These Great Reads Could Change the Way You See Animals Forever
It’s said that reading opens up new worlds, and PETA India’s list of great books about animal rights and related issues is no exception. Check out the following list for a variety of powerful animal-rights reads that you won’t be able to put down:
Unlock The Animal World: Incredible Facts for Young Superheroes by PETA India Founder Ingrid Newkirk
Drawing on her own experiences and inspired by lessons of compassion from her childhood in India, Ingrid Newkirk, founder of PETA India and all PETA entities worldwide, has, since 1980, been inspiring children and adults on how to make the world a kinder place for all living beings. In her new book, Unlock the Animal World: Incredible Facts for Young Superheroes (HarperCollins India), she carries this lifelong message forward, encouraging a new generation to stand up for animals. The book includes fascinating facts about animals, from sea turtles who use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate vast oceans, birds who have ways of breathing such thin air that they can even fly over the Himalayas, to pigs who enjoy playing video games and horses who can learn to press buttons to get a coat put on or taken off, depending on the weather, as well as key, action steps that empower young people to protect animals.
Consider the Turkey by Peter Singer
In his groundbreaking book Animal Liberation, philosopher and bioethicist Peter Singer defined speciesism as “a prejudice or attitude of bias in favor of the interests of members of one’s own species and against those of members of other species.” Now, in a new book, Consider the Turkey, Singer examines how this insidious mindset directly affects gentle turkeys, millions of whom are killed for Thanksgiving alone every year. Listen to the audio book on Amazon:
For a Moment of Taste by PETA International President Poorva Joshipura
This book, written by PETA International President Poorva Joshipura, explores the larger philosophical question of whether humans are meant to consume meat, eggs, or dairy foods, provides anthropological evidence to the contrary, and lays out the human health and environmental impacts of the production and consumption of animal-based products. This eye-opening book will lead many readers to examine and modify their eating habits. Order your copy now, and be sure to share it with a friend!
Survival at Stake: How Our Treatment of Animals Is Key to Human Existence by Poorva Joshipura
This book, written by PETA India Director Poorva Joshipura, is essential reading for anyone hoping to change the world for the better. Survival at Stake explores some of the biggest crises facing the planet today, such as pandemics and the climate catastrophe, and how speciesism is linked to these issues. Order your copy now, and be sure to share it with a friend!
Free the Animals tells the story of “Valerie,” a police officer in Maryland whose world is turned upside down when she learns about the abuse of animals in laboratories. What follows shows the various horrific ways in which humans use and abuse animals as well as ways in which we can intervene to end these practices. Written by PETA President Ingrid Newkirk, this timeless story captures the essence of the animal rights movement and has since inspired many to take action for animals. This 30th anniversary edition is revised and expanded and features a foreword by actor and activist Joaquin Phoenix, so be sure to order your copy today.
How to Be Animal: A New History of What It Means to Be Human by Melanie Challenger
Why do humans try so hard to deny the fact that we are animals? In this book, researcher Melanie Challenger explores why humans throughout history have sought to distance themselves from the label of “animal.” From philosophical, historical, and biological perspectives, she challenges (pun intended!) readers to think critically about being human. Challenger wants readers to “arrive at a more nourishing acceptance of our own reality,” i.e., that we cease to be so alarmed by the fact that we are animals ourselves. And from this acceptance, she hopes we can recognize our interconnectedness with a multispecies community.
Animalkind by Ingrid Newkirk and Gene Stone
This bestselling book by PETA President Ingrid Newkirk and acclaimed author Gene Stone gives you a peek into the fascinating lives of animals. It shows just how smart, aware, empathetic, and intelligent our fellow animals are with many examples, such as that geese fall in love and stay with a partner for life and that fish “sing” underwater. Expand your compassion for other animals and discover ways you can help protect them.
The PETA Practical Guide to Animal Rights by Ingrid E. Newkirk
The most comprehensive book on animal rights out today, The PETA Practical Guide to Animal Rights lists hundreds of easy ways to stop cruelty. Written by PETA President Ingrid Newkirk, it provides facts, personal insight, inspiration, ideas, and resources. It’s your go-to guide to making everyday compassionate choices.
Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet by Ashlee Piper
This gem of a read will help you make the transition to a kinder, healthier, and more sustainable existence. It gives helpful tips for living compassionately in all aspects of your life, consider it a tune-up for your home, kitchen, closet, makeup bag, and for when you’re out navigating the world. Ingrid Newkirk, PETA India founder, says, “If everyone gave a shit, we’d have a far better world. This is Making Kind Choices for today’s audience, and I love it.”
Elephants Among Us: Two Performing Elephants in 20th Century America by M. Jaynes
This riveting new book tells the story of Stoney the elephant, who was dragged around for his entire life to perform at circuses, fairs, and hotels. The first half of the book chronicles his short life and tells an intricate story of the people who tried to save him. The second half weaves in the story of a second elephant named Big Mary, whose life also exemplified the way that animals are cruelly treated and abused within the entertainment industry.
If Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation is considered the “Bible” of animal rights philosophy, The Animals’ Agenda is this generation’s call for pragmatic action. Ethicists Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce make the argument that the current approach of animal-welfare science (while offsetting some of the worst aspects of animal suffering) falls far short of promoting true animal well-being and freedom.
Next of Kin: My Conversations With Chimpanzees by Roger Fouts with Stephen Tukel Mills
In this fascinating page-turner, primatologist Roger Fouts recalls his 30-year career studying the language of chimpanzees. While training them to communicate through sign language, Fouts develops a deep connection with his subjects and evolves into an animal rights advocate who questions the morality of biomedical experiments on chimpanzees.
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
If you prefer a personal touch to facts and figures, look no further than Foer’s memoir crossed with an investigative report titled Eating Animals. The bestselling author shares his extensive quest to learn who lies on his dinner plate: He investigates factory farms, discusses societal food norms, and digs deep emotionally to arrive at the answer.
Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes – by Dr Neal Barnard
The founding president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Dr Neal Barnard, explains how to reverse diabetes without drugs by following a scientifically researched low-fat vegan diet.
Committed: A Rabble-Rouser’s Memoir – by Dan Mathews
This compelling – and hilarious – book by PETA US’ senior vice president reveals how his often outlandish exploits in the name of animal rights have led to big victories for animals and grabbed headlines around the world.
Meat Is for Pussies: A How-To Guide for Dudes Who Want to Get Fit, Kick Ass, and Take Names by John Joseph
The “in-your-face” title says it all. Written by a punk rocker and Ironman triathlete who’s kicked the meat habit for 30 years, Meat Is for Pussies exposes hard-to-swallow food facts and doesn’t want to hear your excuses. A how-to guide that arms readers with steps to take charge of their diet, this fast read is a great “dude’s” version of Skinny Bitch.
Eva by Peter Dickinson
Searching for a present for pre-teens and teenagers who are beginning to consider animal rights on their own? Check out Eva, a spellbinding young adult science-fiction novel that follows a teenager whose consciousness is medically transplanted into the body of a chimpanzee after she’s paralyzed in an accident. After spending half her time in chimpanzee society, Eva plans to save the species from destruction.
Veganist by Kathy Freston
Don’t like to be lectured? Prefer a gradual introduction that’s kind, not shocking? Then Freston’s lifestyle guide is the perfect book for you. Veganist encourages readers to “lean into” a “veganist” lifestyle, one that is vegan in intention but less concerned with achieving hard and fast perfection. Instead, Freston persuades readers with high praise for the health, environmental, and spiritual benefits of a vegan diet.
When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson and Susan McCarthy
This New York Times bestseller captured the country’s heart for a reason. Masson and McCarthy explore animal emotions with fascinating anecdotes and call on readers to reconsider the treatment of animals who can so clearly feel love, anger, shame, and fear. This thought-provoking read skillfully raises questions without forcing answers.
LIFE Behind Bars Vol. 1 by Julian Starks
This limited-edition photographic study of the biodiversity of animals in captivity includes more than 100 photographs that are intended to inform and raise awareness of key issues.
Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, – edited by Gene Stone
This compilation of writings by nutritionists, scientists, and medical professionals examines how a plant-based diet can help control – and even reverse – leading degenerative diseases, discusses the environmental and animal-related benefits of going vegan and includes more than 100 delicious recipes to get you on your way.
The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World – by John Robbins
The Pulitzer Prize–nominated author for his acclaimed earlier work Diet for a New America points out the dire consequences that an animal-based diet has on our bodies and our planet.
The Pig Who Sang to the Moon: The Emotional World of Farm Animals – by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
This book takes an intriguing look at the irrefutable evidence that animals who are grotesquely abused on factory farms and in abattoirs have distinct personalities, complex emotions and a degree of intelligence that makes their designation as “food” a true travesty.
We’re certain that cracking open one of these books will be the beginning of an all-out read-a-thon.
Inspired? PETA India offers a free vegan starter kit for those ready to switch.
