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Ethics Into Action: Henry Spira and the Animal Rights Movement

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Ethics Into Action is not only a book about Henry Spira's life and the animal rights movement, it is a detailed guide for fighting injustice. Spira, founder of Animal Rights International, is best known for his campaign to end animal testing in the cosmetics industry. His 1980 full page New York Times ad against Revlon's blinding of rabbits was the catalyst that created public outrage against animal testing and led to protests and over 20,000 letters and calls into the company's headquarters. Spira's efforts were responsible for the "cruelty-free" labeling found on many cosmetics today.

In the mid-80s, Spira tackled farm animal issues and was responsible for stopping industry-wide ritual slaughter practices. Fully conscious cattle, weighing up to 2,000 pounds, were shackled, hoisted into the air, and hung upside down by one leg until they were slaughtered. Spira also abolished the USDA practice of branding Mexican cattle on the face. His powerful, full-page newspaper advertisements created such a public outcry that face branding was discontinued. By the 90's, his focus turned to major food producers and fast food chains such as McDonalds, Perdue and KFC. Not only did he fight for more humane treatment of animals who were oftentimes raised in such crowded conditions they could not turn around or stretch their legs, he fought for better conditions for underpaid factory workers.

What many people might not realize is that Henry Spira lived his beliefs. Not only did he believe animals should be treated ethically, he believed his opponents should be treated with an ethical fairness missing in most activism today. He did not believe in pointing fingers or blaming corporations for the wrongs they inflicted on animals; he worked to find realistic solutions that benefited both sides. He convinced companies to fund their own research into finding alternatives to animal testing, and he pressured the government into changing its guidelines on product testing. This realistic and intelligent approach is the reason Spira was so successful.

The author, Pete Singer, is an eminent philosopher who started the animal rights movement in the 70's with his best-selling book Animal Liberation. Spira was a pupil of Singer's in a 1974 ethics course, and the two eventually went on to found the International Coalition for Farm Animals.

Unfortunately, Henry Spira recently passed away after a long bout with cancer. But he will live on in every person and animal who benefited from his work, and he will be remembered as a man who lived simply and knew the true meaning of success. Ethics Into Action details how Spira carried out each of his campaigns and gives each of us the blueprint to follow in his footsteps. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to right an injustice or wants to see exactly how one person can make a difference.

Being persuaded about animal rights for some time now, I have been looking for ideas on how to get active. This book provides lots of ideas and is an inspiring portrait of an attractive and committed person. It is also very readable - I read it early into the morning until I finished it.

Spira's activism was highly intelligent, practical, strategic and committed to the long term - he is a hero of the animal rights movement.

This is a well written (as all of peter singers books are) book about the life of Henry. He accomplishes hiis goals because he never lets down. He shows us that the best way to make a change is to work with the people you are trying to change, not against them. This makes perfect sense but most of us do not practice it. Well done and worth a read especiially if you want to be an activist.

Peter Singer is the father of the animal rights movement. His relationship with Henry Spira is at the heart of this significant book.These two men have done more for animals than any other humans, and this is the story of how they did it. Spira is an inspirational human being who has devoted his life to liberating animals from bogus and cruel laboratory experiemnts. His style, his wit, and his insights are sprinkled throughout this readable biography. Ethics into Action is destined to be a classic. It's a must read for anyone who cares about animals.

Another wonderful book! You changed our thinking and our lives 18 years ago with 'Animal Liberation.' We owe our health and happy lives to you. If the animals could talk, they would say, 'Thank you, Peter.' We hope everyone will take what you have written in this book and put it to good use.

This book is truly amazing. It is a very exciting book to read, and the enthusiasm of Henry Spira can not help to rub off on your own life. Peter Singer has done an excellent job of giving the reader an easy to access look into the life of a man who inspired thousands of people to think more about all forms of suffering for all types of animals.

Thank you for such an amazing book! It is a must read for anyone involved in activism. It shares a lifetime of wisdom. Enjoy!

Peter Singer's "Ethics Into Action" is a must read for every activist -- no matter what your area of activism. Dr. Singer relates how one person, Henry Spira, made a difference for animals. We have all at one time or another pondered "how can I, one person, make a difference in this world?" Read how Henry Spira made a positive impact, again and again, and you will begin to believe that one person can perhaps make a change for the better, whatever one's cause may be. Henry Spira is truly an inspiration. It is ironic that Peter Singer who many years ago inspired and motivated Henry Spira to forge ahead in fighting for a good cause, now many years later writes a powerful, illuminating book on how Henry Spira did just that and instigated major changes for animals along the way, again and again . The path has never been easy, but this one man has moved some big stones going down the path. Henry has influenced society's view regarding animals at large and has had a major impact on how certain corporations treat and regard animals. Whether one agrees with his philosophy or not, one cannot but admire Henry for going down this difficult route and making changes for the better along the way. Whatever your cause, Henry's story will change how you think and what you think. You will believe that you too, one person, can make a difference, whatever your cause. Read the book...make a difference. Push the peanut forward.

I recommend this book to anyone who is passionate about animal rights, or any other cause for that matter. It tells an inspiring story of how one everyday person can make a big difference. It lays out practical guidelines to follow when trying to make a change for the better in society. It is inspiring and an easy read. After reading it I wanted to get all my friends to read it! It's a book to share.

The story of Henry himself is amazing enough, but this wonderful book is even more than that. Weaved into the life story of Henry are the stories of so many other people.

There are those who are not as famous but nonethless critical to all the achievements, like the donors who supported Henry, like the volunteers who handled the daily work, like Henry's advisors who turned his idea into concrete actions, like the numerous individuals who gave followed his call to write letters or picket or take any other action.

Then there are also those sincere and good people who is not in the "movement". There is Senator Lombardi who gave Henry a fair hearing, and Roger Shelley from Revlon who believed there is a win-win solution, and Susan Fowler of 'Lab Animal' who interviewed Henry the anti-vivisectionist.

And then there are also those who are apparently on the side of the "movement" but cared more about themselves. There are the researchers who abuse money donated by people and industry, and there are groups who seem to care more about getting people's donation and their personal glory than helping victims.

And then there are people who seem to really believe that everything on earth are just for their personal gain. From the hideous boss of NMU to the cat-vivisectionist Aronson, from "tough" guy Frank Purdue to the more scheming Leon Hirsch.

There is such a rich spectrum of people in this book, it is worth reading even if you don't agree with anything else from Peter Singer.

There are also many hilarious stories. The visit of congressman Koch to the cat experiment lab, the "biological fluid collection units", and the story about the super comdom for the chicken-in-a-comdom ad.

This book is definitely worth reading, and not just once. Each time I turned the pages and got to the part where Henry told the author that he's got the cancer, my heart sank like a rock. Oh, no, not him, not so early, please. I really wish Henry is still with us today, the whole world might be a different place.

This book is a must read for activists everywhere, whether their goal is animal liberation or other forms of social change. It inspires by describing numerous successful campaigns undertaken on behalf of animals and, more importantly, shows what steps were taken in order for those campaigns to be successful. Henry Spira serves as living proof that the individual can make a positive difference in the world.