fertiliser and even fuel. Although an excellent source of information, like The Gaia Alias of Planet Management (reviewed in the Summer 1985 issue of The Vegan), the Encyclopedia is flawed from an ethical standpoint, assuming as it does that the natural world is somehow ours to be 'managed'. Whilst even enlightened environmentalists propagate this view is there really much hope that the proverbial 'man in the street' will look upon animals as anything more than sources of food, clothing and entertainment? • Paul Appleby
KILL OR CURE iiiliii ? / s IVroleof the ptamarstacH SK&acy In society James Crawford
Kill or Cure? James Crawford Arc Print £2.25 Pbk This booklet pulls no punches in its exposure of profitorientated pharmaceutical companies. Numerous in-text quotes and references indicate extensive research and lend authority to the points made. The reader discovers the sinister world of supposedly 'new' drags, 'me too' drugs, the non-existence of safe drags, the Third World connection, animal experiments and widespread corruption. Drags and their creators are listed and the adverse drag reaction (ADRs) monitoring system is shown to be inadequate. Infamous names such as Thalidomide and Opren, as well as the lesser-known, are covered, along with the relationships between vested interests and governments, and much more. Powerful, eye-opening stuff. • Ian Thompson The Vegan, Summer J 988
Mmc Shoont THIS LAND IS OC R LAND rV.Qntfjfr
This Land is Our Land Marion Shoard Paladin/Grafton Books £5.95 P b k You might think that if you choose to stop your car, and then to wander along the edge of that enticing river or over those lonely blue peaks, or picnic in that quiet wood, you are free to do so. In general, you would be wrong. You might also think that should the owner of an area designated as a 'Site of Special Interest' (due to its unique characteristics as a home for rare plants and animals) decide to destroy that habitat by draining it, ploughing it up, or covering it in a regimented conifer plantation, this would not be allowed to happen. Again, you would be wrong. This meticulously researched and passionately written book cuts away some of the secrecy and fallacies surrounding the land of Britain. The conclusion is that this land most definitely is not our land, and that very powerful interests exist to ensure that this situation continues. The book charts the gradual erosion over the past 1000 years of the right of the British people to have access to the land. It also describes in detail the lack of control we have over the detrimental activities of landowners, who have tended to be motivated by three obsessions— wealth, power, and privacy. The inadequacies of Government bodies and legislation with respect to the protection of and access to the countryside are exposed, along
with the deleterious effects of the Common Agricultural Policy. Finally, Ms Shoard examines various possible solutions to the problems and proposes a tax on land to replace the current, often conflicting, haphazard array of state controls, grants, and subsidies, etc., plus a 'Right of Access' Act, to open up Britain's countryside to us all. This fascinating and wellwritten book ought to be read by all those concerned about the fate of Britain's countryside, which should be all of us. Unfortunately, at nearly 600 pages, it may not get the audience it deserves. A shorter, less academic, volume would have been more accessible and thus more likely to succeed in bringing the current unsatisfactory situation to the attention of the general public. • Diane Roberts
K K |
MARK
GOLD
LIVING WITHOUT CRUELTY
•mwli •
Rtcipts by SARAH BROWN
Living Without Cruelty M a r k Gold Green Print/Marshall Pickering £4.95 Pbk As its author admits, this book is principally animal-orientated — its central core being vegetarianism because he believes that an understanding
of the bloodshed underlying meat-eating is essential to the quest for a less violent and more rational future. Part One begins with an informative and readable account of the rearing and slaughter of farm animals. It then moves on to extol the health benefits of a vegetarian/ vegan diet and to highlight the effects of hormones and antibiotics on humans and nonhumans alike. A section on reducing consumption of dairy produce is included. The author then traces the links between vegetarianism and Third World hunger, vivisection, the environment, alternative medicine, clothing, animals in entertainment, pets, cosmetics and household products, and concludes with a vegetarian shopper's guide. Part Two consists of vegan recipes supplied by Sarah Brown, and Part TTiree summarises key points, offering guidelines for achieving a cruelty-free (i.e. totally animal-free) lifestyle. As a comprehensive argument for vegetarianism this book is virtually faultless and will certainly motivate and assist individuals to 'take the plunge'. It is easy to digest and will provide many with food for thought. The thing I like most about Living Without Cruelty is its constant stress on the power we have as individuals to force change for the better. We can positively contribute to the elimination of animal, human and environmental exploitation by exercising our right as consumers to refuse to buy abuse-related goods and thereby make their production . unprofitable — something every multi-national and powerful economic interest understands. • Richard F a r h a l l
Reviewers Paul Appleby is Secretary of Oxford Vegetarians. Richard Farhall is Director of the Campaign forthe Abolition of Angling (CAA). Dale Jamieson is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado.
Chris Langley is Chairman of the Vegan Society Diane Roberts is a freelance editor specializing in environmental issues. Ian Thompson is the outgoing Vegan Society Information Officer. 27