B A A H A U S
Book Nook
Literature concerning animal welfare, animal rights and animal ethics is being published for every age group and in virtually every genre---children's and young adult fiction and nonfiction, cookbooks, philosophical works, novels, histories. The volunteers at BaaHaus try to read some of these works, and would like to share their book notes with you. Here is our first effort. We plan to continue to add to our animal bibliography, and hope that you will send us your own annotated suggestions for books on the subject of animal welfare.
And what better way to introduce the BaaHaus Book Nook than with a note concerning J.M. Coetzee, the 2003 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. There is nothing easy about reading Coetzee; his ideas are complex and his subjects can be harsh and heartbreaking. He is a staunch believer in animal rights and challenges us to confront the duplicity of our relationship with all animals. Two books in particular, The Lives of Animals and Elizabeth Costello, are fictional philosophical inquiries into the rights of animals and the growing ethical confusion humans must confront concerning our treatment of animals.
You can also read his Nobel acceptance speech at: http://www.nobel.se/literature/laureates/2003/coetzee-lecture-e.html
Other books of interest:
Adult Non-fiction
The Philosopher's Dog;
Friendships with Animals, by Raimond Gaita, 2002.
The author, known in academic circles for philosophical works on good
and evil,
ethics and the nature of justice, has leapt out of the ivory tower and
taken up
the subject of sentient beings and the quality of friendships among the
species. While not a simple book by any means, Gaita eases the reader
into the thicket of philosophical thought concerning the meaning of the
lives of animals, and what we can hope to understand of and from them.
"The Philosopher's Dog" makes many references back to the writings
of Coetzee (see above), so it is a wonderful way to follow your reading
of "The Lives of Animals." Again, this is a work of philosophy,
so be prepared to read some sentences over again...or maybe it's just
me that has to do that.
Dominion; the Power of
Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy, by Matthew
Scully, 2002.
Written by a speech writer for George W. Bush (talk about internal conflict!),
Matthew Scully has written a powerful defense of animals, an expose of
the American meat industry, and a manifesto for vegetarians everywhere.
Footnoted, literate, compelling---this work is one of the best recent
works on the complex emotional, political and cultural currents surrounding
modern animal welfare.
The Pig Who Sang to the
Moon; the Emotional World of Farm Animals, by Jeffrey Moussaieff
Masson, 2003.
Here is a book that BaaHaus staff could have written! Masson is well known
for his appreciative books about animals and we welcome his attention
to domestic farm animals.
Kids' Fiction
Herb the Vegetarian Dragon, by Jules Bass and Debbie Harter,
1999.
A companion volume to "Cooking with Herb" (See Kids' Cookbooks),
this story helps kids who are vegetarians cope with friends and family
who are not, and promotes some general ideas about tolerance and compassion.
A Home for Spooky,
by Gloria Rand with illustrations by Ted Rand, 1998.
By award winning Seattle area writers Gloria and Ted Rand, this moving
story is based on a true dog rescue. A young girl finds an abandoned dog
at the dump and eventually saves his life. A few photographs at the back
of the book document the real subject of the rescue.
Kids' Cookbooks
Cooking with Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon; a Cookbook for Kids,
by Jules Bass, illustrated by Debbie Harter, 1999.
A companion volume to "Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon" (see Kids
Fiction), this cookbook is fun for kids, with basic instructions, reassurances
to parents concerned about balance and nutritional aspects of a vegetarian
diet, and plenty of safety warnings. The recipes are pretty good too.
Adult Cookbooks
Madhur Jaffrey's World
Vegetarian, by Madhur Jaffrey, 1999. Hey, wait a
minute! Isn't Jaffrey an internationally renowned film actress? Yes, she
is. And what a cook! All 758 pages of this fabulous cookbook are packed
with wonderfully flavorful recipes, information on substitutions for ingredients
you probably are not going to find at your corner grocery (although things
certainly are changing, aren't they?), and explanations of the mysteries
of Persian dried limes, of how to get your curry to be the "color
of a Buddhist monk's robes" and of the ubiquitousness of
eggplant in various world cuisines. Come to think of it, the purple and
golden hues of the dust jacket and end papers will put you in mind for
Spicy Chinese Eggplant with Peanut dressing almost immediately.
How It All Vegan! Irresistible
Recipes for an Animal-Free Diet, by Sarah Kramer and Tanya Barnard,
1999.
Fun, sassy, and totally original, the authors have created more than a
cookbook. It's a party with two great gals. The recipes are fun and easy
to prepare, you'll want to make everything in this book. Terrific!
Lorna Sass' Short-Cut
Vegetarian : Great Taste in No Time, by Lorna J. Sass, 1997
Fast and delicious, everyday ingredients are transformed into easy masterpieces
in no time. Lots of ideas, helpful hints and inspiration. Try the banana
french toast. Mmmmmm!
The Garden of Vegan:
How It All Vegan Again!, by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer, 2003.
More outstanding recipes from Sarah and Tanya. We like this cookbook even
more than their first, but both are first-rate. And funny! Cooking has
never been more fun.
The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient
Gourmet, by Nava Atlas, 2001
Tired of cookbooks where the list of ingredients runs to two pages? With
an extra trip to the store for hard-to-find items? Short on time for cooking?
Then this is the cookbook for you! 250 healthy and easy recipes using
everyday ingredients. Packed with fresh ideas, and perfect for week nights
when time is short.
More great recipes can be found
at: http://vegweb.com
A SPECIAL NOTE
The American public has been pounded with a public relations campaign urging all of us to follow the Atkins diet. We would like to urge you to read what the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has to say about low carb diets, and take a look at one or both of the books listed below.
Yes, of course BaaHaus has an "agenda," too, and it is quite obvious: We are interested in animal welfare and all the good that can flow from taking a stand in its support. Please carefully consider the evidence on all sides---and not advertising campaigns---when making food choices that affect all of our lives and the life of our planet.
"Eat Right, Live Longer," by Neal Barnard, M.D., 1995.
"Healthy Eating for Life for Women," Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, 2002.
"Healthy Eating for Life for Children," Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, 2002.
For more information about
PCRM, see http://www.pcrm.org/
