Book Recommendations, Reviews and Author Interviews from All-Creatures.org
Eco-Spirituality and Human-Animal Relationships By Mark Hawthorne
PUBLISHER: Moon Books
SEVERAL REVIEWS
Eco-Spirituality and Human-Animal Relationships
Available at
Mark Hawthorne.com
ISBN-10 : 1785352482
ISBN-13 : 978-1785352485
REVIEWS
Time spent with a Mark Hawthorne book is always time well spent. Hawthorne
is an established and extremely capable writer. His books are always
thorough, clear, and well-researched. In Eco-Spirituality and Human-Animal
Relationships, Hawthorne considers the plurality of ways humans are in
relationship with other-than-human animals and invites us to consider how
the reality of these often exploitative relationships squares with our views
about spirituality and eco-spirituality in particular. Walking us through
the various ways humans are in relationship with other animals (food,
research, sport, captivity, and labor), Hawthorne paints a careful picture
of the intricacies of our entanglements with our co-inhabitants on Earth.
Never one to shy away from nuance and context, Hawthorne encourages us to
rethink even those interspecies relationships we generally consider mutual -
for example, service animals, dogs used for military and policing purposes,
and companion animals. This is a quick read - totaling just 73 pages - which
makes it an excellent beginning place for anyone wishing to both find
information about the kinds of exploitation and commodification involved in
most current human-animal relationships and consider how they would like to
be in right relationship with animals themselves.
~ Karen S. Emmerman, PhD
This is an important book that everyone who cares about animals and nature
should read. Actually, everyone should read this book. The author discusses
five main ways in which humans “use” animals – for food, for entertainment
(i.e., animals in captivity), for medical and product testing research
(animals in laboratories), for and sport; followed by a discussion about
animals that we tend to revere (i.e. our companion animals and wildlife).
Each section is very thorough about how animals are used and treated. This
book raises the important question of the relationship between humans and
animals. On one hand, we want to feel connected to animals and nature. On
the other hand, in order for us to feel that it is acceptable for us to use
animals in all these different areas, we must see ourselves as separate from
and, indeed, in most cases, superior to them. I believe that this conflict
likely results not only in harm to animals and planet, but also to our own
psyches. This is not a long book; I read it in a couple hours. But it packs
in a lot of information and deep meaning. I have been an animal advocate for
many years; as such, much of the information in this book was not new to me.
But it made me think about all of this in a much deeper way. This book
sticks with you and makes you think and question. Again, we will all benefit
from reading this book. I believe it is an important step in improving our
relationship with animals and nature, and perhaps saving ourselves along
with our planet.
~ Rose - Amazon reviewer
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Hawthorne is the author of A Vegan Ethic: Embracing a Life of Compassion Toward All, Bleating Hearts:
The Hidden World of Animal Suffering, and Striking at the Roots: A
Practical Guide to Animal Activism, which empowers people around the
world to get active for animals
and The Way of the Rabbit. He stopped eating meat after an encounter
with one of India’s many cows in 1992 and became an ethical vegan a decade
later. Mark’s writing on behalf of animals has also appeared in such vegan
magazines as Satya, VegNews, Laika, and The
Vegan, and you’ll find his work featured in Vegan’s Daily Companion
and in the anthologies Uncaged: Top Activists Share Their Wisdom on
Effective Farm Animal Advocacy, Turning Points in Compassion:
Personal Journeys of Animal Advocates, and Stories to Live By: Wisdom to
Help You Make the Most of Every Day.
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