No Animals Were Harmed

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.

When cameras roll and directors call, “Action,” some of the most dependable, funniest, and most enthusiastic actors stand poised on four legs, with ears alert. From Joey in War Horse to the wolves in Game of Thrones, what we see on screen is the result of meticulous preparation and professional teamwork. The eye-popping, heartwarming stories in these pages reveal the trainers, actors, directors, and, of course, dogs, cats, horses, penguins, deer, and other animals in all their behind-the-scenes glory. You’ll discover that some animal actors have diva tendencies and others have rags-to-riches backstories. American Humane Association certified animal safety representatives work carefully to ensure that no animals are harmed, as they have been doing for decades. Animal stars have done it all — convinced us to eat more tacos, broken our hearts in war dramas, inspired us with enduring love and loyalty, kept us at the edge of our seats as they snarled in the shadows, mirrored human antics to make us roar with laughter, and, like Uggie (from The Artist), stolen the show on the red carpet. Who besides a monkey named Crystal could impress a brilliant comedian like Robin Williams in Night at the Museum? And animal stars will work for food, including only KFC original recipe for Casey the bear — no other fried chicken will do! These charming and sometimes hilarious stories will give you a new appreciation for the skill and patience it takes to teach nonhuman actors to perform on camera. Training tips from the pros and personal recollections of celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Hailee Steinfeld, and Steven Spielberg make this insider’s look at the lives and work of these incomparable stars as irresistible as the animals themselves. A portion of the publisher’s proceeds from this book will aid American Humane Association.

Animal law is a growing discipline, as is animal ethics. In this wide-ranging book, scholars from around the world address the intersections between the two. Specifically, this collection focuses on pressing moral issues and how law can protect animals from cruelty and abuse. A project of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, the book is edited by the Oxford Centre’s directors, Andrew Linzey and Clair Linzey, and features contributions from many of its fellows. Divided into three sections, the work explores historical perspectives and ethical–legal issues such as “personhood” and “property” before focusing on five practical case studies. The volume introduces readers to the interweaving between these subjects and should act as a spur to further interdisciplinary work.

A pair of sellswords and a fallen nobleman become the world's unlikely—and only—hope against a dark force bent on destruction There have always been tall tales of the caverns beneath the Citadel—tales about magic and mages, monsters and gods. Wydrin of Crosshaven has heard them all, but she's spent long enough trawling caverns and taverns with her companion Sir Sebastian to learn that there's no money to be made in chasing rumors. So when a crippled nobleman named Lord Frith offers them a job exploring the Citadel’s darkest depths, it sounds like just another quest. For Wydrin and Sebastian, it comes with the exciting possibility of gold, adventure, and fame. For Lord Frith, it's a chance to avenge everything that was taken from him. But soon, these reckless adventurers will realize that what lies ahead is far bigger than their own goals, desires, and imaginations. Sometimes there is truth in rumor—and sometimes a story can save your life. File Under: Fantasy [ Beware of the Gods | Dungeon Crawlers | The Brood Rises | Prince of Wounds ]

THE argument for animal rights, a classic since its appearance in 1983, from the moral philosophical point of view. With a new preface.

This book aims to show how film can increase awareness of the plight of farmed animals without exploiting them. Much has been written on the rights of animals, be they in the wild or circuses, hunted, experimented on, used for entertainment, or slaughtered and consumed. However, there has been little that has examined in any detail the filming of farmed animals, and nothing on a declaration of rights for such animals, thus leaving them in a limbo of neglect. Stephen Marcus Finn offers a manifesto on how to foster the rights of farmed animals in filming and sets out to rectify this lacuna.

This book aims to put the speciesism debate and the treatment of non-human animals on the agenda of critical media studies and to put media studies on the agenda of animal ethics researchers. Contributors examine the convergence of media and animal ethics from theoretical, philosophical, discursive, social constructionist, and political economic perspectives. The book is divided into three sections: foundations, representation, and responsibility, outlining the different disciplinary approaches’ application to media studies and covering how non-human animals, and the relationship between humans and non-humans, are represented by the mass media, concluding with suggestions for how the media, as a major producer of cultural norms and values related to non-human animals and how we treat them, might improve such representations.

Dogs: If therapists didn't charge you and were willing to chase sticks, they would be dogs. The kindly and receptive silence, the respect for secrets, the inexhaustible supply of attention-these are a dog's, and a therapist's, finest qualities. Dogs, though, are more fun than therapists, more tender, more dear, and certainly more admiring. Turkeys: I never expected to have any feelings about turkeys, but I love them. They follow me around like puppies. If I say "gobble" to them, they all start gobbling, in unison. Sometimes they show up outside my office and tap on the windows until I look up at them, and then they wait there, with endless patience, until I come outside and greet them. Chickens: Tweed and Mabel Black Label, my Araucana hens, are somewhat antisocial. When I pick up either of them, they eye me with such deep suspicion that I feel like they can smell omelets on my breath. Pet tigers: You know how it is-you start with one tiger, then you get another and another, then a few are born and a few die, and you start to lose track of details like exactly how many tigers you have. Cats: The cats were acquired to deal with the mice in the basement, but they don't like being in the basement because, well, I don't know why. Maybe because there are mice down there. Coyotes: Like everyone in Los Angeles, the coyotes I've seen there look like they work out a lot with personal trainers. Book jacket.