The Animal Research War (Hardcover)

~ (Author), James V. Parker (Author)
Key Phrases: animal research war, animal extremists, animal rightists, United States, Primate Center, Boys Town (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Winner of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) Media Award for 2008

Here is what people are saying about The Animal Research War:

The Animal Research War offers an invaluable resource that will not be soon replaced.- Science Magazine

Animal researchers in the United States are the targets of terrorists. If you need persuading that this is happening and that this is bad, read this book...If you experiment with animals, this book should persuade you to open your post with a letter-opener instead of your finger. There are people out there who really hate you.– Nature

It’s a cracking good read. -RDS News

The Animal Research War is a lively, occasionally terrifying account of the assault on animal research that will interest nonresearchers and researchers alike. –Journal of Clinical Investigation

 

…well-written, thoroughly researched work… -American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners News

Conn and Parker unfold stories of attacks and put to rest some of the tired myths of laboratory animals; myths that animal extremists need to perpetuate in order to validate their own dire actions. It is extremely important that an informed public know what is really going on, and how it impacts on the future of healthcare and medical advances. We hope you will also pass it along and help spread truth." — States United for Biomedical Research

"The authors of The Animal Research War are to be congratulated for exposing the tactics of animal extremists, and in particular the extent to which they are prepared to go in their effort to abolish all use of experimental animals. The actions of this tiny minority to deny the ongoing importance of animal research for progress in human and animal health are a disservice to us all." —Canadians for Health Research

The BBC's science and technology magazine Focus has a feature on the "most dangerous jobs in the world." They include HazMat teams, snake venom farmers, volcanologists--and animal researchers. The story includes what has happened to co-author of The Animal Research War, P. Michael Conn. – Wesley J Smith in “Second Hand Smoke”

Threats, booby-trapped envelopes rigged with razor blades, and beatings with baseball bats have scared biomedical researchers out of the field and slowed advances in human health care, say endocrinologist Michael Conn and his coauthor, James Parker.  Twenty years ago animal rights activists would meet with scientists to discuss their concerns openly, the authors write, but over the past decade a wing of the movement has become so violent that in 2005 the FBI called it “one of today’s most serious domestic terrorism threats.” – Discover Magazine

“The Animal Research War exposes the tactics of animal extremists for what they are - terrorism. The actions of a tiny minority have seriously set back the progress of research aimed at reducing the suffering of people and animals. It is time for scientists, patients and all who abhor the use of terror to stand up for the future of medical research. -- Colin Blakemore, Former Chief Executive, Medical Research Council now Chief Executive of the Research Defense Society. 

The Animal Research War makes a compelling case that animal extremism, with its threat to biomedical research and the improvement of human and animal health, is an international problem.”  -- Christian Bréchot, Director General of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research

Excerpts from The Animal Research War, however, have already appeared in two magazines, American Scientist, published by the scientific society Sigma XI, and The Scientist, which covers the life sciences. The latter featured the book on its cover, with the headline: "The WAR Against Your Work." Will that rile animal researchers? That's what Conn and Parker are hoping for. Their book is a battle cry: it asks the research community and its supporters to fight back against a well-honed opposition. As the authors illustrate in detail, both researchers and university administrators are far too prone to cower in dismay rather than stand up for their work. – New Scientist

 

Every once in a while, a title comes along whose importance warrants a shout from the rooftops. In The Animal Research War, Dr. Michael Conn and James Parker make a powerful case that the animal “rights” movement has declared moral bankruptcy by personally and viciously targeting medical researchers whose work requires the use of animals.  It’s a compelling read. –Center for Consumer Freedom

 

I can't offer any stronger recommendation than this; if you are in any way involved in the security of animal research, read this book.—Shawn Flaugher in RTP Physical Security

 

Conn and Parker’s vivid narratives provide interesting insights into the animal rights movement and the making of an animal rights terrorist. The success of the movement, its tactics and strategies, and the public support it has garnered form the basis for a compelling psychological analysis. –Molecular In(ter)ventions

… an interesting field guide to the various groups involved in the animal rights movement. … gripping tales of what it's like to be a target for extremists and the price that society pays when scientists are driven away from biomedical work. …(describes) the philosophies and strategies used by different groups …. One of the most poignant parts of the book is …  the scientists who gave up their work and the students and doctors who've been scared away from working on human disease.  "The Animal Research War" would be a good book to add to college and high school libraries and to accompany a bioethics course. --Sandra Porter, Discovering Biology in a Digital World

Conn and his co-author, James V. Parker, make a clear distinction between those who care about animal welfare and the extremists, a tiny minority who use violence, intimidation and exaggeration to bring attention to their cause. –The Oregonian

As referenced on NPR’s Science Friday/Talk of the Nation, the LA Times, the Washington Post, This Week in Science, The Scientist, The American Scientist, Skeptical Inquirer

Product Description

When overzealous animal rights activists threaten one of America's best-known scientists and academic leaders, he collaborates with an analyst of animal rights to produce a personal account of what it is like to be a medical researcher targeted by such a powerful movement.  This thoughtful and surprising book analyzes the effect of animal extremism on the world's scientists, their institutions, and professional societies. P. Michael Conn and James V. Parker analyze the motivations of animal rights extremists while also delving into the changing ways in which the public and legal system views animals.  The Animal Research War counters the lies propagated by extremist animal rights organizations: for example, the fact that animals comprise only 6% of any medical research, and very little harm comes to animals under experimentation. 

This book is an intriguing and compelling platform from which to better understand the plight of the modern scientist and the risk to scientific advancement if animal extremism is allowed to win.

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Hardcover: 224 pages Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 1 edition (May 13, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 023060014X ISBN-13: 978-0230600140 Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #658,814 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #16 in  Books > Science > Biological Sciences > Zoology > Research & Ethics

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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
animal research war, animal extremists, animal rightists, animal rights movement, animal rights organizations

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, Primate Center, Boys Town, New York Stock Exchange, National Institutes of Health, Peter Singer, Animal Welfare Act, Animal Liberation, East Coast, Ingrid Newkirk, Craig Rosebraugh, Willamette Week, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Gary Yourofsky, Alicia Silverstone, Better Business Bureau, The Great Ape Project, Matt Rossell, Huntingdon Life Sciences, The Peaceable Kingdom, Michael Conn, Native Americans, Earth Liberation Front, British Medical Association

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:  (2)           Average Customer Review 3.1 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 13 of 22 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars This book's a definite keeper..., June 8, 2008 By  L. R. Willis (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Imagine a scenario reminiscent of an old Hitchcock thriller: the hero (usually it's Cary Grant) barely eludes a group of sinister pursuers (KGB? Gestapo?) in an airport by forcing his way through the throng of people waiting to board an airplane, only to discover upon arrival at his destination that his pursuers are waiting for him there, too, and so the desperate chase continues. And so on. Only thing is, in this case it's not Cary Grant and it's not a movie; it's real. The real-life thriller that opens The Animal Research War has animal activists actually in pursuit of one of its authors, physician-scientist P. Michael Conn, in an airport. The activists have Dr. Conn "in the crosshairs," as he puts it. They're chasing him through the airport and, if necessary, intend to intercept him at his destination to prevent him from visiting the University of South Florida. Why? Because in their view, he is a despised "primate tester" who subjects non-human primates to all manner of cruel - and unnecessary - experimentation in the name of medical science, and should therefore be stopped in his tracks. Never mind that they and other animal activists are the only folks who hold this disparaging view of Dr. Conn's job, and never mind that his research doesn't involve primates at all, or, for that matter, even living animals. Dr. Conn's research involves cultured cells. This news should thrill animal activists, not enrage them. Go figure. So begins this interesting, informative and factual little book about the terror that's lately been inflicted by animal activists on otherwise unsuspecting biomedical scientists. Both authors of this book know whereof they speak. Dr. Conn has had a distinguished career in academic medicine and biomedical research. He currently directs the Oregon National Primate Research Center and has seen more than his fair share of protests by animal activists intent on putting the ONPRC out of business. His co-author, Dr. James V. Parker, is a respected scholar of philosophy, theology and science in his own right, and formerly was the Public Information Officer for the ONPRC. He, too, has had more than his share of encounters with animal activists. Conn and Parker write in clear and concise fashion, and with thorough documentation, to introduce the reader to some of the main players and organizations in today's version of animal activism, which has become decidedly more violent and extremist than was the case 15 or 20 years ago. They recount the 19th Century origins, philosophy and history of the animal rights movement up to the present time, correct several gross distortions of history that never seem to get purged from the animal rights literature for such drugs as insulin, penicillin and thalidomide, and assess the various strategies that animal activists employ to disrupt the efforts of targeted organizations or people. The authors' accounts of the tactics terrorists used to intimidate animal researchers in the U.S. and elsewhere are, well, chilling. Towards the end of the book the authors take a chapter to explain the extent to which federal laws, veterinary oversight, and enforced research ethics assure that all research conducted in the U.S. with experimental animals is done with humane care and valid scientific purpose, not that any activists or terrorists are listening, you understand. The authors have aimed this book appropriately enough at lay readers, complete with a glossary to define unfamiliar terms. Even so, this book is also for professionals, and should be read by anyone who is currently involved, even indirectly, in animal research (e.g., scientists, laboratory technicians, veterinarians, members of institutional animal care and use committees, deans and department heads), especially those who have not as yet had any direct experience with the sorts of folks who oppose their work, and who might stoop to violence and terror to stop it. The book's brevity makes it the perfect read for folks who want a quick lesson on the animal rights movement. It's especially apropos for my colleagues in the animal research community who "don't have time for this stuff anyway," and who, in too many cases, may not even know that there's a war on, much less that they're "the enemy." The final chapter of the book sends a message directly to members and friends of the scientific community by urging advocates of animal research, and animal researchers themselves, to speak out with unified voices against the movement's terror tactics, distorted message and inhumane agenda. This is easier said than done; most scientists don't like to run in packs, and most of us would be leery of calling attention to ourselves, especially after reading this book. Nevertheless, Conn and Parker are correct when they say that one of the most effective tools we give to the animal rights movement to use against us is our collective silence. Read this book and pass it along to a friend or colleague. Then write your Congressman. Ask him/her for a surge in this other war against terror. 19 of 32 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, the facts . . . , May 20, 2008 By  Bruce J. Cameron "Bruce" (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    In my Amazon review of Sacred Cows and Golden Geese; The Human Cost of Experiments on Animals, by C. Ray Greek, MD and Jean Swingle Greek, DVM, I commented that "I will leave the scientific exposure of their statements and conclusions to those qualified in these fields. It is my understanding that just such a scholarly rebuttal is currently in the works." The Animal Research War by P. Michael Conn and James V. Parker is that rebuttal. Hard charging and relentless, the authors tear apart every misquote, every false statement and provide the references to back them up. And, it is considerably more than just a rebuttal of the Greek's diatribe as it provides the history of the animal rights movement and details the excesses and violence of those who buy into the claims of those who say that animal researchers are "vivisectionists" who enjoy torturing and killing animals in the name of science and that no good has ever come from animal research. One of the major claims by the Greeks and others was that animal research played no part in the development of insulin. Conn and Parker destroy this claim with direct quotes from historian Michael Bliss, author of The Discovery of Insulin, responding to Brandon Reines who wrote a pamphlet for the American Anti-Vivisection Society wherein he cited Bliss's 1982 book as the source for his position. Bliss's reply "Reines' interpretation of my work is thoroughly distorted, wrong-headed and silly . . . . The discovery of insulin in the early 1920s stands as one of the outstanding examples in medical history of the successful use of animal experimentation to improve the human condition" Additional examples regarding major discoveries include penicillin and polio vaccine, the thalidomide issues, and the potentials of animal research in the development of AIDS treatments. The book starts out with a Preface and Guide to Words which is important to enlighten those who are used to the emotion laden terms used by the animal rights movement. Appendix A is a list of twenty of the most common questions regarding animal use in research and for those who have trouble finding time to sit down and read the entire book it will be a quick and easy summation of the major issues and their answers. Appendix B is a list of Internet links to both those in favor and those against ethical animal research. This is an important book on a very important topic that will impact the future of health care for both humans and non-humans. And, it is essentially the only one that deals with the issues in a straightforward and honest manner. Bottom line, we cannot let the animal rights terrorists get away with misstatements, outright lies and acts of violence. The way to win is to through rational argument, real facts and the exercise of critical thinking skills. This book provides the intellectual ammunition to counter the irrational assertions of terrorists. To those who wrote gushing praise in their reviews of the Greek's book, Sacred Cows and Golden Geese; The Human Cost of Experiments on Animals, I issue the challenge to read The Animal Research War and then write your own review. Demonstrate to the world the extent of your intellectual honesty. 6 of 11 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Dull Writing Swallows the Facts, September 9, 2008 By  Timothy Haugh (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)       Coming across a book like this makes me sadder than almost any other type of book I read. Fortunately, it doesn't happen too often. But when it does, it's a disappointment. Even more so, maybe, than books I actually like less. What makes me sad about this book is that I agree wholeheartedly with the authors' thesis but the writing is so poor that it's a slog to get through the book despite its comparatively short length. The problem, I think, is twofold. First, Conn and Parker are scientists and, therefore, want to lay out a logical, well-argued case for their position. This they do, in the flat prose of the scientists they are. They want to rouse some passion (as their counterparts are so good at doing) but their rare attempts to do so come across as discord in an otherwise passionless argument. Which leads directly to problem number two: there clearly is some mean-spirited counter-punching going on here which causes a reader to lose respect for their argument. Conn and Parker name names and air grievances in a way which does little to forward their case. They would have been better sticking to their dispassionate prose. Hidden within this dull prose, however, are some important gems. First is the main premise itself: that, despite what you may hear from fringe animal rights groups, animal research is a necessary part of medical advance and is a well-regulated, humane process. It's always strange that people who want certain types of research to cease would never want to give up the advances generated by that research, and animal research has produced some of the most important medical advances we have including important drug trials and surgical procedures. It is also fair to note that when a person or group steps over the line to harassment and threat, they should be called out. And that when supposedly respectable groups (like PETA) funnel money and resources to these people and groups, they should be called out too. The only time I really connected to the authors' attempt at "passion" was when one of them described his attempt to get a job at a university in Florida where he was harassed and treated horribly by both protestors and the university. It was a shameful episode which was well-conveyed because it was first hand. The second hand stories they tell are too many and don't play as well. I remember a few years back when there really was a furor over animal research in public. It seems to be at a bit of a low ebb right now but these things tend to go in cycles. It's good that there's a sourcebook of information like this one out there. (You can skip the text and go directly to Appendix A for most of the salient details.) Still, if the pendulum swings back the other way sometime in the future, I hope someone takes the information here and writes a better book.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 1.0 out of 5 stars Research labs, USDA, are not in the business of caring for animals! The very first part of the book "In the chosshairs" seemed so defensive that the rest of the book just followed this Research Scientist Victimhood. Read more Published 3 months ago by P. Hester 2.0 out of 5 stars A Big Disappointment I bought this book because I wanted the researcher's side of the debate about animal experimentation, but what I found in this book was an angry, defensive rant and a public... Read more Published 15 months ago by Anna Karenina 5.0 out of 5 stars Truth at last Those of us who are involved in training and showing dogs have, for years, dealt with the Animal Rights crazies. For example, a friend was derided for having a service dog. Read more Published 16 months ago by Special Education Teacher 1.0 out of 5 stars Sadly Typical [Note: This book is critical of me. My opinion may be biased.] The Animal Research War may be of interest to those on both sides of the animal rights controversy but... Read more Published 17 months ago by Rick Bogle Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 1 edition (May 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 023060014X
• ISBN-13: 978-0230600140
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #658,814 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

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  Books > Science > Biological Sciences > Zoology > Research & Ethics

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book's a definite keeper..., June 8, 2008

By	L. R. Willis (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Imagine a scenario reminiscent of an old Hitchcock thriller: the hero (usually it's Cary Grant) barely eludes a group of sinister pursuers (KGB? Gestapo?) in an airport by forcing his way through the throng of people waiting to board an airplane, only to discover upon arrival at his destination that his pursuers are waiting for him there, too, and so the desperate chase continues. And so on. Only thing is, in this case it's not Cary Grant and it's not a movie; it's real.

The real-life thriller that opens The Animal Research War has animal activists actually in pursuit of one of its authors, physician-scientist P. Michael Conn, in an airport. The activists have Dr. Conn "in the crosshairs," as he puts it. They're chasing him through the airport and, if necessary, intend to intercept him at his destination to prevent him from visiting the University of South Florida. Why? Because in their view, he is a despised "primate tester" who subjects non-human primates to all manner of cruel - and unnecessary - experimentation in the name of medical science, and should therefore be stopped in his tracks. Never mind that they and other animal activists are the only folks who hold this disparaging view of Dr. Conn's job, and never mind that his research doesn't involve primates at all, or, for that matter, even living animals. Dr. Conn's research involves cultured cells. This news should thrill animal activists, not enrage them. Go figure.

So begins this interesting, informative and factual little book about the terror that's lately been inflicted by animal activists on otherwise unsuspecting biomedical scientists. Both authors of this book know whereof they speak. Dr. Conn has had a distinguished career in academic medicine and biomedical research. He currently directs the Oregon National Primate Research Center and has seen more than his fair share of protests by animal activists intent on putting the ONPRC out of business. His co-author, Dr. James V. Parker, is a respected scholar of philosophy, theology and science in his own right, and formerly was the Public Information Officer for the ONPRC. He, too, has had more than his share of encounters with animal activists.

Conn and Parker write in clear and concise fashion, and with thorough documentation, to introduce the reader to some of the main players and organizations in today's version of animal activism, which has become decidedly more violent and extremist than was the case 15 or 20 years ago. They recount the 19th Century origins, philosophy and history of the animal rights movement up to the present time, correct several gross distortions of history that never seem to get purged from the animal rights literature for such drugs as insulin, penicillin and thalidomide, and assess the various strategies that animal activists employ to disrupt the efforts of targeted organizations or people. The authors' accounts of the tactics terrorists used to intimidate animal researchers in the U.S. and elsewhere are, well, chilling. Towards the end of the book the authors take a chapter to explain the extent to which federal laws, veterinary oversight, and enforced research ethics assure that all research conducted in the U.S. with experimental animals is done with humane care and valid scientific purpose, not that any activists or terrorists are listening, you understand.

The authors have aimed this book appropriately enough at lay readers, complete with a glossary to define unfamiliar terms. Even so, this book is also for professionals, and should be read by anyone who is currently involved, even indirectly, in animal research (e.g., scientists, laboratory technicians, veterinarians, members of institutional animal care and use committees, deans and department heads), especially those who have not as yet had any direct experience with the sorts of folks who oppose their work, and who might stoop to violence and terror to stop it.

The book's brevity makes it the perfect read for folks who want a quick lesson on the animal rights movement. It's especially apropos for my colleagues in the animal research community who "don't have time for this stuff anyway," and who, in too many cases, may not even know that there's a war on, much less that they're "the enemy."

The final chapter of the book sends a message directly to members and friends of the scientific community by urging advocates of animal research, and animal researchers themselves, to speak out with unified voices against the movement's terror tactics, distorted message and inhumane agenda. This is easier said than done; most scientists don't like to run in packs, and most of us would be leery of calling attention to ourselves, especially after reading this book. Nevertheless, Conn and Parker are correct when they say that one of the most effective tools we give to the animal rights movement to use against us is our collective silence. Read this book and pass it along to a friend or colleague. Then write your Congressman. Ask him/her for a surge in this other war against terror.

19 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, the facts . . . , May 20, 2008

By	Bruce J. Cameron "Bruce" (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In my Amazon review of Sacred Cows and Golden Geese; The Human Cost of Experiments on Animals, by C. Ray Greek, MD and Jean Swingle Greek, DVM, I commented that "I will leave the scientific exposure of their statements and conclusions to those qualified in these fields. It is my understanding that just such a scholarly rebuttal is currently in the works."

The Animal Research War by P. Michael Conn and James V. Parker is that rebuttal. Hard charging and relentless, the authors tear apart every misquote, every false statement and provide the references to back them up. And, it is considerably more than just a rebuttal of the Greek's diatribe as it provides the history of the animal rights movement and details the excesses and violence of those who buy into the claims of those who say that animal researchers are "vivisectionists" who enjoy torturing and killing animals in the name of science and that no good has ever come from animal research.

One of the major claims by the Greeks and others was that animal research played no part in the development of insulin. Conn and Parker destroy this claim with direct quotes from historian Michael Bliss, author of The Discovery of Insulin, responding to Brandon Reines who wrote a pamphlet for the American Anti-Vivisection Society wherein he cited Bliss's 1982 book as the source for his position. Bliss's reply "Reines' interpretation of my work is thoroughly distorted, wrong-headed and silly . . . . The discovery of insulin in the early 1920s stands as one of the outstanding examples in medical history of the successful use of animal experimentation to improve the human condition"

Additional examples regarding major discoveries include penicillin and polio vaccine, the thalidomide issues, and the potentials of animal research in the development of AIDS treatments.

The book starts out with a Preface and Guide to Words which is important to enlighten those who are used to the emotion laden terms used by the animal rights movement. Appendix A is a list of twenty of the most common questions regarding animal use in research and for those who have trouble finding time to sit down and read the entire book it will be a quick and easy summation of the major issues and their answers. Appendix B is a list of Internet links to both those in favor and those against ethical animal research.

This is an important book on a very important topic that will impact the future of health care for both humans and non-humans. And, it is essentially the only one that deals with the issues in a straightforward and honest manner. Bottom line, we cannot let the animal rights terrorists get away with misstatements, outright lies and acts of violence. The way to win is to through rational argument, real facts and the exercise of critical thinking skills. This book provides the intellectual ammunition to counter the irrational assertions of terrorists.

To those who wrote gushing praise in their reviews of the Greek's book, Sacred Cows and Golden Geese; The Human Cost of Experiments on Animals, I issue the challenge to read The Animal Research War and then write your own review. Demonstrate to the world the extent of your intellectual honesty.

6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dull Writing Swallows the Facts, September 9, 2008

By	Timothy Haugh (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Coming across a book like this makes me sadder than almost any other type of book I read. Fortunately, it doesn't happen too often. But when it does, it's a disappointment. Even more so, maybe, than books I actually like less. What makes me sad about this book is that I agree wholeheartedly with the authors' thesis but the writing is so poor that it's a slog to get through the book despite its comparatively short length.

The problem, I think, is twofold. First, Conn and Parker are scientists and, therefore, want to lay out a logical, well-argued case for their position. This they do, in the flat prose of the scientists they are. They want to rouse some passion (as their counterparts are so good at doing) but their rare attempts to do so come across as discord in an otherwise passionless argument. Which leads directly to problem number two: there clearly is some mean-spirited counter-punching going on here which causes a reader to lose respect for their argument. Conn and Parker name names and air grievances in a way which does little to forward their case. They would have been better sticking to their dispassionate prose.

Hidden within this dull prose, however, are some important gems. First is the main premise itself: that, despite what you may hear from fringe animal rights groups, animal research is a necessary part of medical advance and is a well-regulated, humane process. It's always strange that people who want certain types of research to cease would never want to give up the advances generated by that research, and animal research has produced some of the most important medical advances we have including important drug trials and surgical procedures.

It is also fair to note that when a person or group steps over the line to harassment and threat, they should be called out. And that when supposedly respectable groups (like PETA) funnel money and resources to these people and groups, they should be called out too. The only time I really connected to the authors' attempt at "passion" was when one of them described his attempt to get a job at a university in Florida where he was harassed and treated horribly by both protestors and the university. It was a shameful episode which was well-conveyed because it was first hand. The second hand stories they tell are too many and don't play as well.

I remember a few years back when there really was a furor over animal research in public. It seems to be at a bit of a low ebb right now but these things tend to go in cycles. It's good that there's a sourcebook of information like this one out there. (You can skip the text and go directly to Appendix A for most of the salient details.) Still, if the pendulum swings back the other way sometime in the future, I hope someone takes the information here and writes a better book.