Making Kind Choices: Everyday Ways to Enhance Your Life Through Earth- and Animal-Friendly Living [Paperback]

Ingrid Newkirk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 23, 2004

Choosing a compassionate lifestyle that makes you feel good and positively impacts on the environment and on animals has never been easier. In this practical and accessible handbook, loaded with resources for all products that are mentioned, Ingrid Newkirk presents fabulous options that will not only enhance your life, but those of your neighbors, your community, animals, and the earth itself.

From comfortable home furnishings, to delicious foods, to fashionable clothing there are a myriad of choices to be made that can have a lasting positive effect on the well-being of animals and the environment, including:

- recognizing hidden animal ingredients in cosmetics and household products
- raising ecologically aware and animal-friendly kids
- creating healthy, environmentally-friendly meals for everyday and special occasions
- dressing with style without using leather or other animal products
- dealing kindly with mice, insects, and other 'pests' in home or garden
- adopting the right animal companion for you
- volunteering and investing in eco- and animal-friendly companies
- traveling with Eco-consciousness

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

If the term animal-friendly living conjures up only images of eating nothing but bland vegetarian casseroles and wearing dowdy cloth coats instead of sumptuous full-length furs, then this practical, comprehensive handbook will go a long way toward dispelling these popular misconceptions by enlightening readers about the many simple ways in which more environmentally aware and cruelty-free behaviors can be incorporated into everyday routines. Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), brings nearly a quarter-century of involvement in the animal awareness movement to bear as she addresses such diverse issues as home decoration, food preparation, vacation destinations, and childhood education. Brief but informative chapters provide a thorough overview of a wide array of topics, supported by specific tips and instructions, and conclude with helpful contact information for additional resources. For the dedicated practitioner looking for additional ways to act upon his or her beliefs or for the beginner contemplating adopting such a lifestyle, Newkirk shows how easily such conscientious choices can be made. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"As this book explores, acts of kindness, even in the simplest ways, are what make our lives meaningful, bringing happiness to ourselves and others."
- The Dalai Lama

"This powerful book offers easy ways to make your compassionate mark on the world."
- Moby

"Ingrid Newkirk's wonderful new book is about us - about how in a world so violent and cruel, there is no way to pretend we're kind people unless we extend our kindness to those who are the most innocent and helpless."
- Bill Maher, host of "Real Time with Bill Maher"

"Ingrid Newkirk's book shows us practical ways to foster compassion towards animals. She is a true teacher."
- Martin Sheen

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (December 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312329938
• ISBN-13: 978-0312329938
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #986,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ingrid E. Newkirk, 56, author of the book Making Kind Choices (St. Martin's, January 2005), is founder and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the largest animal rights organization in the world.

Her campaigns to promote cruelty-free living have made the front pages of The Washington Post and other national newspapers. She was named a top business people of the year in Forbes magazine, and has been profiled in The New Yorker and twice in People Magazine. She has appeared on The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King, Politically Incorrect, Crossfire, Nightline, 60 Minutes and 20/20 among others and enjoys a lively debate and the opportunity to show how easy it is to make animal-friendly choices.

Newkirk has spoken internationally on animal protection issues, from the steps of the Canadian Parliament to the streets of New Delhi, India, where she spent her childhood. She is the author of numerous opinion pieces and articles on the social implications of our treatment of animals and helped to pass the first anti-cruelty law in Taiwan. She is currently campaigning to end the live flaying of lambs for Australian Merino wool.

Ms. Newkirk served as a deputy sheriff; as a Maryland state law enforcement officer for 32 years; she has been director of cruelty investigations for the second oldest humane society in the U.S.; and serves in an advisory capacity on numerous animal protection boards. In 1980, she was named Washingtonian of the Year, and has since received many other accolades and awards, including a 1995 Courage of Conscience Award, a 2001 Animal Protection Hall of Fame Award, 2002 Living Legacy Award and 2004 Activist of the Year Awards.

Ingrid Newkirk achieved the passage of legislation to create a spay/neuter clinic in Washington, D.C., coordinated the first arrest in U.S. history of a scientist on cruelty to animals charges and helped pass into law the first anti-cruelty law in Taiwan. She spearheaded the closure of Department of Defense underground 'wound laboratory,' and has initiated many other campaigns against animal abuse, including ending General Motors' crash tests on animals.

She is the author of several other books, including 'You Can Save the Animals!', 'PETA's Celebrity Cookbook' and '250 Ways to Make Your Cat Adore You.'

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cruelty-free living just got easier!, February 3, 2005

By 

Mark Hawthorne (Rohnert Park, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Making Kind Choices: Everyday Ways to Enhance Your Life Through Earth- and Animal-Friendly Living (Paperback)

Avoiding animal products, buying Fair Trade and shade-grown coffee, donating an unwanted fur, investing in socially responsible companies, and volunteering at an animal sanctuary are just a few of the subjects you'll find in Ingrid Newkirk's latest book. The president and cofounder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Newkirk eloquently bridges the gap between John Q. Public and the animal protectionist or staunch environmentalist, creating a user-friendly guidebook for integrating compassion into our daily lives.

The book is organized into ten parts: Home and Garden, Fashion and Beauty, Food and Entertaining, Recreation and Vacations, Animals in the Home, Children and Family, Business and Education, Health, Volunteering and Getting Active, and Celebrations. Each section is filled with short chapters that explore the topics in more detail. "Home and Garden," for example, addresses decorating and furnishing your home using cruelty-free products; finding cleaning solutions that are eco- and animal-friendly; and using humane methods to deal with insects, mice, and other uninvited creatures. The chapters are supported by a list of resources that should help answer just about any "But how do I...?" question. Of course, there are also plenty of simple vegan recipes -- even for making your own vegan dog and cat food.

Although PETA (now in its 25th year) is well known for their often-shocking and controversial campaigns, "Making Kind Choices" prudently relies instead on stories from a wide variety of voices, from engaged activists and international celebrities to everyday people just trying to make the world a better place. Whether you want to learn more about the vegan lifestyle, how to rescue an injured animal on the road, where to invest ethically, which charities do not test on animals, what goes into planning a compassionate wedding, or anything in between, I think you'll agree the modest price of this book is money very well spent indeed.

Mark Hawthorne, author of Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Read, Useful Information! Don't miss this one., April 16, 2005

By 

Shirley Priscilla Johnson "Author/Reviewer -... (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Making Kind Choices: Everyday Ways to Enhance Your Life Through Earth- and Animal-Friendly Living (Paperback)

I loved this book; it is an outstanding read. What's it about? It is about making choices in your daily living that are unselfish. What could be better than that?
This book is packed full of information that you can use in daily living, information that gives you the inside scoop of just what is in certain products? How are animals really treated? Why does it help to drink organic coffee? Just to name a very few.

The information in this book is about our everyday living and understanding the responsibility that we have to live in unity with all of life on our planet. It is not written in a condemning way, but instead brings great understanding as to why we should respect life in all forms. It is also filled with alternatives, meals that are made with healthy foods, that not only improve our bodies but are animal friendly. Cleaning supplies that do the job but do not hurt the environment or those who live in it. I found that to be very refreshing and informative.

The author also gives a very in-depth listing of animal ingredients that we can look for in products we eat and use and alternatives for them. She gives names and addresses of companies that sell products or foods that are friendly to our world.
Great! I want you to understand that this is just not another book tearing you apart for eating animal flesh or using animal products. No, it's a book of information, one that is a real eye opener; and it is written in a very easy to understand way.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. I intend to keep it handy so I may refer to it time and time again. I'm also going to make some life changes, I believe for the better. Pick this one up and read what you may not know. I really believe it will make a difference in your life. Great book! Great read

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars New insight, September 23, 2005

By 

Lavanya R - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making Kind Choices: Everyday Ways to Enhance Your Life Through Earth- and Animal-Friendly Living (Paperback)

I have been a vegetarian all my life and have stopped using animal products (tested or material) for a decade or more. And still this book gave me ideas about plenty of more things to do to make my commitment more valuable to earth and me. One of the few 'How to' books that actually gets you started. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is considering becoming animal and earth friendly in their daily lives. I would also recommend Karen Logan's Clean House, Clean Planet for the people who are specifically looking for eco-friendly non-toxic house keeping tips