Customer Reviews

Committed: A Rabble-Rouser's Memoir

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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!

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."

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!

Although this book contains plenty of information about animal rights, it's really different from what you might expect: Instead of the tedious sense of indignation and moral superiority you find in many activists, Mathews is all about having fun and thumbing his nose at the corporate social order in classic punk rock style. If the book weren't so witty and entertaining, it could be a textbook on how, with zero money but abundant ingenuity and humor, one person can create staggering positive changes in the world. Whether or not you agree with everything PETA stands for, you have to admire Mathews's playful exuberance, his selflessness and his commitment to improving the lives of animals, a horribly maltreated class of beings that need people like Mathews because they can't speak for or defend themselves.

Like any committed vegetarian (vegan during the week, a little fish on weekends), I have the usual books on my shelf: the Bible of the movement, Peter's Singer's "Animal Liberation," of course; plus "The Way We Eat," "The Pig Who Sang to the Moon," "The Food Revolution," "The Gospel of Food," Animals Rights," in other words the kinds of literature that omnivores might pass right by as holier-than-thou bores. That's where Dan Mathews comes in. He believes that the only way to get the veggie message across is to be entertaining. Didn't tens of thousands gather at Woodstock to hear the rock singers at least as much as to listen to antiwar speakers?

To persuade people to avoid fur coats, Dan Mathews-the author of the book-was committed to jail for a short time for an anti-fur demonstration. He with a small group of young men and women demonstrated in Harvard Square virtually nude, passing out leaflets for the cause amid a flurry of gawkers and TV reporters, explaining later that the only way to get media coverage is to go over-the-top: "We'd rather go naked than wear fur." No-one is interested in a peaceful demonstration of people holding dull placards and passing out brochures.

Mathews , who is campaign chief for America's best-known vegetarian organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has been openly gay since he was a kid, was picked up unmercifully-had rocks thrown at him and was beaten up regularly, thereby forming the basis of his theory that animals, like people, should be treated kindly. He has dressed regularly as a carrot, as a bunny, and has brought flair to what to thinking people should safely be called a civil rights movement, one for an oppressed group that does not speak the language of human beings and cannot therefore defend themselves.

Among the movies he touts, one scheduled for a 25th anniversary screening, is "The Animals Film," which pulls no punches in exposing the horrors concealed from the public within the meat-packing industry. His book, published in April 2007, is written clearly, can be read swiftly in a single sitting, and is a hip contribution to a most worthy cause.

He tells the funniest stories and he's always upbeat. Even though PETA deals with very serious issues, Dan is positive, optimistic, and lighthearted. His book made me laugh so hard that my sides hurt.

This book is hilarious! Even if Dan Matthews was writing a narrative about paper towels he could make you roll over laughing, but this memoir really has it all--celebrity gossip, personal drama, and you finish the book not only with sore stomach muscles from laughing so hard, but also with the feeling that you have learned about an important social issue that doesn't get enough attention from main stream media. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for an enjoyable way to learn how to make this world a better place.

This book reads like a series of short vignettes strung together into a story, but continually kept me amused and interested all the way throughout the book. It was not written from the pulpit of animal rights and certainly is entertaining whether you hunt, fish or wear plastic shoes. Dan is a humble guy for all he has experienced and known in his life. He is an underdog and certainly doesn't have any suits worth three dollars, let alone $3000.

If you don't have an axe to grind about the author, this is a great read, highly recommended, so read it before you review it!!!

I love a good activist story, so I bought the book. What a treat! It wasn't a "lecture" in any way, yet it really got me thinking about some of the choices I make. This guy is the real deal. Dan Mathews work makes it clear that all of us can make a difference, and collectively, if we all made even a small effort towards treating animals with compassion, the world would be a better place for all.

This book was so much more than I expected! I was interested to learn more about the life of a PETA insider, with this book I got that but also so much more; reads like a really fun and wild novel. Dan Mathews tells the fascinating story of his life with laugh out loud humor and eye popping detail. Makes me want to go out for drinks with him and learn more. Definely recommended for anyone desiring to read a great book - not just for us crazy vegans. ;-)