The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them

( 61 )

Overview

A fascinating exploration of humanity's eternal bond with animals, and an urgent call to answer the needs of millions of at-risk creatures

A landmark work, The Bond is the passionate, insightful, and comprehensive examination of our special connection to all creatures, written by one of America's most important champions of animal welfare. Wayne Pacelle, the president of the Humane Society of the United States, unveils the deep links of the human-animal bond, as well as the ...

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The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them

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More About This Book

Overview

A fascinating exploration of humanity's eternal bond with animals, and an urgent call to answer the needs of millions of at-risk creatures

A landmark work, The Bond is the passionate, insightful, and comprehensive examination of our special connection to all creatures, written by one of America's most important champions of animal welfare. Wayne Pacelle, the president of the Humane Society of the United States, unveils the deep links of the human-animal bond, as well as the conflicting impulses that have led us to betray this bond through widespread and systemic cruelty to animals.

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Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

No one can doubt Wayne Pacelle's position on the subject of this book: He is the president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States and a key official in the Fund for Animals. His new book isn't just a rich celebration of the deeply entrenched bond between animals and humans; it is also a penetrating alarm about widespread cruelty to animals and the threat to thousands of species now facing extinction. A poignant book for anyone who ever loved a pet. Now in trade paperback and NOOK Book.

— Vicki Powers

Publishers Weekly
The Humane Society of the United States does more than work to save puppies and kittens. As Pacelle, its president and CEO, relates, the organization has worked to protect farm animals, pets, and wild animals, helping push forward legislation banning the production of downer cows (those too sick or weak to stand), bolstering laws banning cockfighting and dog fighting, and documenting the slaughter of bison and wolves at Yellowstone National Park. Pacelle believes that "a bond with animals is built into every one of us" and explores these bonds, along with the battles the HSUS has fought. The science and history of the animal-human bond, on the other hand, receives little attention, and Pacelle's first book often jumps abruptly across topics. But Pacelle's accounts are engaging and readers interested in learning more about the HSUS will enjoy the many vivid, poignant stories. Pacelle offers a list of "Fifty Ways to Help Animals," ranging from political activities to shopping, giving readers the means to affect change in the lives of animals and perhaps strengthen their own bond with them in the bargain. (Apr.)
Jane Goodall
"If the animals knew about this book, they would, without doubt, confer on Wayne Pacelle, their highest honor."
John Mackey
"The Bond is the best overall book on animals I have ever read. Brilliant and moving, it will change the way we see the world and the way we see ourselves."
Jeffrey Masson
Majestic in sweep and beautifully written, The Bond is a monumental achievement. I can’t think of any other book that is so valuable. It is truly wonderful!"
Library Journal
Plenty of books on the human-animal bond have appeared lately, but this one is special: the author is the high-profile president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. The book is rich with anecdotes (like Pacelle's confronting seal clubbers and Michael Vicks). With a 100,000-copy first printing and a six-city tour.
Library Journal
Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, describes in explicit detail almost every conceivable instance of animal abuse, neglect, and cruelty, including factory farming, slaughterhouse practices, dog fighting, cock fighting, puppy mill breeding, animal experimentation, the fur trade, land management practices, their treatment during Hurricane Katrina, and unethical hunting. He even takes swipes at the very organizations that ostensibly promote animal welfare, such as municipal animal shelters, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Kennel Club. He also discusses legislation and the various means by which abusers circumvent regulations. Finally, Pacelle offers humane alternatives and suggests 50 ways individuals can help end the cruelty. VERDICT This well-argued, well-documented, and deeply disturbing book is an essential for pet owners, animal lovers, animal science students, and anyone concerned with the ethical treatment of animals. Pacelle's notoriety and a media campaign will also spark demand.—Florence Scarinci, Nassau Community Coll. Lib., Garden City, NY
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780061969805
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 4/3/2012
  • Edition description: Reprint
  • Pages: 423
  • Sales rank: 262,683
  • Product dimensions: 5.30 (w) x 7.80 (h) x 1.10 (d)

Meet the Author

Wayne Pacelle

Wayne Pacelle is president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection organization.

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Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction: Sanctuary 1

Part I A Special Bond

1 The Ties that Bond 21

The Biochemistry of the Bond 24

Pet Keeping Through the Ages 30

Domesticated Animals: "Bonded to the House" 33

Animal Sacrifice: "The Perfect Gift" 40

Animal Welfare and the "Great Republic of the Future" 43

Self-Evident Truths 48

2 The Mismeasure of Animals 54

Thinking and Feeling: Shared Capacities 56

Denying Animal Intelligence 59

Signs of Change 66

Lifesaving Dolphins and Dogs, Altruistic Elephants, and Other Remarkable Animals 71

The Emotional Lives of Animals 79

Part II The Betrayal of the Bond

3 A Message From Hallmark: Exposing Factory Farming 91

The Slaughterhouse Next Door: Inside a California Meat Plant 94

The Hypocrisy of "Happy Cows" 105

Endless Denials: The Challenge of Reform 114

"The New Agriculture": The Ways of Industrial Farming 119

"Meat Science": Turkeys Who Can't Walk, Pigs Who Can't Move, and Other Victims of Agribusiness 125

Stirring the Silent Majority 130

4 A Culture of Cruelty: Animal Fighting in America 135

Bad Newz on Moonlight Road: Dogfighting Comes Out of the Shadows 137

Michael Vick and the Contradiction of Cruelty 145

Blood Sport Through the Ages 153

"The Feathered Warrior" 157

"I Won't Disappoint You" 172

5 For the Love of Pets 177

Katrina and the Human-Animal Bond 180

The Animals in Our Lives 190

In the Name of Mercy: Animal Shelters and the Problem of Euthanasia 196

Factory Farms for Dogs: The Tragedy of Puppy Mills 204

The AKC and "the Maintenance of Purity" 209

Nothing Fancy: The Costs of Reckless Breeding 217

6 The Cull of the Wild 222

Unfaithful Stewards: Betraying Yellowstone's Bison 225

Killing and Longing: The Lessons of TR 233

The Era of Rational Slaughter 239

"Let's Kill them All": The Attack on Alaska's Wolves 243

"Garbagingfor Bears": Commercial Hunting and Contemptible Conduct 248

The Face of Innocence and the Shame of Canada 253

Part III Building a Humane World

7 Cruelty and its Defenders 269

The Moral Scale and Humane Living 272

Rhetorical Camouflage: Debating Opponents of Animal Protection 277

Collateral Damage and the NRA 284

"The Agro-Industrial Complex": Harvesting Subsidies 294

"The Rising Plague" and the Veterinary Oath 302

8 The Humane Economy 312

"Creative Destruction" and Living Capital 314

Wild Neighbors 326

Chemistry and Compassion 333

Twenty-First-Century Science 338

Innovation and the Spark of Life 344

Appendix: Fifty Ways to Help Animals 351

Acknowledgments 357

Notes 363

Index 409

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 61 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(39)

4 Star

(5)

3 Star

(7)

2 Star

(3)

1 Star

(7)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 61 Customer Reviews

  • Posted April 4, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    For Animal lovers

    better understand its past, present and future link to animals and the need to protect animals from humanity. Divided into seven chapters and an appendix, The Bond is an easy well written read. Wayne Pacelle, the head of The Humane Society of The United States, assumes his audience is intelligent and open minded; as besides a biochemical tie, animals have been pets even in ancient societies and some species were domesticated millennia ago; people refused to leave New Orleans knowing Katrina would be devastating because they could not leave family behind (that family were pets). Anecdotal entries enhance Mr. Pacelle's call to arms as he explains the history of man and animal bonds and how to protect species like the California condor from lead poisoning. Perhaps the most interesting chapter is the last as Mr. Pacelle analyzes opponents of animal protection who argue everything from second amendment rights to human needs. There is also a warning not to fall for "altruistic" groups with positive sounding labels asking for help as some of these are animal abusers. Instead the author provides "Fifty Ways to Help Animals" with contact information

    14 out of 14 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 12, 2011

    The Bond

    I am retired and have been a full time activist for several years now. Mr. Pacelle has pulled together alot of information that was available to the public had anybody taken the time to look. Mr. Pacelle is plenty smart enough to know this. I was familiar with much(NOT ALL) of the information in the book(MINUS SOME DETAILS). He has one big advantage over most of us, in that he gets to travel first hand to see things! There are no new or brilliant ideas in this book. Yes! I did read the book! I did not need to read this book to know that everything on this earth is bonded. We have all been drinking the same water for billions of years. I did not need to read this book to know the different forms of animal cruelty that exist;and that tradition, religon, culture, race, economics and other factors influence how we interact with our environment(animals, plants, other people,etc.). He gets 2 stars for effort and it was a LONG book! This book would be good for people who know nothing about animals, but will these be the people that buy the book? I KNOW I am going to get raked over the coals for these next comments, but I feel a little background information is necessary. Mr. Pacelle was always my hero till I met him. He was in town several times in connection with a VERY important ballot initiative I was heavily involved with. We are still battling it out with Missouri legislators. He was one of the coldest, egotistical, most calculating people I have ever met. He cares nothing about people or who he hurts in his quest to make a name for himself and money. He is driven to excel, and has carved his niche at HSUS. He cares more about his own success than he does animals. His quest for success has led to legislation that has improved the lives of animals. I am grateful for this. So much for my hero!

    8 out of 13 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 5, 2011

    Masterpiece!

    The best book I've ever read on the topic of animals and the top ten books I've ever read PERIOD! It's comprehesive, just like the organization (HSUS) he runs. Interesting history and science on animals, their evolution, and the human/ animal bond. Insider information on HSUS campaigns and personal stories. Couldn't put it down!

    7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted March 21, 2011

    Only a taste, and hungering for more!

    Wayne Pacelle has been a transformational figure in animal welfare, and he has not shied away from the difficult issues.

    Over the years, Pacelle's engaging blog has offered thoughtful analysis with a healthy seasoning of controversy.

    Now we have an even deeper look into the thoughts of the man who heads the nation's largest and most powerful force for the elimination of cruelty to animals, the Humane Society of the US. (Indeed, the effectiveness of the HSUS is evident in the number and nature of the enemies they've acquired. You can expect reviews of the book to be flooded with hateful comments, slander, and apocryphal quotes by those who value profits over the well-being of animals... but every factory farmer and puppy mill operator who speaks out is offering a testimonial to the accomplishments of the HSUS.)

    Pacelle's insights are powerful, and to have them articulated in The Bond is a wonderful gift. The preface of the book is available for free on Kindle. I urge anyone who cares about animals to sample it: amzn.to/TheBond

    And I hope that in April, every person reading this will be enjoying the book on their sofa, in the company of their pets.

    7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted September 27, 2011

    7 Things You Didn't Know about HSUS

    7 Things You Didn't Know About HSUS (The Humane Society of the United States) 1. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is a "humane society" in name only, since it doesn't operate a single pet shelter or pet adoption facility anywhere in the United States. HSUS operates sanctuaries for large animals only, not shelters within the commonly accepted definition of shelter. During 2006, HSUS contributed only 4.2 percent of its budget to organizations that operate hands-on dog and cat shelters. In reality, HSUS is a wealthy animal-rights lobbying organization (the largest and richest on earth) that agitates for the same goals as PETA and other radical groups. 2. Beginning on the day of NFL quarterback Michael Vick's2007 dog fighting indictment, HSUS raised money online with the false promise that it would "care for the dogs seized in the Michael Vick case." The New York Times later reported that HSUS wasn't caring for Vick's dogs at all. And HSUS president Wayne Pacelle told the Times that his group recommended that government officials "put down" (that is, kill) the dogs rather than adopt them out to suitable homes. HSUS later quietly altered its Internet fundraising pitch. 3. HSUS's senior management includes a former spokesman for the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), a criminal group designated as "terrorists" by the FBI. HSUS president Wayne Pacelle hired John "J.P." Goodwin in 1997, the same year Goodwin described himself as "spokesperson for the ALF" while he fielded media calls in the wake of an ALF arson attack at a California veal processing plant. In 1997, when asked by reporters for a reaction to an ALF arson fire at a farmer's feed co-op in Utah (which nearly killed a family sleeping on the premises), Goodwin replied, "We're ecstatic." That same year, Goodwin was arrested at a UC Davis protest celebrating the 10-year anniversary of an ALF arson at the university that caused $5 million in damage. And in 1998, Goodwin described himself publicly as a "former member of ALF." 4.HSUS raised a reported $34 million in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, supposedly to help reunite lost pets with their owners. But comparatively little of that money was spent for its intended purpose. Louisiana's Attorney General shuttered his 18-month-long investigation into where most of these millions went, shortly after HSUS announced its plan to contribute $600,000 toward the construction of an animal shelter on the grounds of a state prison. Public disclosures of the disposition of the $34 million in Katrina-related donations add up to less than $7 million. 5. After gathering undercover video footage of improper animal handling at a Chino, CA slaughterhouse during November of 2007, HSUS sat on its video evidence for three months, even refusing to share it with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. HSUS's Dr. Michael Greger testified before Congress that the San Bernardino County (CA) District Attorney's office asked the group "to hold on to the information while they completed their investigation." But the District Attorney's office quickly denied that account, even declaring that HSUS refused to make its undercover spy available to investigators if the USDA were present at those meetings. Ultimately, HSUS chose to release its video footage at a more politically opportune time, as it prepared to launch a livestock-related ballot campaign in California. Meanwhile, meat from the slaughterhouse continued to flow into the U.S. food suppl

    6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 5, 2011

    An easy to understand, hard to put down book--a must read for any animal lover.

    This book begins with an intriguing and informative synopsis of how humans and animals developed our relationship with one another over time. Pacelle cites scholars and historians throughout to help us understand just how we got to where we are today with domesticated animals and the animal welfare movement. The title of this book really says it all: our bond with animals has been broken, particularly as we continue to urbanize and experience a greater disconnect from food animals, and as other animal industries fight to keep their operations behind closed doors and out of the public eye. In the days when humans truly depended on animal flesh and pelts to survive, the animals were respected for their sacrifices. Today, most humans are able to not only survive but thrive without the use of animal products, and yet we now treat animals like commodities that have no right to their own lives or natural behaviors. We must acknowledge our bond with animals, and not just the animals that we keep in our homes as pets. It's time for people to learn about all of the animals hidden away from their sight and to do what we can to end or reduce their suffering. The book ends with 50 ways to do just that. Pacelle's voice is consistently one of reason in an emotional and passionate debate over animal welfare. Despite the subject matter, the book lays out the case for animal welfare calmly and logically.

    6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted March 28, 2011

    Looking Forward To This One!

    Wayne Pacelle began his bond with his childhood dogs as most of us did, but he certainly has gone above and beyond what the avergage animal advocate has achieved. The buzz on this book is terrific. He mixes personal anecdotes and animal experiences with book smarts. Can't wait to dig into this book!

    6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 9, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Carefully researched and thought provoking!

    In The Bond, Wayne Pacelle delivers a systematic analysis of our treatment of animals from those that we keep as pets, those that are raised for food, service animals, and those that live in the wild.

    Pacelle touches on the disturbingly cruel behavior of Michael Vicks and his dog fighting friends. Pacelle interviews Vicks and we learn how the athlete became so deeply involved in dog fighting and the manner and nature of his "conversion" to an advocate for animal rights. The sincerity of his conversion is hard to evaluate but Pacelle testified to the power of Vicks' influence especially on young men. Vicks makes a difference each time he speaks to a room full of children and teens about how much he regrets the pain that he'd caused and his advocacy for a kind and humane way to treat animals.

    I expected to be upset by the descriptions of dog fighting, cockfighting, animal blood sports and hunting but I was particularly disturbed by the description of puppy mills. I never liked how pet stores keep for puppies in small cages, but Pacelle's account of the breeders' premises was worse than anything that I'd imagined. Pacelle systematically attacks many of the myths that I'd believed about purebred dogs and their breeders and sellers. While the genetic defects and vulnerabilities of purebred dogs are well recognized, it's hard to imagine that dogs are kept in such close confinement without exercise, fresh air or proper socialization. The breeding dogs and their offspring are often kept in cramped, unsanitary, and dangerous conditions.

    Pacelle examines the raising and slaughtering of animals. His account of the "agro-industrial complex" is much like that described by Jonathan Safran Foer in Eating Animals. Reading both books within months of each other makes me think twice about my consumption of meat and dairy products.

    If you have wondered about how we treat the animals around us, The Bond will give you a comprehensive and detailed account. It has led me to examine my behavior more carefully. I'm grateful for the work that activists have done to draw attention to animal suffering.

    ISBN-10: 0061969788 - Hardcover $26.99
    Publisher: William Morrow (April 5, 2011), 448 pages.
    Review copy provided by the publisher.

    5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 20, 2011

    The cold hard truth

    An excellent but heart breaking book. Not for the faint hearted; at times the descriptions were so visual that I had to sit the book down. Regardless i kept coming back, because the truth no matter how hard, must be heard.

    4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted May 15, 2011

    A big 0!

    A big zeroe! Better keep updating that description, otherwise you won't get that second or third printing!

    3 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 17, 2011

    Superb Examination of the Human-Animal Bond, and much, much more

    I agree entirely with John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, who says that "The Bond is the best overall book on animals I've ever read... The very best books change the way we see the world and the way we see ourselves. The Bond is that kind of book."

    I've been an animal welfare advocate for about 25 years, and I believe I've read the canon, from Peter Singer to Carol Adams to Tom Regan to Erin Williams to Andrew Linzey to Matthew Scully, and the rest. This book is my new favorite book for the uninitiated, and it's taking it's place on the top shelf as a recommendation for seasoned activists.

    Pacelle combines a history of the human relationship with animals and the animal protection movement globally, a thorough review of the developing science of animal cognition, his own history as an animal protectionist, and (most critically) his vision of the path toward a humane future. If I'd read this as a book proposal, I would have been skeptical of the likelihood of success for such an ambitious endeavor, and would have suggested turning the proposal into three or four books, rather than one.

    But it works, and works brilliantly. Buy this book; you're actually getting a catalog of animal protection books in one, seamlessly melded.

    Highest recommendation.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted May 19, 2011

    Amazing

    A book for animal lovers by someone who truly cares for animals. I applaud My. Pacelle's wonderful efforts and actions in regards to the animal-rights movement. As an animal lover, pet-guardian and vegan myself, I was already aware of most of the issues cited in this book. It did provide me with more detail regarding the atrocities committed against animals by man and it was very well-researced and highly articulate. Everyone should read this book. If everyone had just one animal cause they supported as well as cutting back on the meat and dairy they consume, this world be a much kinder, cleaner and happier place. I especially like how the author lists 50 ways you can help animals at the close of the book: a lot of people don't realize how cruel and unnecessary the factory farming, fur and vivisection businesses really are. Real change comes about when real people decide to change their habits.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 29, 2012

    Read if you love life

    This will help all birds, animals, wildlife lovers. Ensure that there may be no endangered in the future.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 7, 2012

    Wonderful and heartbreaking

    Wealth of information for anyone concerned about animal abuse, wheather the animal be pet or food.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 28, 2011

    An animal lover's most valuable reference!!

    The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them is a book that will surely work its way into the hearts of anybody who has even the slightest affection for animals. Wayne Pacelle, the beloved president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States of America, wrote a book that should definitely be considered sacred to animal advocates of all ages. Pacelle starts The Bond off by describing the biological bond humans have with animals, a point that he references throughout the entire book. He describes in detail landmark cases in the plight of the animals, such as the Hallmark case, which exposed the frequency of "downer" cows (animals too weak or sick to stand on their own) in our food system. Pacelle actively explains the successes and failures of the many animal rights organizations in the country with precise detail and vivid imagery. Although some parts of the book require a tough stomach to make it through the horrific details of animal cruelty, such as the section about the Michael Vick case, The Bond is a must-read for animal lovers. The book acts as a comprehensive overview of the animal rights movement, with easy-to-understand science and key quotes from famous front-runners in the animal protection movement. Wayne Pacelle interweaves his personal experiences and opinions into the novel, and frequently makes humorous personal and political jabs at the many people/corporations against the animal rights movement, such as various fast food chains, cosmetic industries, and many politicians. No need to worry if you have little free time to read a lengthy novel, as I tore through the pages of this book and even found myself turning down Jersey Shore re-runs to read about the Canadian seal slaughter, the fur trade, and other prominent issues in the animal world. This book deserves a full 5-star rating because of Wayne Pacelle's ability to connect with his readers and inform them of some of the most horrific, and also some of the most beautiful, human-animal relationships on this planet. If animals were able to read The Bond, they would surely forever thank Wayne Pacelle for providing a passionate voice for those who do not have a voice of their own.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 19, 2011

    This Book Is Epic!

    I absolutely adored this book! For me, as a kid, it was kind of big. But, it was worth the time taken. I have always wanted to get involved in the world of animal rights, and this book shot me into action. Here I am, with a newly adopted shelter cat, knowledge of my local shelters, and I am now looking to volunteer at horse rescues! It really got me going. But, this book doesn't persuade you to get involved; it inspires you to. It is an example for the aspiring author who wants to be remembered!
    Wayne Pacelle - You are my hero and you are a Great author!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted August 28, 2011

    A fascinating and informative must read

    Much gratitude towards Wayne Pacelle, and the many animal advocates who come to the rescue of mistreated and abused animals. Their efforts have accomplished so much towards helping defenseless creatures live a life they were intended to live ... by the side of "humankind."

    Though the book was heartbreaking, it was also extremely fascinating and informative. I will remember the names of the legislators who helped pass humane laws for animals, and those who didn't. A must read.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted June 9, 2011

    Dog-eared already

    I suppose it's appropriate that my nearly-new copy of THE BOND-a book about our kinship with animals-is already, well, dog-eared. That's because there's so much in here I want to go back and refer to, so many surprising facts and moving stories. A small sample: Our fear of mice may stem from the Black Death, the world worst pandemic, which was spread by rats (page 23). John Wesley, founder of Methodism (my church!) advocated compassion to animals as essential to the Christian ethic (page 50). The story of the poodle mix who had to rescued with a catch pole, because her owner was shot in a dispute after Katrina-and even five days after the man died, she wouldn't leave his body (page 187). And then there's poor page 345, which got two dog-ears: there's a great story about a man who lost an arm to a shark attack and later testified to Congress to protect them on that page, and then a pile of great quotes about why animals matter on the back. One of the quotes is this: ".animals have claims of their own in the world. They are not just here to be used and killed. They are not just things, or resources, or commodities, or targets, or economic opportunities in the waiting.They want to live just as badly as we do." Who could argue with that? Wayne Pacelle, president of the highly-respected, mainstream Human Society of the United States, is the very soul of reason. Even when he's writing about horrors like laboratory testing on animals and dog fighting, he's never shrill. His research is thorough, his facts are in order, and his conclusions all are so perfectly reasonable, you almost can't believe the whole world isn't already in complete agreement. But it's not-and that keeps Pacelle mighty busy. While the seal-clubbers and furriers, factory farmers and whalers whine that HSUS should confine its compassion to neutering pets, under Pacelle's leadership the organization is fighting cruelty to animals on many fronts. In this book you'll learn just what an uphill battle that is. Yet THE BOND is not depressing. It's filled with uplifting stories about animals and about people. One of my favorites is how Amway, a major manufacturer of cosmetics and household products, managed to completely end all toxicity testing on animals for all of its products in a mere 40 days. How? All the ingredients in their products had already been proved safe. Its cruel and expensive toxicity testing programs-like that of almost all other companies that still conduct them-were completely unnecessary! And this is the great message of hope in THE BOND: Animals don't have to suffer to maintain a workable economy. (In fact, eliminating cruelty can save corporations money.) In the last chapter of this imminently readable and important book, Pacelle addresses what's needed to create what he calls The Humane Economy. He admits that change isn't always easy. "No matter what the reform up for debate," he writes, "we will hear from those skeptics who warn of the radical implications of change-and in a way, they are right. There is always something a little radical when we dare to live up to our own beliefs."

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  • Posted March 21, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Powerful

    This book covers every aspect of our relationship with animals. We go back in time to the early origins of our bond with animals and learn how our relationships evolved. We journey from factory farms to loving farmers, from those who profit from dogfights to those who dedicate their lives to saving those same dogs. Wayne Pacelle touches on the most horrific, as well as the best, of our interaction and treatment of the animals whose world we share.

    The politics behind our laws and the power of the lobbyists whose clients profit from all forms of animal abuse is staggering. For those already familiar with these stories, this book is a important reminder. For others, this book will be a stark awakening. For all, this is a heartfelt plea for those whose voices go unheard.

    ** I received this book as an early review copy from HarperCollins through NetGalley. **

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 20, 2011

    cool

    its a good book

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