Vivisection or Science?: An Investigation into Testing Drugs and Safeguarding Health [Paperback]

Pietro Croce (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 185649733X | ISBN-13: 978-1856497336 | Publication Date: February 12, 2000 | Edition: 2

As the stream of hi-tech drugs continues to multiply and a huge number of animals are used in medical experiments, debate continues about reliable methods for biomedical research and their adequacy in protecting human health from new products and procedures. In this book, a leading Italian medical researcher concludes, after years of himself practicing animal experimentation and vivisection, that the traditional reliance on these techniques is scientifically misplaced. Now available in a completely revised and updated English edition, Dr. Croce's classic work constitutes a powerful argument. He documents with a wealth of fascinating detail precisely how the scientific anti-vivisection movement has constructed a rational case, as opposed to a sentimental or ethical argument. He highlights the increasing dangers to human health resulting from the animal experimenters' assumption that the biological systems of humans and other species are sufficiently similar for valid biomedical comparison. And for the medical researcher, he provides an introduction to the range of alternative methods, including epidemiological research, computer simulation and in vitro techniques.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Croce's book is not only a classic, but also a work of courage. Dr. Andre Menache, President, Doctors and Lawyers for Responsible Medicine

Language Notes

Text: English
Original Language: Italian --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Zed Books; 2 edition (February 12, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 185649733X
• ISBN-13: 978-1856497336
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,128,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Irrefutable Proof That Vivisection Does Not And Can Not Work, January 31, 2000

By 

JACK TANIS - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vivisection or Science?: An Investigation into Testing Drugs and Safeguarding Health (Hardcover)

Taking the much needed and long awaited leap across the philosophical quagmire, the distinguished physician and professor Pietro Croce objectively refutes -- not merely rebuts -- the archaic yet blindly accepted dictum that animal experimentation, or vivisection, has benefited humankind or has advanced medical progress and practise. Croce provides, in accessible explanations, all the factual, proven evidence necessary to expose vivisection as an outright scientific fraud, an inherently flawed and erroneous methodology, based on false premises and illogical reasoning. This book incontrovertibly demonstrates both how and why vivisection is a tragic medical and scientific failure that harms, not helps, both persons and animals alike, and debunks all claims to the contrary as so much smoke and mirrors. Proceeding a step further, Croce shows that vivisection, being bad science, has compromised rather than contributed to medical knowledge and understanding, resulting in the diametrical opposite of what proponents of animal experimentation espouse. One myth after another is dispelled, clearly and calmly, until vivisection is laid bare as the regressive failure it is and always has been. Finally, the book reveals exactly and precisely what constitutes legitimate and genuinely scientific biomedical research, study and enquiry, and how these and only these have brought about all that is of value in medicine. Charted is a detailed and rational course to pursue now and in future for the betterment of all humankind, absent from which is experimenting upon animals.

5.0 out of 5 stars The No.2 book that still refutes vivisection, February 26, 2010

By 

Chris Jackson (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vivisection or Science?: An Investigation into Testing Drugs and Safeguarding Health (Hardcover)

I bought this book over a year or more ago and it was quite good. Reading it again was better because more of the information is "coming out" of the book now.
It is extremely rare one may read about former vivisectors admitting their mistake in believing vivisection or "animal research" helps humans, because they tend not to let them speak out about it. And when they do, their voice is never carried by the media.
I've only ever come across moral or ethical arguments that were said to come from other vivisectors, but these tend to be from animal technicians (the assistants of vivisectors who look after the animals before they are experimented on and also afterwards as they develop the medicaments the actual vivisector inflicts on the animal(s) used).

The book cover may look graphical, but its the only graphical photo that can be seen anywhere on or in the book. The rest is information, no graphics.

Pietro Croce actually talks about his experiences as a vivisector and doesn't hold back on his findings. The "graphical" stuff is left out for the faint hearted, ethics, morals are also left out. For this I am glad, not because I may be seen as "cold" or lack of emotion, but details on why vivisection is misleading on the scientific level, (because some of the public keep thinking its merely an animal cruelty case when they don't realize they are the test subjects at the end of those vivisections or "research").
Morals, ethics are used against the public to throw you off or reduce the argument so vivisectors just carry on doing what they do without being challenged, people stay conned into thinking it at least works in some way and more people suffer from it in the process. In a way I can see why people think "At least some of it has helped". But then they have never looked into the differences. From the minute to the complex Pietro Croce explains how the differences can make all the difference indeed.

The author gradually goes into detail about first how he was a vivisector, the research he did, how it began to "fall apart" when he tried to understand it, then some examples of failures, comparisons, the flaw on alternatives to animal research (because "alternative" is actually another misleading word). Some examples of why human vivisection does not work, more details into the research that vivisectors do such as explanations on the cells types they use (this can get complex which is why one takes notes and reads these books a few times to get it all down).

I really want to go further to explain it but its best to read the book and I am still taking notes. The author mentioned things vivisectionists are too shy to mention (or don't yet know about). You could say he understands them, well he was one.

At the end of the day if you want to get an inside view of vivisection, animal research, how vivisectors think, why they believe in what they do based on their own version of science, the details in their works, then this is the book for you. Notes are also presented within the book for referencing.