Book Description
A hopeful, eye-opening book by first-time author, Tina Volpe, Fast Food Craze discusses the fast food giants and how their business decisions affect animals in the slaughterhouses, our health, and will encourage readers to stop and think: Why are we eating animals?
Customer Reviews:
There should be a 0 star rating.......2007-09-12
This had to be one of the worst books that I have ever read. It is nothing, but propaganda. Just the way it is put together would make an English major cry.
1. Any scientific example and event used rarely had a source listed next to it.
2. Any of the sources that were listed, were all websites, which again can ruin credibility. Majority of the websites were biased; Peta being listed as one that is used. Even if you were to use unbiased websites, INTELLIGENT readers like to see journal sources, book sources, newspaper sources. Because everyone knows how 'reliable' the internet it. . .
3. There are pictures but it doesn't tell you how old they are. I got a book about the circus that listed the year (or years) that the picture took place. Not only that, there is nothing informative about the pictures. If no one knows about debeaking and sees the pic with a chicken being debeaked, how will the person know what is going on?
4. Just so they can give you the guilt trip, the author throws in stories about how cows and chickens are like pets. Now, that's when it all comes together: the pictures, the stories, the quotes: It is a play on your emotions, which is the opposite of a logical book.
5. The message is simple: Go Vegetarian and that's all. They don't even try to tell someone about the possibility of health hazards of being a vegetarian. Ask your doctor about some of the possible dangers of vegetarianism and veganism? Look up children that suffer from Shingles and a vegetarian link.
6. In the back is the reference list, which is all and good, except one important essential problem: How do I know which resource belongs to what you wrote in the article? I wouldn't be surprised if there is a plagiarism problem in the book.
7. Then, there are famous people who are vegetarians/vegans. Does anyone really give care that Alec Baldwin is a vegetarian/vegan? The same man who didn't know how old his pre-teen child was? Or Pamela Anderson, who is nothing more than a has-been since Baywatch ended. Some of the people listed probably went vegan/vegetarian to lose weight or to have a change about themselves. It is not always about the animals that a person went vegan/vegetarian.
Over all, I give this book a 1, a 0 if it was an option. I didn't learn jack and if there were facts, maybe the author should learn how to reference them better. If this was a book presented to my college professors, it would have failed instantly just on how it was put together on its own.
The Fast Food Craze.......2007-07-16
When I picked up The Fast Food Craze, I had expected that this book would contain information on the lack of nutritional value of fast food. I assumed this would lead to a discussion about the importance of knowing where food comes from and perhaps the benefits of slow food.
There was a short discussion about the lack of nutrition in fast food noting that such places buy the cheapest products possible to increase profits. However, this information led to a one sided debate about vegetarianism that tended not to focus on the health benefits of a vegetarian diet but on the cruel treatment of animals slated for human consumption. Thus, much of the book included horror stories of animals living in cramped mass facilities and intelligent animals that saved human lives. No where in the book did the author indicate that these horror situations tended to occur in large commercial facilities rather than family farming situations where financial livelihood is synonymous with proper livestock care. Nor did the author point out that often the same types of large commercial facilities are responsible for potentially dangerous genetic manipulation in fruit and vegetables as well as excessive use of pesticides and preservatives used to make these products more attractive.
Fallen Angel Reviews.......2007-03-20
In this refreshing book about living without meat, Ms. Volpe takes us on an exciting yet disturbing tale of our fast food industries. The universal havoc caused by our obsession with meat is pointed out in clear and concise chapters. Filled with true-life stories and a variety of case studies, the focus is on our most commonly consumed farm animals as chickens, pigs, and cows.
In support of her strong and quite opinionated views, Ms. Volpe has included numerous photos. While a few were quite disturbing, one can see how a photo can be so strong and sometimes necessary to illustrate a point. In addition, she has compiled a list of interesting quotes from famous people on the topic as well as updated information from Congress and other governmental bodies. With the most recent facts and figures supporting appalling statistics, one cannot help but think about the current situation. The treatment of animals, the resulting business, and the consumption by the general public needs to be examined further.
Although I have long since wondered at the treatment of farm animals, nothing could have really prepared me for what Ms. Volpe describes the situation to be. I feel that this book should be read by the masses, as only public pressure will improve conditions. The examples she uses forces the reader to think and while being easy accessible, is also thought provoking. In addition, she has included a helpful resource section containing websites and further reading suggestions including cookbooks and magazines. Whether you agree with her views or not, it can be agreed that Ms. Volpe has given us a well-written book on the subject matter.
Reviewed by: Vianna
Good Reminder.......2007-02-26
I have been a vegan since 1988 and read a lot of books on the subjects Tina is writing about. What I like about Tina's book is it brought me back when I worked on an egg farm and when I bought a 1 day old calf from an auction that they were going to kill if someone didn't by it; I was 8 yrs old when I bought that calf. Tina didn't overstate the abuses that go on in farming in fact there is a lot more she could of said but didn't, but this is a great book for someone who is not privy to the harm eating animals causes us and them as well as our precious environment. I think every parent should have their kids read this book; and hopefully the parents might take a peek at it also.
There are many other books that will go into a lot more detail on each subject in her book, but I have yet to find one that puts such emotion and personal connection and her love of animals as this book does.
I wish I read this book when I was younger; their would be a lot less dead animals that would of went through my body and my mind would of progressed at a much younger age about our world.
I think this book should be read by the young and old!
A must read!.......2006-11-12
I loved this book. The stories about the animals saving lives were wonderful. I will not eat fast food again, nor will I partake in the cruelty involved in the way animals are raised for food. Why don't most Americans know about these horrors! I was shocked and really enlightened at what goes on inside all the little packages of meat found at the grocery stores, and I highly recommend it to everyone who eats!
Book Description
This book raised a storm of controversy upon its original publication in 1980. Now authors Mason and Singer have updated their animal rights classic for the 1990s.
More than 50 black-and-white photographs.
Customer Reviews:
Appalling!.......2003-05-09
If you're not a vegetarian, you probably will be by the end of this book. It's like a nightmare on paper. The book was a very informative read. Jim Mason & Peter Singer are two of the best sources for books on animal rights.
It was appalling to read what happens to animals that are being raised for slaughter. Some of this book is difficult to stomach. While it may seem unbelievable, it is a true account. Male chicks are literally thrown in the garbage, others are debeaked with a hot iron, pigs are kept confined in tiny stalls.. so tiny that they cannot turn around. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who think that this kind of abuse can't possibly happen.. but it does. This is a life changing book.
Want to know what you're eating?.......2000-03-20
I bought this book years ago and became a vegetarian after seeing how horribly the animals are treated and how wasteful meat production is. I don't think there is anything worse than closing your eyes to what really goes on just so you don't have to take action and possibly change your lifestyle. This book will open your eyes.
Very informative and many pictures.......1999-12-02
This book really opened my eyes to the conditions in which animals are being raised. Not only is it inhumane to the animals, but it is contaminating OUR food. It has many pictures, which I like, being a visual person. Read this book and you will find it very educational.
This is the book that made me become a vegetarian.......1999-06-25
When I was first exploring the issue of eating meat vs. becoming vegetarian, a friend recommended this book. Mason and Singer look inside the world of modern factory farming, providing an unsentimental look at the reality behind your dinner. Even those who don't give a damn about animals and their suffering will be alarmed at the information concerning what's in animal feed and the conditions in meat production. An eye-opener.
Book Description
Meat Market elevates the debate over animal agriculture. Erik Marcus exposes and clears away the exaggerated claims and counterclaims put forth by the meat industry and its opponents. In the process, Marcus presents a thorough examination of animal agriculture'ss cruelties and its far-reaching social costs. Marcus then considers the discouraging progress made by the animal protection movement. He evaluates where the movement has gone wrong, and how its shortcomings could best be remedied.
Customer Reviews:
An invaluable addition to vegan literature.......2007-08-20
In the 1990s, frustrated by the lack of literature in the vegan movement, animal advocate and former technical writer Erik Marcus turned his communications skills to creating books and other material that vegans and non-vegans alike would find accessible and informative. His first book, the groundbreaking Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating, introduced many readers to a new kind of activist writing: prose that makes its case without overt emotional appeals - the facts eloquently speak for themselves. "Vegan" showed that Marcus didn't mind challenging some of the movement's cherished tenets. The book was well received, regarded by many critics as on par with the work of John Robbins, and has become an indispensable guide to vegan living.
Among the few critical remarks reviewers offered of "Vegan" was that Marcus could have gone into greater depth on how meat production strains the environment and natural resources. Rather than simply an oversight, perhaps that was in keeping with the author's broader philosophy, which becomes clear in his latest book, "Meat Market: Animals, Ethics and Money." This is a powerful indictment of factory farming, examining the abuses perpetrated by corporate agriculture, but Marcus also offers his assessment of how the animal protection movement can claim victory - and the good news is his proposal makes sense.
The book is organized into three main sections, beginning with an exploration of how the mega-corporations that rule the agriculture industry have created many of their own problems - and, by extension, misery for animals - by striving for consolidation and economic restructuring. When we read of agriculture's often-ridiculous assertions (the beef industry, for example, claims that it cares about animal welfare, yet it persists in rejecting animal welfare reforms), we have to wonder how factory farms can even stay in business. They do so, says Marcus, by maintaining an efficiency that disregards many of the basic needs of farmed animals and, ultimately, by keeping their cruel conduct out of public view. "Meat Market" will likely bring the compassionate reader, perhaps uninitiated in the methods of intensive animal confinement, to an emotional crossroads. Of course, this is the book's ideal audience: those flexitarian and ethically minded diners most likely to fully embrace a vegetarian or even vegan lifestyle, if only they were confronted with the compelling documentation found in a book like this one, which presents the cold facts of modern agribusiness.
And what cold facts they are. Even for those familiar with the horrors of factory farming, "Meat Marke"t is at times a distressing exposé of what those in industrialized agriculture euphemistically call "Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations." Marcus invites readers to witness the brief, tortured lives of animals raised for food. We meet cattle who are butchered while still alive because the slaughterhouse line must not be interrupted; barely hatched male chicks who are cast into grinders, also alive, because they have no value (male chicks grow too slowly and don't lay eggs); and pigs who die from respiratory ailments because the air inside pig sheds is so fouled with contaminants. Many readers will be familiar with these tragic practices, but there are surprises for the engaged advocate, too, such as Marcus' assertion that consuming eggs contributes more to animal suffering than consuming meat products. This is an example of the author's unconventional thinking - he boldly offers new perspectives on accepted wisdom - and is one reason Marcus' work is such an important contribution to animal advocacy. (Indeed, a 2000 poll conducted by thevegetariansite.com ranked Erik Marcus as one of the most influential people in the vegan movement, placing him in the company of such activists as Peter Singer and Ingrid Newkirk.)
Although his latest book shares some similarities with "Vegan" - both cover the latest information on vegan advocacy, for example - "Meat Market" goes beyond the popular three-pronged argument for veganism, which says that a plant-based diet is good for our health, the environment and the animals. Put another way, if "Vegan" can be compared with Diet for a New America, then "Meat Market" could be the "Uncle Tom's Cabin" of the 21st century. While Marcus isn't the first writer to suggest that the struggle to end animal exploitation is similar to the abolitionist movement, he recommends in Part Two that animal protectionists learn from anti-slavery proponents and focus their attention on the evils of factory farming. Abolitionists recognized that 19th-century America was not ready for racial equality, but most Americans could agree that slavery was abhorrent. The lesson for the animal welfare movement, according to Marcus, is to avoid debates about veganism being good for the planet or our bodies and instead invest the full force of its energy into the position that factory farming, like slavery, is inherently evil. He also cautions against diluting the animal welfare issue with arguments pertaining to hunting, medical research or companion animals, since such discussion shifts attention away from farmed animals and allows the animal agriculture industry to win a wider share of public opinion.
A change in policy, Marcus believes, would lead to the dismantling of animal agriculture. This is a startling premise, and the author devotes much of the middle section to defining a new movement to finally liberate animals from factory farming. "The surest way to eliminate animal agriculture's cruelties is to seek to eliminate animal agriculture itself," he writes. "To accomplish this, we need a new movement expressly designed to go on the offensive, with the purpose of ushering animal agriculture out of existence."
It's in this second section that "Meat Market" truly excels. The writing is cogent and immensely readable, and his insights should appeal to anyone interested in animal advocacy. It is exciting to read a book that introduces fresh ideas to frustrating struggles, and I felt like a kid reading the latest Harry Potter story, devouring page after page of hopeful recommendations. Marcus' proposed movement might not seem radical on paper, but it would call for a paradigm shift that most activists are probably not prepared for. He also makes a tenable argument against militancy (destroying property in the name of animal welfare).
The final third of "Meat Market" consists of a wealth of supplementary material: eight activist essays and nine appendices covering the most fundamental arguments in favor of a plant-based diet. The essay writing varies in quality, but the activists, who range from a retiree to an MD, offer some sound advice for aspiring advocates and demonstrate that anyone can be involved in vegan outreach, something Marcus considers critical to bringing down factory farming.
The appendices, meanwhile, cover some familiar ground, starting with the health and environmental consequences of eating meat. But there's additional material that, while not part of Marcus' main proposition, nonetheless supports vegan ethics and will come in very handy should you find yourself having to defend the activist position on hunting, selective breeding, animal testing or the meatpacking industry, still one of the most hazardous in the country. The author concludes with a recommended reading list and an extensive collection of explanatory endnotes that add a significant layer of texture to his well-woven polemic. Meticulously researched and devoid of lectures, "Meat Market: Animals, Ethics and Money" is an invaluable addition to vegan literature.
Mark Hawthorne, author of Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism
Difficult Topic.......2007-07-31
The author knows his stuff and is well informed on the economics of the situation. A very good read for animal rights activists.
A Thoughtful Wake-up Call.......2007-03-09
Eric Marcus has been able to capture in a thoughtful and well-researched work the often extreme (and always inhumane) treatment of animals in modern factory farming. His writing is clear, to the point, and persuasive.
This book, in conjuction with his regular Erik's Diner podcasts, are a great place to begin to explore our relationships with food, animals and industry.
Meat Market is a must read!.......2007-01-12
I've given Meat Market as a present to many people and its been consistantly praised as a life-changing read. I encourage everyone to purchase this book and pass it on to the next person. You'll never regret it!
great book for activism.......2006-12-13
When i frist became a vegan a friend of mine gave me this book and that got me started into activism. Erik Marcus really lays it out and tells it how it is which no sugar coating, i was horrified and amazed at what people can do though. I also let a friend read this book and it changed her life too, she became a vegan and now me and her are active activist for animal rights.
Average customer rating:
- Curious George
- not good
- Great Classic Gift
- My Favorite Curious George Book Thus Far
- I am a happy customer
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Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory
H. A. Rey
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
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ASIN: 0395912148 |
Book Description
When George and the man with the yellow hat stop to shop at a chocolate factory store, George becomes curious about how chocolates are made. Though he begins to follow the factory tour, George is soon off on his own to investigate. The adventures of Curious George continue in an all-new series beginning in fall 1998 with eight new stories. Written and illustrated in the style of Margret and H. A. Rey, the books will appear in paperback (8 x 8") and hardcover editions and will feature the art of Vipah Interactive, the animators of HMI's Curious George CD-ROMs.
Customer Reviews:
Curious George.......2007-07-06
Both my boys love curious george. And you can never go wrong with a book.
not good.......2007-05-22
My daughter got tired of this book while reading it. If you're looking for a book about a chocolate factory, then this is it. If however you're looking for a fun book about a mischievous monkey, then this is not it.
Great Classic Gift.......2007-04-11
My 5 year old daughter just loves Curious George. Ever since the new movie came out she has been hooked on the older adventures of George. She is easily able to listen to the tape on her personal tape player and read along with the book. With the tapes I don't have to worry about her scratching them or ruining them after just a few uses. I would recommend this to anyone considering it for their child.
My Favorite Curious George Book Thus Far.......2006-07-20
Written in the spirit of the classic books by Margaret and H.A. Rey, Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory features the clean, simple illustrations of Vipah Interactive. (Other George stories are written/illustrated by Mary Weston, who gets enthusiastic with the black charcoal--resulting in dirty looking illustrations.)
One day, the man with the yellow hat and George go to tour a chocolate factory. George is enthralled to learn that there is a special coding system used to indicate various types of chocolate or fillings. For example, the chocolate with a squiggle is a truffle, the one with a little swirl on top is fudge, and the one with the N on it is for nougat.
In a scene reminiscent of the classic I Love Lucy episode, George accidentally turns a machine on "very fast"--sending chocolates speeding down a conveyor belt. He then helps the workers box up the chocolates (eating while he works!), and ends up saving the day.
George doesn't even accept a box of chocolates as a reward--because he has a tummy ache!
This delightful book also has a neat game on the back, with the different chocolates as game squares. All you need is two coins to play the simple game--three if you're playing with a friend.
Maybe it's because I'm a chocolate lover, but this is my favorite Curious George book! My son seems to love it, too.
I am a happy customer.......2006-03-20
My kids, boys 5 and 8 both love the book on tape and have listened to it several times. But really, can you go wrong with Curious George? I am a happy customer
Average customer rating:
- Our Passover Favorite
- Kosher for Pessach
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The Mouse in the Matzah Factory
Francine Medoff
Manufacturer: Kar-Ben Publishing
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ASIN: 1580130488 |
Customer Reviews:
Our Passover Favorite.......2003-04-28
Very acurately describes the process of making handmade shmurah (watched/guarded) matzah, from the the time of growing the wheat to baking the matzah. A curious little mouse follows the entire process. We love the black ink illustrations by David Goldstein, however this edition is out of print There is a new version available with new full color art, but I have not seen it yet.
Kosher for Pessach.......2002-03-30
Once upon a time lived a mouse who lived in a wheat field in the country. One day men came and built a fence around the field and watched over the growing wheat. They watered the field, weeded it and waited for the wheat to ripen. The mouse wondered what was so special about this particular wheat.
At last the men harvested the ripened wheat, bundled it and loaded it onto a wagon. They worked carefully to keep it dry.
The mouse, curious as a cat, decided to find out what was going on. So he jumped on the wagon and rode to the mill, where he found a hole in the door from which he could watch as huge grinding wheels crushed the harvest into fine flour, and poured it into new sacks and loaded them onto another truck.
Hidden in the sacks, he rode for a long time aboard the truck to the city, crowded with people, cars and trucks. Here the truck stopped at a place called Goldstein's Matzah Factory, where an inspector checked to see that every sack was completely dry.
From a window ledge, he watched as factory workers inside unloaded the sacks, brought in buckets of water and mixed the water and flour and rolled it out into flat sheets punched full of holes.
I can't tell you what happened on the last eight pages of this 34-page book. But kids will learn from this cute book how matzah is made, and what exactly makes it kosher for Pessach.
As an added plus, they will enjoy the fine pen and ink art. The book's cover resembles a sheet of egg matzah. And inside are fetching illustrations, reminiscent of the evocative drawings in Homer Price. Alyssa A. Lappen
Book Description
The Animal Factory goes deep into San Quentin, a world of violence and paranoia, where territory and status are ever-changing and possibly fatal commodities. Ron Decker is a newbie, a drug dealer whose shot at a short two-year stint in the can is threatened from inside and outside. He's got to keep a spotless record or it's ten to life. But at San Quentin, no man can steer clear of the Brotherhoods, the race wars, the relentlessness. It soon becomes clear that some inmates are more equal than others; Earl Copen is one of them, an old-timer who has learned not just to survive but to thrive behind bars. Not much can surprise him-but the bond he forms with Ron startles them both; it's a true education of a felon.
Customer Reviews:
where they put the human waste.......2003-04-24
Edward Bunker and I have a lot in common; we were both sent to prison for lengthy time periods for armed robbery. While in prison we both had our first books published.Since being released from prison we have remained free but have had to deal with the eternal stigma of having once been "guests of the State". I'm here to tell you that no one has been able to capture the boredom, frustration and quicksilver outbursts of violence that characterize prison better than Eddie Bunker does in ANIMAL FACTORY. He is simply the greatest "crime" writer ever. He's been there. He's done it. A fiercly determined and talented man, Edward Bunker is an inspiration to me.
A good book that could've been great.......2002-01-31
Few writers can describe more effectively the horrors of prison - the Animal Factories that turn minor offenders into hardened criminals and murderers - than Edward Bunker. This is the first and only of his books that takes place entirely inside the walls of a prison. I expected more.
Bunker's weakness has always been his dialogue. "The Animal Factory" features his worst attempts at writing dialogue. His descriptions of prison life are vivid and real. The words he forces into his character's mouths bring the flow of the narrative to a screeching halt. This is particuarly pronounced in the relationship between the new arrival - a young man who has been sentenced on a drug charge - and the hardened convict who befriends him, a relationship that doesn't ring true.
"The Animal Factory" is not without its merits. As we see the young convict, Ron, change his values and actions in order to survive, it's hard not to view prison as anything but a another phase in the making of a career convict. Bunker effectively portrays prison as a breeding ground for a more violent, desperate brand of criminal. Unfortunately, the weaknesses of this book outweigh the merits.
For readers who have heard of Bunker but have not yet read him, I wouldn't recommend "The Animal Factory" as a starting point. Try "Little Boy Blue" - Bunker's best work - instead.
A good book.......2001-12-17
Everyone,
This is a good book. However, I expected a little more from it. When I bought this book I was expecting to see a real look at prison society and life. It was a little too politically correct for me. I was expecting a gritty California prison novel, but I was greeted with a look at prison from the eyes of what seemed to be a middle class author and not a convict. It just didn't seem all that real. It seemed like I could have thought up the ideas myself. But, it was a really great read and I will buy more Edward Bunker books. His writing is addictive(I finished the book in less than 2 days), and I really want to read another to see how different or similar it will be. I would recomed this book for anyone who enjoys crime novels or prison novels, but I will read another one of Bunker's books before I tell people that he is worth reading more than once.
The Animal Factory..........2001-11-18
The Animal Factory is a great intro book for those who aren't familiar with the rest of Edward Bunker's stabs at fiction.
Though it drags on in places it is great narrative (though not the best) about life in jail. Edward Furlong starred in a film version directed by Steve Buscemi (Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs) that does the book justice. So if your still unsure about reading this book, at least check out the movie. Mickey Rourke does a great job as a transvestite con.
FYI: Edward Bunker has a small part in Reservoir Dogs, I think he was Mr. Black.
The Solzhenitsyn Thing.......2001-02-19
So it aint Solzhenitsyn, and there should probably be a law against making the comparison - which I'd be all for: can you imagine that first day inside?
"What you in for?"
"Comparing Eddie Bunker to Alexander Solzhenitsyn."
(Con whistles in admiration.)
Eddie Bunker was a rotten crook who pulled a bank job and got caught. Alexander Solzhenitsyn was locked up in a gulag under a despotic regime that didn't allow freedom of speech. (I'm generalising here, but stick with me, okay?) Bunker got his just desserts (some might say). Solzhenitsyn (again I'm generalising but) was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
You might also think that you have to buy into what is quickly developing into a culture of admiration for nasty ne'er-do-wells. People (and by people I mean: publishing executives, film moguls, idiots) like to romanticise the villain. Just watch "McVicar" or "The Krays" or even "Chopper" (which, credit where credit's due, is a great movie). Read any of the chancy memoirs written by the gallery of supposedly lovable rogues (your Mad Frankie Frasers), who would like to give the impression that they only ever dispatched those who "deserved" it. Watch "Lock Stock & Two Mightily Over-rated Barrels." Read anything by Jake Arnott or James Hawes.
You don't, though. You don't have to buy into all that to like Eddie. (Although you'll have to get over the psychological obstacle of it: the publishers want you to think that Eddie is part and parcel of that whole thing. They include stupid quotes from stupid lad mags on the cover. They print the title in a font that aims to resemble the kind of print left by an ink-stained stamp. "The Animal Factory" has a grainy prison shot. Other Bunker novels have splashes of blood on them. You wonder why they didn't just go the whole hog. Write EDWARD BUNKER IS TOUGH or HE'S BEEN THERE, BABY, AND HE'S HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT!)
All of which does Edward Bunker a grave disservice. He's a great writer. Regardless of anything else - regardless of the fact of his having a past - he is a great writer. The Solzhenitsyn thing is apposite. There are, in fact, many similarities between this book and "...Ivan Denisovich". Bunker has a tremendous eye for details. It would be the easiest thing in the world to write an Elmore Leonard-lite prison novel revolving around authentic prison dialogue (authentic, yes, because Bunker has been there, I know). He doesn't do that, though. It would be easy to write and easier to sell.
What I think is this.
In "Waiting for Godot", Vladimir says "What do we do now?" and Estragon replies "Wait." I would imagine that that question - What do we do now? - gets asked a lot in prison. You've got time on your hands. You don't even have Godot to pretend to look forward to. Seems to me that Bunker read. His writing is informed with other books. "The Animal Factory" is as self-referentially canonical as T.S. Eliot would have any book be. I don't know the in's and out's of Bunker's life (and I'm quite happy with that), but I reckon he read a lot and started writing as a way to fill the otherwise empty hours.
It could have been that - without prison, without mixing in a hard-boiled, ugly crowd - he would never have wrote anything down. Could be any number of things. Whatever the reason, Bunker started writing and his hard, authentic voice is stripped of sensation and mightily persuasive. Bunker's characters are the flotsam spewed out of the machine that Sherman McCoy gets sucked into mid-way through "Bonfire of the Vanities" (mid-way through "Bonfire of the Vanities", just after Sherman gets arraigned, he emerges from the court house feeling dead, feeling chewed up and spat out but mostly dead - and that's the product that fills Bunker's books - all these lost misinformed souls in a different kind of gulag).
Customer Reviews:
a good start to a new lifestyle, must read.......2004-03-15
i read this book after i became vegan, and although i knew much of this information already, some was still new to me. i reccomend this book for all people interested in becoming involved with animals rights and/or vegetarianism. while this book was written in the late 80's, and statistical facts may be a little off, much of the inhumane treatment of these animals has yet to change at all. it is hard to see how any person with a conscience could turn their back on the issues posed in this book. please read it for the sake of yourself, the environment, and your fellow earthlings, the animals.
Average customer rating:
- The Consumate Review of the Animal Rights Issues/Arguments
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Magpies, Monkeys, and Morals : What Philosophers Say About Animal Liberation
Angus Taylor
Manufacturer: Broadview Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1551112027 |
Book Description
To what extent can animals be regarded as part of the moral community? To what extent, if at all, do they have moral rights? Are we wrong to eat them or to hunt them? Is the use of animals for scientific research justified? And can the ideas behind animal liberation be squared with those of the environmental movement?
This is the first book to provide a thorough and reasonably impartial explication of the arguments put forward on all these issues. It is Taylor's strong belief that, whatever our own views on these contentious issues may be, we benefit by exploring them more thoroughly, and also by understanding and evaluating the arguments of those who may disagree with us. He traces the background of these debates from Aristotle to Darwin, and he provides fair-minded commentaries on the positions of such influential contemporary philosophers as Peter Singer, Tom Regan, R.G. Frey, and Peter Carruthers.
Customer Reviews:
The Consumate Review of the Animal Rights Issues/Arguments.......2003-10-25
It's fairly rare to find books that can take you from little to no knowledge in a given area of debate, and then put you in a position to jump in to it right away; this book does that. It's the kind of book that is accessible enough and certainly thorough enough to serve as a defining text for the issue. Also, it's just recently been updated, actually.
Average customer rating:
- MY Son's Love This Book
- Little Factory--Loved by Little Kids
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Little Factory
Sarah Weeks
Manufacturer: Laura Geringer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0060274298 |
Book Description
There was a little man who ran a little factory. But as the factory grows bigger and bigger, the little workers begin to cough and choke on the smoke from the factory chimneys. It's up to the little man to save the day.
This one-of-a-kind picture book with CD-ROM keeps the little factory humming with an animated song kids will love to sing, playable on both Macs and PCs.
Customer Reviews:
MY Son's Love This Book.......2003-03-08
I picked this up at a rummage sale and it was unopened, I just knew it would be added to the rest of the books just sitting on the shelf waiting to be read. When I popped the CD in and played it, my boys went crazy over it. My 3 year old sat at the computer and played it over and over and over. My 1 1/2 year old danced to the music and laughed at the colorful characters dacing on the screen. The colors are so vivid and the illustration is amazing, not to mention the great message that this book is sending to our young ones about pollution. This was my first experience with Sarah Weeks, and I must say it has left a lasting impression and I have already ordered some more of her books from Amazon.
Little Factory--Loved by Little Kids.......2001-04-03
My students LOVED the Little Factory..and of course, we sing along. They ask to sing it again and again. Since the melody/rhythm/text can get difficult for them to follow sometimes, they especially love the "La-Dee-Da" parts where they can't miss singing the right words. And when we discuss the "pollution" issues, they know what we're talking about since this is a topic in most curriculums. Use this book with children. I'm buying copies for my young relatives to sing along, too.
Average customer rating:
- Solid Effort
- I LOVE IT!!
- Great happy-ending picture book!
- GREAT!!!!
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Oh, Ducky!: A Chocolate Calamity
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
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Similar Items:
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He Came with the Couch
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Chocolatina
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The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza)
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Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory
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Smart About Chocolate: A Sweet History (Smart About History) (Smart About History)
Accessories:
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Dr. Duck and the New Babies
ASIN: 081185227X |
Book Description
Take one candy machine, one nutty inventor, one handyman, and one rubber duck. Mix well with chocolate and Ohhhhhhh, Ducky! you have one delicious adventure.
When a rubber duck gets stuck in the chocolate-making machine, Mr. Peters dons his diving suit to investigate the pipes and swims through chocolate sharks, ships and sea chests to save the day. Children and grown-ups, too will find David Slonim's wacky story and goofy characters irresistible.
Customer Reviews:
Solid Effort.......2006-09-18
I grew up with David in NJ but lost touch a very long time ago. He was a brilliant illustrator back then and when I discovered he had a book published I rushed out to get it for my son. What a great story and the illustrations are very colorful, detailed and fun.
So not only do I get to share a great book with my son, I also get to tell him I knew David before he was famous! I can't wait to pick up his newest title.
I LOVE IT!!.......2003-10-18
I LOVE this book!!! I am 13 and it is great to bring along with me when I babysit, kids love it! I like to read it for fun too.
Great happy-ending picture book!.......2003-07-20
David Slonim has shown his artistic talent in several other best selling books. But now he has combined his art and storytelling talents into a delightful children's book. You will laugh at the humor surrounding this fun-filled book. The illustrations are amazing; you always catch something new each time you read the story. It's a book you and your child will read over and over again. I cannot wait for David's next book!
GREAT!!!!.......2003-02-19
I recently had the pleasure of meeting David (author and Illustrator) before this book hit shelves. He is a remarkable young man with an amazing sence of humor. You can really feel his personality in this AMAZING book! The Illustrations are gallery worthy and the story is great for children! I'm a student at the College for Creative studies and I bought the book for the sole purpose of the beautiful illustration! A great buy!
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