No Animals Were Harmed: The Controversial Line Between Entertainment and Abuse - Hardcover

Laufer, Peter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 076276385X ISBN 13: 9780762763856

Publisher: Globe Pequot Press, 2011

Synopsis

Investigative journalist Peter Laufer is back with his third book in a trilogy that explores the way we humans interact with animals. The attack of a trainer at Sea World by a killer whale in February 2010 is the catalyst for this examination of the controversial role animals have played in the human arenas of entertainment and sports. From the Romans throwing Christians to lions to cock-fighting in present-day California, from abusive Mexican circuses to the thrills of a Hungarian counterpart, from dog training to shooting strays in the Baghdad streets, Laufer looks at the ways people have used animals for their pleasure. The reader travels with Laufer as he encounters fascinating people and places, and as he ponders the ethical questions that arise from his quest.

About this title

About the Author

Peter Laufer, PhD, is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books, including the widely praised The Dangerous World of Butterflies, Forbidden Creatures, and Neon Nevada (all Lyons Press), as well as Wetback Nation: The Case for Opening the Mexican-American Border. He is the James Wallace Chair in Journalism at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. Visit him at peterlaufer.com.

From the Back Cover

Following the success of The Dangerous World of Butterflies and Forbidden Creatures, investigative journalist Peter Laufer returns with his third book in a trilogy that explores the way humans interact with animals. The attack of a trainer at SeaWorld by a killer whale in February 2010 sparked his examination of the controversial role animals have played throughout the ages in the human arenas of entertainment and sports. When it comes to using animals for our own entertainment, Laufer asks: What's okay and what's not? Homing pigeons? Sled dogs? Dancing bears? Elephant polo? Teaching Spot new tricks? From the Romans throwing Christians to the lions to cock-fighting in present-day California, from abusive Mexican circuses to the thrills of a Hungarian counterpart, and from dog training to shooting strays in the Baghdad streets, Laufer looks at the ways people have used animals for their pleasure. Travel with Laufer as he encounters intriguing people and places and contemplates the line that separates animal use from abuse.

From the Inside Flap

Following the success of The Dangerous World of Butterflies and Forbidden Creatures, investigative journalist Peter Laufer returns with his third book in a trilogy that explores the way humans interact with animals. The attack of a trainer at SeaWorld by a killer whale in February 2010 sparked his examination of the controversial role animals have played throughout the ages in the human arenas of entertainment and sports.

When it comes to using animals for our own entertainment, Laufer asks: What’s okay and what’s not?

Homing pigeons?
Sled dogs?
Dancing bears?
Elephant polo?
Teaching Spot new tricks?

From the Romans throwing Christians to the lions to cock-fighting in present-day California, from abusive Mexican circuses to the thrills of a Hungarian counterpart, and from dog training to shooting strays in the Baghdad streets, Laufer looks at the ways people have used animals for their pleasure. Travel with Laufer as he encounters intriguing people and places and contemplates the line that separates animal use from abuse.

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Following the success of The Dangerous World of Butterflies and Forbidden Creatures, investigative journalist Peter Laufer returns with his third book in a trilogy that explores the way humans interact with animals. The attack of a trainer at SeaWorld by a killer whale in February 2010 sparked his examination of the controversial role animals have played throughout the ages in the human arenas of entertainment and sports.

When it comes to using animals for our own entertainment, Laufer asks: What s okay and what s not?

Homing pigeons?
Sled dogs?
Dancing bears?
Elephant polo?
Teaching Spot new tricks?

From the Romans throwing Christians to the lions to cock-fighting in present-day California, from abusive Mexican circuses to the thrills of a Hungarian counterpart, and from dog training to shooting strays in the Baghdad streets, Laufer looks at the ways people have used animals for their pleasure. Travel with Laufer as he encounters intriguing people and places and contemplates the line that separates animal use from abuse.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

No Animals Were Harmed

The Controversial Line between Entertainment and AbuseBy Peter Laufer

Lyons Press

Copyright © 2011 Peter Laufer
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780762763856
“Where is the line that separates animal use from abuse?

The more I read, the more I observed, the more animals—human and nonhuman—I met, the more it seemed to me that a possum was pointing me toward my conclusion. ‘We have met the enemy,’ Pogo taught us, ‘and he is us.’ Even the one thing I wanted to promise the reader as I embarked on this project—that no animals were harmed by me during the writing of this book—proved an impossible task.”
—From the Prologue

Continues...

Excerpted from No Animals Were Harmed by Peter Laufer Copyright © 2011 by Peter Laufer. Excerpted by permission.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Globe Pequot Press
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 076276385X
• ISBN 13: 9780762763856
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272