you bother to read about it.

We bang on about cars/planes/boats & transport in general. The global warming caused by our livestock industry is far in excess of all transport emissions put together? It is easier for you and me to make a difference in the food that we eat than in the car we drive.

How many people wonder what happens to male dairy calves or male chicks born to egg laying hens, ie half the millions of births a year? Or how are cows able to continue to produce milk all year around?

If you say you don't wonder or don't care I dare you to read this book and repeat your opinion. Yes I am angry, I read this book three years ago and am still cross with myself that I didn't question this stuff.


For veggies - a bible, for meat eaters - a horror story, 26 Jan 2007
Absolutely brilliant book, outlines all the cruel aspects of farming animals for meat consumption. Veggies and vegans can treat this like a bible full of ammunition to shoot at sceptical meat eaters. Give this to a meat eater and they will likely recoil in terror as it outlines how unnatural and unhealthy their diet is.

THIS BOOK SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ALL, 04 Nov 2004
This book lifts the lid on the horrors of the meat industry.

It is impeccably researched and written.

Millions of animals are unnecessarily slaughtered for food in the UK every year; worldwide it is billions. We'd all like to believe that this is done with concern for their welfare during their lives, and humane methods used when it is time to slaughter. The meat industry would LOVE us to keep thinking that. Sadly, though, it could not be further from the truth.

Few people would carry on eating meat if they had to spend just one day in a factory farm or a slaughterhouse. People should know the pain, misery and suffering that goes into their meals, and THEN decide if they want to economically support it by continuing to consume meat.

This book, however, goes MUCH further than the animal welfare issue and demonstrates that we benefit both our health and the environment when we stop eating meat.

Most compelling of all, she catalogues how meat production contributes DIRECTLY to humans dying of starvation. Many poor countries are economically incentivised to export their crops as livestock feed so that rich foreigners can eat steak, while the local populations starve.

The only thing one can possibly say in favour of meat (and even this is a matter of opinion) is that it 'tastes' good. Is that really enough to justify the third world children and babies dying of starvation, the animal cruelty, the first world heart attacks, and the wholesale destruction of the environment?

A must for people who claim to care about animals., 16 Apr 2001
Although some of the content of this book is hard to read, and even harder to comprehend, we owe it to the animals to read it, and to feel shame as we close the final cover.

This book is a must for everyone who claims to be an animal lover whilst tucking into their dinner of roast lamb.

Possibly the most informative book ever written., 21 Jan 2000
This book sets out to do the impossible - to challenge nearly all the beliefs held by compassionate people all over the world - and, somehow, it manages it.

From the personal stories to the devastating statistics, every page brings a new shock about the hidden world of animal cruelty, and the pure evils of a dishonest meat industry.

If everyone read this book, we would have far fewer meat eaters. I decided when I picked this book up that it was not going to convert me. It didn't, but it gave me, literally, food for thought, and now I am a definite and strict vegetarian.

This book isn't about emotional blackmail, it isn't about horriffic pictures and over dramtised writing style. It is about simple facts, which should not, and indeed cannot, be ignored.

No need for shock tactics. The facts speak loud and clear., 22 Feb 2004
A fabulous read. Unlike many other vegan authors, Erik Markus makes the case for veganism (extremely well) by stating the facts. The book is all the more powerful for the matter of fact approach Markus adopts. Buy it now. If you're thinking about becoming vegan, this book will confirm time and again, that you'll be making the right choice.

A must-read..., 19 Jun 1999
Erik Marcus hits the nail on the head with this book. As a vegetarian making the transition to veganism, this book not only answered my questions about veganism (such as, will I get enough calcium?), but it also re-enforced my reasons for choosing to go vegan in the first place: to do my part in healing the planet. I applaud this book and I encourage anyone who cares about either the environment, animal welfare, their own health, or even weight loss to read this book.

A Compassionate Look at the Effects of our Diet, 11 Jun 1999
Erik Marcus has done a phenomenal job researching and writing this book. I highly recommend it for anyone concerned about their health, the environment, and animal suffering. It has reaffirmed my beliefs in choosing a plant-based diet and that the right amount of animal products for optimal health is zero. It's time for everyone to make the transition to a plant-based diet and Erik has done a great job to support this argument.

Vegans rock and this book makes you proud of it., 29 Apr 1999
This book is really awesome, especially for a person who is interested in becoming a vegan. If everyone read this book they would think twice about what they stick in their mouths. Animal liberation!!!! Eight billion are killed every year in the U.S. E-mail me fellow vegans!!

An amazing read that makes animal suffering all too real., 18 Feb 1999
Marcus makes the intense suffering of animals something real - not just a myth that activists tote around the world. The information covers an amazing amount of material in a way that is both moving and inspiring. The descriptions of suffering and health concerns are just enough to give people reasons to continue being vegan, and others the chance to experience true people, animal, and environmental concerns.

Excellent and constructive read., 02 Feb 2008
A really clear political exposition, which helps provide solid philosophical underpinnings to veganism and a way forward for animal rights' thinking which does not include a lot of "they're-just-like-us-no-they're-not" irrelevancies. Very readable, too! Highly recommended.

The most interesting book on animal rights philosophy for sometime?, 10 Jan 2008
'With a focus on labour, property and the life of commodities, Making a Killing contains key insights into the broad nature of domination, power and hierarchy. It explores the intersections between human and animal oppressions in relation to the exploitative dynamics of capitalism.'

Not many books like this about, it looks at some of the structural issues at play which create and enforce the role of animals as objects to be utilised for the economic growth of society.

I've only just started reading it, but at last a book that seems to pull together different aspects of discrimination and exploitation under the capitalist umbrella. Animal rights i