Lethal Laws: Animal Testing, Human Health and Environmental Policy [Hardcover]

Alix Fano (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1856494977 | ISBN-13: 978-1856494977 | Publication Date: December 15, 1997

For the last 150 years, industrial, agricultural and household chemicals have been tested on animals for the alleged purpose of protecting the public from their dangerous effects. Through a meticulous analysis of the technical and scientific problems that have plagued animal tests for decades, this book reveals that using animals as human surrogates is not only unethical, it is bad science.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Activist Fano has strong opinions on both animal testing and environmental damage, describing herself as "outraged" that such "heinous" activities can take place in a supposedly modern society. Lethal Laws, however, concentrates on science, not emotion. By taking a rational approach, Fano hopes to "convince skeptics to think critically," while helping activists become "informed and empowered." Emphasizing the often neglected connection between animal advocacy and environmental protection, Fano rightly points out that anyone who considers themselves a lover of the environment must respect the animal life that is part of it. She gives detailed accounts of the various toxicity tests laboratory animals undergo, then sets out to show that such tests could be performed more quickly, cheaply and effectively by using newly developed in vitro methods. As the abbreviations and footnotes pile up, the book takes on the tone of a research journal written for?and read by?specialists. Fano does provide helpful guidelines on specific new technologies and includes a how-to guide for activists wanting to take on companies that rely on animal testing. But as for her goal of eradicating the "professional disagreement, bureaucratic inertia, and political maneuvering within the scientific and regulatory communities," this book won't attract the number of readers necessary to spark public outrage about current testing methods.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Fano, currently coordinator for the Medical Research Modernization Committee in New York, holds a master's degree in urban and environmental policy. Her book addresses a major ethical concern for medical researchers worldwide, and her tone throughout is urgent without being strident, an especially difficult feat considering her passion for this topic. The main thrust of her argument is that animal testing is seriously flawed for use as a way to determine whether a compound or procedure is safe or effective for humans. She presents a very balanced view of the issues until her concluding chapters, which provide two scenarios to resolve the situation. (She prefers that animal testing be eliminated entirely.) This is an excellent resource for background material that avoids the mistake previous works have made by steering clear of graphic depictions of animal testing. Recommended for all animal welfare/animal rights collections.?Alicia C. Graybill, Lincoln City Libs., Neb.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Zed Books (December 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1856494977
• ISBN-13: 978-1856494977
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,832,815 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alix Fano is a New York based writer, policy-maker, environmental advocate and green schools campaigner with a specialty in media and strategic communications. She is a contributing author to Redesigning Life: The Worldwide Challenge to Genetic Engineering (Zed Books, 2000, and sole author of Lethal Laws: Animal Testing, Human Health and Environmental Policy - a critique of federal animal-based toxicology programs (Zed/St. Martin's Press, 1997). Fano holds a Master's degree in Urban and Environmental Policy. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Ecologist, British Medical Journal, The Lancet, and the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, among others. She has been a guest on national and international radio and television programs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great well-documented reference guide., April 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Lethal Laws: Animal Testing, Human Health and Environmental Policy (Paperback)

In "Lethal Laws," author Alix Fano does an excellent job presenting the scientific argument against animal testing and how it affects us and the environment. It is an eye-opener filled with facts. This book is thoroughly footnoted, and often times let vivisectors contradict themselves. This is one of those books showing the opposition biting their own tongues. "Lethal Laws" is a reference guide which you can refer to from time to time. It is a great idea to read the book several times because of the need to absorb all of the information. I highly recommend this book for activists and non-activists alike. This book will be another "Silent Spring."