Steven M. Wise, J.D., has practiced animal law for over twenty years and has taught at the Harvard, Vermont, and John Marshall law schools. He is President of the centre for the Expansion of Fundamental Rights, which he founded in 1995. The author of Rattling the Cage, praised by Cass Sunstein as "an impassioned, fascinating, and in many ways startling book" (New York Times Book Review), and Drawing the Line, which Nature called "provocative and disturbing," he has been profiled nationally by such publications as the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Time magazine.
A pioneer in the field of animal rights law and author of Rattling the Cage, Wise has written yet another groundbreaking book a page-turner for anyone even remotely interested in the legal status of nonhuman animals. He has devised a taxonomy that allows him (and us) to consider whether an animal possesses self-awareness and has mental abilities, desires, and intentions that resemble those of humans. Using this tool, Wise studies various species, including African Grey parrots, dogs, chimpanzees, dolphins, and even human children to determine whether they are entitled to recognition as legal persons with rights and dignity. His conclusions are based on observation, experiments, and the thinking of such well-known ethologists and neuroscientists as Roger Fouts, Irene Pepperberg, Donald Griffin, and Antonio Damasio. The result is a provocative and solidly grounded book. Essential for all libraries. Peggie Partello, Keene State Coll. Lib., NH Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Whether or not one accepts Wise's premise that certain animal species meet the law's criteria for personhood, his book is a fascinating examination of animal behavior and intelligence. Crammed with data, case studies and reports from the field, it engages the reader in a thoughtful debate about the place of animals in a world dominated by humans. Not only does Wise (Rattling the Cage) know how to build a logical argument for legal rights for some animals, he also knows how to tell a good story. From early morning forays in Ugandan mountain forests, where he observes the complex behavior and social structure of chimpanzees, to the MIT Media Lab, where he chronicles the astounding mental agility of its resident parrot-scholar, Alex, Wise strengthens his case and intrigues the reader with his tales. The narrative includes creatures both exotic (the loving family groups of elephants in Kenya) and common (our beloved companion dogs) and there's even the occasional animal celebrity (Wise visits Koko the gorilla and her teacher, Penny Patterson, and has a somewhat stilted but still very incredible conversation with the primate). Readers who have in the past dismissed the arguments for animal rights as trivial or foolish may not be persuaded to the opposite view, but they will find some of their assumptions strongly challenged. For those who already champion animal rights, this book will further convince them of their just cause. (June) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
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