Animal Rights/Human Rights

Rating:
Summary: Putting oppression in historical context
Review: In this ambitious undertaking, Nibert attempts to demonstrate the entwined fates of humans and animals throughout the history of the western world. In a style that will be well received by fans of Howard Zinn, Nibert uses this historical review to put contemporary oppression in a broader context. Framing this overview in sociological theory, Nibert suggests that the capitalist system and neoliberalist, global development policies and practices bear considerable responsibility for much of the suffering of humans and animals throughout the world today. A very good read for students and progressive activists for all causes.

Rating:
Summary: Just doesn't flow
Review: Nibert makes leaps and bounds between his different trains of thought with no real logic coherently holding them together. He also grossly distorts reality and presents his own opinions as "facts."

Rating:
Summary: An important addition to animal ethics scholarship
Review: Whereas a large portion of the scholarship regarding humans' ethical responsibilities towards animals has focused on the roles and morality of the individual - this book takes a sociological perspective in order to express a direct correlation between the systematic exploitation of humans and other animals. It is the same sort of attitudes and social norms which cause humans to promote and sustain oppresive systems towards all subjects of a life, and Nibert's book does an excellent job of chronicling this reality.

Rating:
Summary: Groundbreaking Study of Systemic Oppression
Review: While I was familiar with historical episodes of oppression and violence, I never really connected the dots to see how many of these events were related and largely motivated by greed and avarice. I was opposed to cruel treatment of animals, but I did not realize the connections between their treatment and human oppression until reading this book. This book opened my eyes to the structural causes of oppression (and motivated me to become a vegetarian). I highly recommend it.