"Kindness is not an obligation, it is the most noble expression of human nature."

According to author Ricard, this book is a "natural follow-up" to a book he published last year called Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World. In A Plea for the Animals, Ricard argues that altruism, mercy, compassion, and consideration should be extended to every sentient being (i.e., every living thing that is capable of feeling pleasure and pain). He says, "Every living being has the right to live and not be the victim of suffering imposed on it by others."The book

There is a good selection of books on the subject of animal rights and compassion for all sentient beings nowadays to chose from, and this is one of the best; five stars, go get a copy and read it!

To indicate that I "loved" this book merely states that I appreciated all the aspects of animal cruelty addressed. What I appreciated about the content was the clear, detailed descriptions of the myriad ways in which humans have deprecated and caused untold destruction to the planet because of their selfish dietary predilections and entertainment choices. Using animals for either merely demonstrates the evil that men do. Being a vegetarian for many years because of my knowledge of factory farmin...

This is an amazing book, and everyone should read it! Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk, a French national now living in Nepal, and he writes with eloquence, knowledge and compassion about the attitude of humanity towards our fellow creatures, those sentient beings with whom we share this planet and to a greater or lesser extent, a large part of our DNA. He does not shy away from the barbarities inflicted, both in the past and in the present, upon helpless animals by humans, and delves into the...

2.5 starsNot sure if something was lost in translation or if the author's writing style was just not for me but I found this to be a difficult book to read, and not just because of the content.I did find a lot of the information to eye-opening and I do plan to do my own independent research into how animals are treated in my own country and what alternative options arw currently available ie humane farming practices.I found the overall tone of the book to be somewhat bias, as you would expect, a...

An excellent book, well-written and translated. This is not always an easy subject to read about, but Ricard's clear style and reasoning made it much easier. He cuts through a lot of the bs excuses people constantly use to defend their poor treatment of and/or their eating of animals. Also, he stressed the importance of humans to stop pretending we are somehow separate from the animal world, as, after all, we are all animals ourselves. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I've read many books over the years on this topic, but this one was a bit different. It is more scientifically-based, so many people may find it a bit dry to read, but it's so well researched and eye opening that I really think it's an important book. Some parts were difficult to read, simply because it made me want to cry reading about things that we humans do to animals around the world. While I didn't learn anything new regarding the meat industry, I did learn more about vivisection, bull fig...

5 stars. Extremely comprehensive, logical, and all-encompassing, exploring the subject of animal value and suffering from the perspectives of religion, philosophy and science, which were all fields that I find extremely interesting. Seeing as the library doesn't have Animal Liberation for whatever reason, I suppose this will do. I've got this school assignment, on the topic of prejudice; I intent to present the issue speciesism to my peers, and I reckon this book might just help me get taken a l...

In order to make informed choices about the food we eat it is important we are aware of what happens to our food before we eat it and the effect of the choices we make.Prior to reading this book I had some level of awareness around these themes but when I started reading the book there was so much more information I had no idea about and just hadn't thought about.The overwhelming majority of the meat eaten is produced in a 'factory farming' or 'industrially produced' environment. I started think...

Overall, one of the best articulated books I've read in support for animal rights. Four stars because it relies heavily on Peter Singer's work "Animal Liberation," which is fine and I'd prefer he cite his arguments/sources. However, given that I've already read Singer, a lot of the arguments were just repeats instead of something different. Nevertheless, this book more intelligently articulates its arguments than Singer does which is why it's still a strong work and more directly addresses many

One of the best books on the topic of vegetarianism/veganism. This theme is often a source of anxiety for many, yet Ricard stays humble, methodical and benevolent.I often recommend this reading to non-vegans/vegetarians (or anyone interested in the question) as it adopts a non-judgemental, objective, scientific and philosophical approach that truly encourages reflection and self-analysis instead of pointing fingers and inducing guilt. An overall brilliant text for curious thinkers who wish to pr...

I picked this up in a bargain bin and half expected it to be a boring mash-up of Buddhist platitudes on compassion. Only after watching Dominion (think Earthlings, but with drones) did I feel compelled to read it, and I was pleasantly surprised.It's well argued and, notwithstanding the odd inconsistency, well researched (but stats on animal cruelty are not forthcoming, so perhaps one can't be too hard on Ricard). I doubt this will change many minds, because when it comes to eating animals many p...

As a retired veterinarian, I’m all for the humane treatment of all animals, both wild and domestic. However, I cannot embrace Matthieu Ricard’s full spectrum approach which requires we all become vegetarians and not use or consume any animal products. The author adopted his views after becoming Buddhist, though not all Buddhists avoid eating meat entirely. I agree that as part of the climate solution, we should eat less red meat in the West. I do that (mostly because it’s costly, but also becaus...

*Disclaimer I am vegan*This book is incredibly detailed and gives a holistic view of why animals should be treated with empathy. The author, Matthieu Ricard, should be proud of himself. This is truly a worthy plea for the animals. Very quickly I will say one thing I did not like about this book and then move on to the good things about this book.The biggest problem I had with this book is it did make a lot of arguments for not eating meat without a clear logical structure, and while some may arg...

If you have ever thought about the suffering of animals or perhaps you were thinking of becoming vegan then this book will propel you forward with its moral arguments and ethical questions. If you care about animals then you should read this book and if you really don’t think too much about animals you also need to read this. This is a very important piece of work that asks some very difficult questions.

Since I was a little kid, I’ve always considered myself to be an animal lover. I always had pet dogs and cats and would treat them like part of the family. We even had pet chickens and our neighbors kept horses and cows. I would always be so excited to go pet and feed them. I was an animal lover, but I still ate meat. Growing up, I vividly remember the first time I had the realization that the meat my mom was using to cook our dinner was an animal that had been killed. I remember bawling my eyes...

If you think animals should be treated better than they are, or if you've been flirting with the idea of cutting down on your meat consumption or becoming a vegetarian, then this book is for you. It is also for you if you want to be aware of the various forms of suffering we are inflicting upon animals around the world. I won't sugarcoat it; it's a really hard read. It'll make you detest a lot of human practices and maybe even humans. It's disturbing in it's truth, but it's better to know than t...

As a monk, a vegan, and someone who began his literary career writing about animals, I can't say enough about the clarion call between the covers of this book. It's one painstakingly advanced and heartfelt argument for veganism, and comprehensive, too. The most powerful point it makes, at least to my eye, is that if we can eat healthfully and in a way that is enjoyable and beneficial to the planet AND avoid causing suffering (that last being the most important point) then why not do it? Simply a...

This is a fine and eloquent work which draws together every conceivable case where animals are both used and exploited by the human species. Ricard addresses each one, exposing the moral flaws and cultural blindness that allows this enterprise to continue unabated in a self-proclaimed, 'civilised' world. The compassion in his writing is palpable and he clearly articulates a position that not only provides a new paradigm for us as a species but one that bodes well for all life on Earth.