Michael T. McGuire

The Monkey Wars

ABSTRACT Here, for a change, is a refreshing, informative, and interesting book about animal research.Deborah Blum began her work with a Pulitzer Prize—winning series for the Sacramento Bee in 1984. It culminated in her book The Monkey Wars. In preparation, Blum crossed the country numerous times. She visited many of the main nonhuman primate research facilities and animal rights groups. She traveled and talked with those who had fled from the research laboratory because of their disgust with conducting research on nonhuman primates. She spent time with investigators who, by studying monkeys, significantly advanced medical knowledge about humans, and with those who became targets of animal rights activists, even to the point of fearing for their lives. She talked with members of Congress and walked the halls of the major primate research funding agencies. In short, the author performed an extraordinary amount of on-site, face-to-face research. She has been fair

In the Name of Science: Issues in Responsible Animal Experimentation

The title tells a good part of the story: In the Name of Science: Issues in Responsible Animal Experimentation is about attitudes, ethical arguments, legislation, protocol review, animal pain scales, and so forth, all issues that are on center stage in the debate over animal experimentation. For readers not familiar with the factions, they are somewhat as follows. Two extreme points of view bracket the debate. The proponents of one argue that literally any type of research using animal subjects is defensible—indeed, even desirable—provided the outcome of the research is likely to provide some valuable information about humans, eg, human behavior, human disease, disease cure. The proponents of the other argue essentially the opposite, namely, that any use of animals as experimental subjects is unacceptable no matter what the supposed benefits to humankind. At times members of the latter group will engage in criminal activities. Between these two extremes is

The Case for Animal Experimentation: An Evolutionary and Ethical Perspective

Alternatives to Animal Use in Research, Testing, and Education, by the Office of Technology Assessment, 441 pp, with illus,

Evaluation of computer-acquired patient histories.

16, Washington, DC, Office of Technology Assessment, 1986. In considering books on animal rights, it is wise to remember several things. First, if there were no evidence that using animals for research, testing, and educational purposes was helpful, current practices of animal use would soon disappear. Second, if, for example, we could be assured of curing cancer by sacrificing another 100 laboratory rats, those who lead the battle against the use of animals in laboratories would search in vain for followers. Third, we all agree to, and contribute to, inflicting death and pain on animals, eg, centipedes, disease-carrying mosquitos, rabid dogs, and rats in our pantries. And fourth, if the purposes or certain forms of education could be served by technological devices rather than animals, current practices (eg, surgical training using