Book Review: Thanking the Monkey

Published in April of this year, it seeks to inform the reader about animal exploitation, while at the same time clarifying the false assumption that the animal rights movement is radical and unreasonable. While Thanking the Monkey is Karen Dawn's first solo book, her essays can be found in Terrorists or Freedom Fighters: Reflections on the Liberation of Animals, and In Defense of Animals: The Second Wave. She is also the founder of "DawnWatch", a website designed to spark animal advocacy by alerting viewers to news coverage of animal issues.

Thanking the Monkey reveals a large number of issues, giving the reader some insight into the practices of each animal-exploitation industry. Using her clever sense of humor, Karen introduces each issue with a broad overview, and although she occasionally offers her opinion, her stance on animal cruelty is well thought-out and logical. She effectively uses excerpts from articles and other publications to paint a picture of some typical acts of animal cruelty. The book also offers several celebrity photos, along with quotes, and the humorous cartoons support the content of the text.

As an intern recently starting out in the animal rights movement, I decided to purchase Thanking the Monkey after hearing Karen read an excerpt from it at the "Their Lives Our Voices" conference in Minneapolis. It is the first book on the subject that I have read, and I am truly happy that I did. It provided me with valuable information, allowing me to develop informed opinions on the issues. It also opened my eyes to a number of issues of which I wasn't previously aware. Thanking the Monkey is a must-read for anyone looking to learn more about animal rights, and for all those who love animals.

Book review by Beth Martin