Has anyone read Dominion?

[Flower]

I've been thinking about getting this book. Has anyone read it and if so, what did you think?

[skunkpumpkin]

I haven't read it but my Gramp (grandfather) has it so I've read the first few pages. It basically spent that time exploring the biblical relationships between animal and human, but my Gramp told me not to read it because it's supposed to be rather gruesome in it's explorations of factory farms and slaughterhouses...I'm pretty interested (no matter how morbid)...ya just...have to know the truth, i suppose. Anyways, I think you should get it...

sorry if this hasn't been the reply you were looking for!

[Quizeen]

I read Dominion a few months ago and was blown away by how excellent it was. The author, Matthew Scully, writes from a Christian, relatively conservative point of view, which I found to be interesting and heretofore lacking in this genre of literature.

I am not a Christian and I have radically leftist political/social views, which is why I found this book to be so profound. It is rare to have a conservative make such sound arguments in favor of animal welfare/vegetarianism. I must warn you though, there is a smattering of sentimentality to the book, but it's not maudlin. Here's a quote that I found to be particularly profound:

"When a man's love of finery clouds his moral judgment, that is vanity. When he lets a demanding palate make his moral choices, that is gluttony, When he ascribes the divine will to his own whims, that is pride. And when he gets angry at being reminded of animal suffering that his own daily choices might help avoid, that is moral cowardice."

I highly recommend that you get a hold of this book, it's actually quite beautiful.

[Flower]

Wow! I'm definitely going to have to be ordering this next time I get a few books. Thanks!

[mountainvegan]

I like your sig, Flower.

This book is on my list. I read a few of the reviews on amazon.com and they're consistent with what Quizeen said. The negative reviews seem to be from pro-AR readers who don't think the book goes far enough in AR philosophy or promoting adequate solutions (i.e., veg*nism v. "cruelty-free" farming). I would tend to agree, but I haven't read the book, so I'll keep my mouth shut for now. I will say, I like that conservative Christians are at least pondering the issue - it's better than them dismissing the whole idea of animal welfare as nonsense without even giving it any thought.

[Quizeen]

It's true, Scully does not offer any hard and fast solutions to the problems he addresses, and he even goes so far as to say that he will never be a vegan nor does he advocate the philosophy of veganism. He seems to take the tack that stewardship of animals includes "using" them for our own ends in a humane fashion (consumption of eggs and milk). Although I do not agree with this, and I'm sure that most on this board wouldn't either, it's the excellent writing and compassionate tone that makes this book so worthwhile. It is largely a philosophical work that addresses abstracts like anthropomorphism, stewardship of life, and spirituality.

Sometimes it seems that once you've read one AR book you've read them all, which is why the radically different perspective and basic ethos from which Scully writes makes this book so refreshing and worth reading.

[mountainvegan]

Thanks, Quizeen. I will read this book, both for the reasons you offer and to recommend it (after I screen it :D) to the conservative Christians surrounding my life (I'm a free-thinking goat in a huge herd of conforming sheep) who show interest in reading more about animal suffering and protection.