Subscribe

Join the aduki independent press mailing list to receive newsletters, updates on new releases and calls for submission.
aduki online
Making a Killing: the political economy of animal rights PDF Print
Monday, 04 February 2008
In Making a Killing, Torres begins by making some very valid points about the inconsistency with which we treat animals. The family dog is treated as a human, whereas animals reared to be killed for meat are treated as commodities.


The book discusses in detail the domination, power and hierarchy of humans over animals and Torres, a devout vegan, engages Marxists political theory and anarchist critique in his discussion, likening the exploitation of production animals to that of low paid labour forces. He makes a scathing assessment of the profit driven, bloated economy of meat producers and details the ever important bottom line over that of the welfare of both animals and workers. 

When it comes to the animal rights movement itself, Torres is no more gentle when claiming that most “contemporary animal activism…seems to miss the point”. He points out that the modern approach appears to be bargaining with meat producers for more humane treatment of livestock rather than addressing the root issue of raising animals for slaughter at all. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are rebuked for their endorsement of Temple Grandin, a woman who educates the industry in so-called “humane” food production. 

Torres is an academic at St. Lawrence University however the book tone remains accessible and not bogged down in academic jargon and theory. References to his beloved pets bring a personal touch to the argument he presents. The book can be purchased online from AK Press in the UK or US.  

Making a Killing: the political economy of animal rights
by Bob Torres
ISBN: 978-1-84614-028-0 | RRP US$17.95 | AK Press, 2007  

REVIEWED BY: aduki   

 
< Prev   Next >