A Rat Is a Pig Is a Dog Is a Boy is a winner. (I hope he doesn't have to pay Ingrid Newkirk a royalty for that book title.) It's meticulously footnoted, full of thoughtfully told stories, and uncompromising in defense of the premise that the "boy" in its title is exceptional—that is, unlike those other three species in the ways that matter most. This book also makes a compelling case—the best I have read anywhere— for the idea that "animal rights" is a system of ideological belief as rigid (and vulnerable to unreasoning abuse) as any religion.Wow. Thank you very much.
Since this blog is principally concerned with the Humane Society of the United States, I'll share (with his permission) some of what Wesley writes about that organization; but know that A Rat Is a Pig is a near-encyclopedic examination of the 95 percent or so of the animal rights movement industry that Americans encounter on a regular basis. It's a must-own volume for farmers, ranchers, dairymen, chefs, sportsmen, pet breeders, reptile hobbyists, biomedical researchers, college students, and well-meaning donors to all kinds of animal charities.
Hey! If Matthew Scully--the animal rights movement's favorite conservative--can hysterically shred me (What next? Ingrid Newkirk reviewing my book in the New York Times?), Humane Watch can laud me. Which reminds me: I will soon have a, shall we say, robust response to Scully's diatribe published for your consideration. Stay tuned.
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