Stories Rabbits Tell: A Natural and Cultural History of a Misunderstood Creature

I have always been impressed by this book from the first time I ever read it. It was apparently impressive enough to someone else that I found I had my first copy stolen, and I am now on my second copy. What impresses me most about this book is not that the authors themselves live with companion rabbits, nor is it their myriad qualifications for its writing. It is not their controversial coverage of the commercial meat and pet industries, and neither is it of the research and experimental industries. It is not even the clinical lessons from anthropologic and cross- cultural research. I am most impresssed by the fact that this book was ever written at all. I am most impressed that this book, once written, ever saw publication. Rabbits are an almost globally reviled animal; their only redeeming attributes being their hoppy legs and wiggly noses, round faces and wide eyes, suitable only for the subject of anthropomorphosizing these characteristics for children's books. Yet it is that same round face with wide eyes that goads us on to greater and greater acts of pesticidal warfare. To many, they are simply unworthy of any sort of cultural or historical study. This book, its authors, and its publishers, disagree. The book is an interesting social study of these opposing aspects of the rabbit. Part delight, and part despair, part childhood friend and part adult foe, rabbits and their roles in human history are an interesting study in human cultural contradiction, which is the pervasive theme of the book. Many have become so bogged down in their joy or anger over specific chapters of the book that the overall theme of the book has become lost in personal interests. I respectfully disagree with some that the agenda of the authors in the chapters regarding animal testing, breeding and the commercial meat industry is to advocate animal rights. I do believe that the authors are interested in animal welfare, however. There is a difference. This debate among the reviews is neither here nor there in relation to the subject of the book. Whatever you believe the authors intended with those chapters is irrelevant. The book's overall aim is to guide the reader through our cultural views of the rabbit, in all their glorious confliction. This is what makes this book worth reading. The authors never deny they have a bias; they live with companion rabbits and are bound to have certain feelings on specific subjects. They make that clear. They also present the facts gathered on each topic in relation to the underlying theme of the book, which is the more important aspect of this excercise. In this they have succeeded. They draw no conclusion, leaving it open to the reader to decide how they feel about rabbits now that they have an understanding of them and their history within our culture. They obviously hope that their readers come away from the experienced changed, yet they leave that change open to the reader's discretion as to if they come out in favor of rabb

I was so incredibly pleased to see this book, and more than the average reader. Why? Because I used to breed rabbits. While I always took better care of my rabbits than most other breeders, my rabbits still spent nearly all their lives in cages. I don't care what rabbit breeders tell you. "fancy" rabbit breeders (breeders who dont raise rabbits for meat but just for show) literally give their rabbit no purpose in life other than to win them prizes. I know firsthand. After seven years of breeding I decided to bring in my oldest bunny as a house pet, but with no intention to stop showing rabbits, for I was in my prime, winning best in shows and best in breeds right and left. He changed everything. And the fact that i dropped breeding was a big deal. I had the highest ranking of all youth minilop breeders in the middle east coast. For youth contests in the middle east coast, I was always in the top. My heart and soul was to be the best breeder and I can honestly say that I succeeded in many ways. My point in saying that is to emphasize the amount Flopsy effected me. I gave up a three-year winnign streak, and the title of being on top in the rabbit showing world, because a 7 year old house rabbit brought me back to reality: just because rabbits fit in a cage, that doesnt mean they should be caged. This book is a step in the right direction to educating people. In reality, 99.9% of breeders do not give their rabbits a good quality life. Rabbits should not be caged. I wish every rabbit breeder would bring a bunny into their home. Maybe then they'd realize that their 100 rabbits outside in tiny cages are lonely and ridiculously bored, as they have nothing whatsoever to do but eat and sleep. This book reveals reality, as harsh as it may be. My hope is that this book will fall into the hands of breeders everywhere. If you haven't been a breeder who "converted" to house rabbits, you've no idea how terribly sad a caged rabbits life is. Honestly, you need to have a free-range house bunny to know what I mean. I thank God that someone took the time to write about this serious issue.

I've lived with rabbits all my life, but it was not until I first picked up a copy of The House Rabbit Handbook in 1993 that it dawned on me that I could really let a rabbit not only into my home, but into my life, my family, and essentially, into my heart. That book was a turning point for me. Stories Rabbits Tell is another such singular, profoundly meaningful book, though it is quite different from the Handbook; it is more academic, and requires a great deal of fortitude and intelligent thinking from the reader (though of course what the Handbook asks of us in terms of necessary bunny-proofing does, too!).It seems to me that the dissenting reviews on this site have a fundamental desire to dismiss anyone who questions possible mistreatment of rabbits -- most of these negative reviews really don't seem to have much of anything to do with this book at all, and I would be surprised if many of the reviewers had actually read it. If they had, they would see that Susan Davis and Margo Demello are quite open about their methodologies, and that they go to great pains to present a balanced view of any topic they present -- even vivisection.The fact is that almost no Americans know the suffering that animals experience so that we can benefit from them in myriad ways--ways that most people never even consider; Davis and Demello discuss this. In turn, people get upset. It's an upsetting reality -- to paraphrase Pete Seeger, quoted in the book, if it upsets us just to read or hear about it, imagine how much it pains the animals who experience this suffering.But that is a relatively small part of the book, and I would be very sorry to see readers discouraged from reading this marvelous, rich, and brilliantly researched, argued, and written life/history/cultural review of rabbits. I feel as if I am getting to know rabbits all over again, and for the first time, in some ways--rabbits in the wild, in other people's homes or yards (oh no!), in meat and fur farms (not the 'friendly' or clean facilities you may have imagined), and in isolating research labs. Gazing into the faces of my three house rabbits when I look up from this book's pages, I marvel at the depth and beauty of these creatures -- and I hope that this brilliant book will not only open up the possibility of such a rich and rewarding connection to others, but that it will also allow even those people who have never thought of rabbits at all to know that they are indeed a truly wonderful creature.I congratulate the authors on their tremendously well-done book, and I urge readers interested in everything from animals to folklore to politics to the medical industry to hunting to history to --well, everything -- to read it. And I thank them for taking the time to write a book I have been waiting to read for many many years without even specifically knowing that this was what I wanted and needed. Regarding the chapters on abuse and vivisection: I am grateful that they were included even though I

This is not a book of rabbit stories, per se, but rather the story of the rabbit in its entirety, primarily as it relates to humans. This includes the rabbit as a wild creature, as beloved companion, destructive pest, commercial commodity (meat,fur,pet), cultural and contemporary icon, object of ancient beliefs, and the basis of all kinds of experiments. A more complete discussion of the place occupied by the rabbit throughout the centuries is hard to imagine. The only aspect not covered in any detail is the breeding of rabbits as show animals.Some readers are upset with the authors' reports of the conditions that rabbits are often kept in, as though these reports reflect on everyone who keeps rabbits for anything other than companions. I find these reports quite matter of fact and unbiased. There is no implication that, because some exploitations of rabbits are inhumane, all are. This book will give anyone who reads it an incredibly broad understanding of, as the authors put it, "a misunderstood creature." I would suggest that the rabbit is not only misunderstood, but that few people have any understamding of the rabbit at all. Some of us know the rabbit as a beloved companion animal. Some of us know them as a source of profit. Some know them as a complex system of genes to be manipulated to bring about improvements in the breeds, or to create new breeds. Some know them as an effective laboratory for studying the results of exposure to a variety of things. But few of us know the rabbit in its boadest scope. "Stories Rabbits Tell" is an effective means we can all use to broaden our understanding of this complex and fascinating creature.

As a rabbit lover, and a person who hopes to be a vet someday, I loved this book. Every part of it was interesting, though some was disturbing. The authors take an intimate look at rabbits. They offer much information that is difficult to find elsewhere. I found the biological information on rabbits to be very interesting, especially regarding their evolution. The authors make mention of a few very rare and endangered species of rabbits. They offer many stories of house rabbits. Stories that may shock those people who don't know the joys and complexities of living with a house rabbit. I also enjoyed reading about the rabbit as a symbol in our culture, both loved and hated, often misunderstood. I have often said to my rabbits, "Silly Rabbit", without thinking about where this phrase came from and what it indicates about our culture's idea of rabbits.The chapters on the rabbit meat, fur, and pet industry, as well as the use of rabbits in laboratories, were informative and inspiring, though disheartening. It is shocking to realize how we view these creatures in so many different ways, but important to realize that reform and regulation are needed. The authors present the information realistically without trying to sugar coat the truth or shock their readers.An educational, informative, and important read for all those who love rabbits or wish to learn more about them. After reading this book, you will never utter the phrase "just a rabbit" again, if it hasn't left your vocabulary already.