Committed: A Rabble-Rouser's Memoir [Hardcover]

Dan Mathews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 2007

"Committed" is an offbeat, hilarious memoir that shows how the most ridiculed punching-bag in school became an internationally renowned crusader for the most downtrodden individuals of all - animals. As the irreverent force behind the colorful and controversial crusades carried out by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), one of the most effective and enduring pressure groups in the world, Mathews has strutted naked before a fur convention in Tokyo, halted GM's use of animals in crash tests by storming a parade float dressed as a rabbit, and sabotaged a fashion show in Milan dressed as a priest. With self-deprecating wit and candour, Mathews reveals all the details of his unorthodox coming-of-age and equally outrageous career.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Having grown up poor and gay, with a penchant for punk rock and Lawrence Welk, Mathews, who is now campaign chief for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, had a rough start. But his camp, cosmopolitan and crass memoir is like a life lesson from the Island of Misfit Toys: a study of the unwitting heroism and adventures of an outsider dedicated to a cause. Less a treatise than a picaresque tale, his book wouldn't be complete without a bit of persuasion, whether detailing the horrors of the fur industry, factory farming or animal experimentation. But he's as willing to make fun of himself as he is of his many targets—including Vogue editor Anna Wintour (who, he says, "looks as if she has constant, painful gas") and deli-meat–hurling Iowan children. Then again, this is a man who dresses up regularly in a carrot costume. Aided by humor, luck and friends like Pamela Anderson and Morrissey, Mathews makes clear there is savvy to his controversial methods. "The flair you bring to a protest is as important as the issues themselves—if you want to reach beyond the small core of whoever might care about an issue." Those at odds with Mathews's ideals are bound to find him irritating, but open-minded readers will discover a charming polemicist. (Apr. 17)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Animal rights activist Mathews is the exuberant mastermind behind many of the audacious, headline-grabbing protests that have made PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) such an effective and controversial organization. And just as PETA's approach to raising awareness of scientific, agricultural, and industrial cruelty toward animals involves strategic high jinks, saucy irreverence, and shock tactics, Mathews, an "agitator by nature," mixes outrageous humor with dishy anecdotes and searing revelations to create a wildly entertaining memoir and a spirited overview of a serious social issue. Openly gay and steeled by the bullying he endured as a boy, Mathews has always felt empathy for animals. Initially a receptionist for PETA in 1985, he proved to be an outside-the-box thinker and daredevil protestor, possessed of as much charm as daring and, at six foot five, impressive good looks. Mathews has enlisted the likes of rockers Morrissey and Chrissie Hynde and sex symbol Pamela Anderson in the cause, and he has advocated and been arrested all over world. The force of his convictions and his love of life electrify every page. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 253 pages
• Publisher: Atria; First Edition edition (April 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743291875
• ISBN-13: 978-0743291873
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,620,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DAN ROCKS FOR THE ANIMALS!, April 26, 2007

By 

Laura F. (Encinitas, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Committed: A Rabble-Rouser's Memoir (Hardcover)

Dan's book is a trip! From his lonely childhood to his liaisons with celebrities, Dan takes you to all kinds of interesting places in his writings. He has turned his passion for animal rights into a career, using his gift of gab and endearing charm to enlighten so many people to have more compassion for animals. This book is a must-read. It is entertaining and fun, full of positive and upbeat experiences. Real men are kind to animals, and in my book, Dan is the man!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taking the world by storm, April 29, 2007

By 

Tim Martin (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Committed: A Rabble-Rouser's Memoir (Hardcover)

Born to a hurricane-seeking earth mother, Dan Mathews has become a force of nature, taking the world by storm with his out-of-the-box campaigns for PETA. Your take on his methods may vary, but you cannot argue with his results.

Committed is a delicious read, easy to digest with plenty of juicy nuggets, and a flavor that will linger in your gut as well as your mind. Told with an unbridled exuberance and a shameless animal magnetism, the book artfully assembles the jigsaw puzzle pieces that have naturally transformed a shy and ridiculed boy into literally the world's greatest stuntman.

From a mystery-shrouded meeting at the Vatican, to the raucous and raunchy Kid Rock's invitation to dance with him at a fancy Vienna ball, Mathews gaily takes us on a swashbuckling journey of heart, soul, courage, humor, creativity and cosmic karma. This globe-trotting veggie-bound vagabond takes the reader on a light-hearted journey that will leave you feeling the heart - and seeing the light.

Mathews doesn't apologize for his tactics; he has no need to. A Harvard case study proved that straight information is ignored, while sensationalism makes the nightly news. In our MTV sound-bite culture, Dan has found the recipe for getting the message heard - and acted upon. His personality and sincerity converted fashion icon Calvin Klein from a victim of Mathews' vandalism into a socializing buddy who has sworn off selling fur. Getting the message heard is sometimes the hardest part.

Dan uses wit and W.I.T. (whatever it takes) to get PETA's message heard, with some amazing results. Between his "800 pound gorilla" tactics and some fortuitous timing, he has made great strides both in the US and abroad, making conditions better for living creatures with four legs - and with two. He's a protector of all beings, a champion of fruits and vegetables with a paradigm-shifting sense of humor.

His compassion is both contagious and courageous. Here's the straight truth - few heterosexual men have the cajones of this homo-genius. And fewer still have the audacity and the ability to turn adversaries into allies. He's got the ingredients of a true hero - along with a life-sized sprinkling of pixie dust.

In a world where animals have become just so much collateral damage of our often self-destructive lifestyle choices, Dan Mathews has plenty of hard-won and bankable collateral for balancing the scales. For those floundering in a sea of moralistic hypocrisy and uncertainty, he flings a literary lifesaver, with a vibrant and inviting "Bite me - you'll be glad you did."

Committed is a gourmet dish for the humor, the heart, and the soul. It's a timely treatise (and treat) that reveals a great deal about the animal rights movement, and about our culture. And it's the unsweetened account of a true warrior in the movement, one with the battle scars to prove it. For sentient beings of all types, Dan would recommend "Live `til you're dead". This book will convince you that in an

hour-by-our world, Dan Mathews is truly an "every-single-minute man."

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dan is AMAZING!, April 17, 2007

By 

E. E. McCoy (New York City!) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Committed: A Rabble-Rouser's Memoir (Hardcover)

I started to read this book and couldn't put it down till I finished! I loved every chapter. Dan's amazing life has been so well lived and with such courage and conviction! I hope he writes another book down the road!