The Use of Animals in Higher Education: Problems, Alternatives, & Recommendations [Mass Market Paperback]

Jonathan Balcombe (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Humane Society Press; 1st edition (June 30, 2000)
• ISBN-10: 0965894215
• ISBN-13: 978-0965894210
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,194,538 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in England, raised in New Zealand and Canada, and have lived in the United States since 1987. I studied biology in Toronto and Ottawa before earning a PhD in ethology (animal behavior) from the University of Tennessee, studying communication in bats. My career has been focused mainly on animal protection. I have worked for several non-profit organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, as well as a for-profit company, Immersion Medical. I have written many scientific papers and lay-articles on animal behavior, animal research, and humane education. Recently, I decided to leave traditional office life, and now work as a private consultant. My services include writing for lay- and academic-audiences, public speaking, editing, and creative input. And, of course, I write books! In addition to the three you see featured here, I have another scheduled for publication by the University of California Press around September, 2010. It is titled Exultant Ark: A Pictorial Tour of Animal Pleasure, and it features stunning photos of animals in pleasurable situations. In my new consulting capacity I am preparing to teach a course (Jan - March 2010) called Animal Behavior, Animal Minds and Animal Protection, for Humane Society University. I also teach soccer clinics to young children aged three to seven. In addition to my professional work, I enjoy biking, wilderness, kayaking, piano (especially Bach), painting, travel, vegan cooking and baking, and reading (preferably with a cat on my lap). I have two websites, www.jonathanbalcombe.com, and www.pleasurablekingdom.com, where (among other things) I post upcoming media and speaking engagements, and occasional musings.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much on Secondary Education Also!, April 28, 2001

By 

Patty Finch (Arizona. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Use of Animals in Higher Education: Problems, Alternatives, & Recommendations (Mass Market Paperback)

The Use of Animals in Higher Education is well-researched and annotated and international in scope, with a primary focus on the US. It addresses secondary education as strongly as higher education, with quite a focus on elementary education as well.

After reading it, one is left wondering how the practice of dissection, in particular, has survived in our schools for this long. Every possible justification for dissection is held up, examined and found to be fatally flawed. Objections to dissection are also detailed, some that many may have never considered before, such as the dangers of formaldehyde exposure. The author points out that one school, at least, is now well aware of that danger: Mt. Saint Mary College, New York was fined $20,000 for various violations of OSHA standards, including exposing employees to formaldehyde and infectious substances.

Of course, the primary objections to dissection remain: 1) the way animals are obtained and how they are killed, the lack of educational justification for these deaths and, in the case of wildlife, the impact on the environment; and 2) the effect that dissection has on the students' values and reverence for life, their attitudes toward biological studies and their career choices.

For me, the most poignant section was that describing "procurement and animal suffering." The description of the animal suffering at Carolina Biological Supply Company was particularly disturbing and disheartening. Replacements for dissection are now plentiful, as the author makes clear, and being used successfully. Studies comparing student achievement show that students using these replacements score as high or higher than those learning via dissection, with only one dissenting study.

Also powerful is a look at the sociological issues, especially germane when schools need to be doing all that they can to send the message that compassion and kindness matter in today's world. It is time to get rid of the "die section" at schools.

Dissection is not the sole focus of this book. Also addressed are replacement alternatives to the use of live animals in education. The author cites the successful use of alternatives in all levels of education, including veterinary schools and medical schools. Many readers will be surprised to learn that about half of all the 126 U.S. medical schools -including such prestigious institutions as Mayo, Harvard, Columbia, and Yale -now have no live-animal laboratories.

There is also good information in the book regarding the use of animals in elementary and secondary education, including a look at science fairs and laws and policies.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There's a better way to teach science, February 12, 2001

By 

Catherine Faver (Knoxville, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Use of Animals in Higher Education: Problems, Alternatives, & Recommendations (Mass Market Paperback)

Balcombe's book is thoroughly researched, clear and concise. He shows how the use of animals in higher education entails and fosters animal abuse, impedes the ethical development of students, and is ineffective and counterproductive in teaching science. All this is a great contribution, but there's more. He also describes humane alternatives and makes specific recommendations that will improve science education and eliminate much animal suffering. I'm using this book in a course on "animal and human welfare," and I highly recommend it!