Animal Rights in The Books Store

The landscapes of violence have become too familiar, too close to home. Despite decades of scientific research, we are only beginning to understand the roots of violence that connect child maltreatment, spouse and partner abuse, and aggression in our neighborhoods and communities.

Cruelty to animals is often part of these landscapes of violence-at times, a strong link to destructive interpersonal relationships. Research on this link has recently received increased attention. However, the layperson, student, and professional interested in this link often face the daunting task of locating the critical references in this area of inquiry.

In a brisk, readable narrative, The Longest Struggle traces the campaigns of animal rights pioneers such as Henry Spira, Alex Hershaft, and Ingrid Newkirk, as well as leaders who have come more recently on the scene, such as Heidi Prescott, Karen Davis, and Bruce Friedrich.

Always grounding his story in its historical setting, Phelps describes the counterattack that the animal abuse industries launched in the 1990s and analyzes the controversies that have roiled the movement almost from the beginning, including "national groups vs. grass roots," "abolitionists vs. new welfareists," and activists who favor arson and intimidation vs. those who support only peaceful, legal forms of protest. The Longest Struggle concludes with an overview of current campaigns and tactics, and an assessment of the state of the movement as we enter a new century, including the threat represented by an overzealous "war on terror".

Sleek, stealthy, powerful, and beautiful, the tiger has always evoked awe, fear, and utter fascination. Once undisputed lord of vast stretches of Asia, India, and Indonesia, the tiger now stalks a sadly diminished realm, despite the best efforts of dedicated conservationists all over the world. Some strains are extinct; all are threatened. But, as this dramatic volume demonstrates, the species has lost none of its mesmerizing appeal.

Glorying in more than 100 stunning full-color photographs, The Year of the Tiger combines the talents of two gifted, knowledgeable men: National Geographic veteran Michael "Nick" Nichols, who has been described as the Indiana Jones of photography, and writer Geoffrey Ward, a tiger admirer ever since his youth in India. Together, they have created an engrossing, unforgettable portrait of this magnificent creature, featuring many images of tigers in the wild never before captured on film.

Here are arresting visions from Southeast Asia and Siberia, along with remarkable and unprecedented photographs that reveal the hidden life of an Indian tigress, named Sita, and her cubs. Over a period of two years, Nichols visited the tigers, documenting Sita's unflagging efforts to feed and safeguard her young. To obtain his extraordinary shots, Nichols tracked the tigers on elephant-back through rough terrain and more than once risked his life to bring back a unique record of their lives.

Here too is a gallery of tigers in captivity, heartbreaking in its juxtaposition with their wild brethren. For whether they're entertaining Las Vegas crowds or living in the relative security of a first-rate zoo, these are animals who have lost -- or never learned -- the skills that would allow them to survive in the wild. And yet they too have inherited all the majesty and wonder that mark their breed -- and may perhaps be the last, best hope for the most endangered of today's great cats.