The Animal Manifesto: Six Reasons for Expanding Our Compassion Footprint

The first few pages of Marc Bekoff's book drew me in like a moth to a light where I stayed glued to the last page. If you've ever thought you're the only one with a soft spot in your heart for animals, this book will show you that you're not alone. Marc skillfully brings the reader's attention to the six reasons to expand our compassion footprint toward animals. 1) All animals share the earth and we must coexist 2) Animals think and feel 3) Animals have and deserve compassion 4) Connection breeds caring, alienation breeds disrespect 5) Our world is not compassionate to animals 6) Acting compassionately helps all beings and our world. This book shows us that being kind to animals not only affects their world, but ours as well. As a speaking coach, I agree with how Marc advises advocates to speak up for their cause. Find out why people do what they do without simply falling into the trap of telling them what to do. Only some people are intentionally cruel, many times people are just not aware of how animals are suffering. Rather than being silent, we've got to find a way to skillfully shine a light on how our animal friends are being treated. I think a lot of us have been silent for so long, when we do speak up, unprocessed feelings get in the way of making the difference we'd like. Marc reminds the reader the importance of finding ways to have fun while supporting their cause. I couldn't agree more. To take a topic as heart wrenching as animal abuse and find a way to enlighten others is a true artform.

Empathy is a trait shared by all animals, human or otherwise. "The Animal Manifesto: Six Reasons for Expanding Our Compassion Footprint" is a discussion of how humanity can treat its neighbors in the animal kingdom better than we do today. Stating that humanity needs to expand its compassion footprint towards animals of all sorts be they wild, domesticated, or farmed, Marc Bekoff states that this compassion will do wonders for both humanity and its fellow animals. "The Animal Manifesto" is well worth considering for animal lovers and those who want them treated better.

Marc Bekoff's latest endeavor is brilliant as it brings to light our need to do better when it comes to our relationships with animals. By weaving stories about humans and animals throughout this manifesto, he makes the read interesting and enjoyable, yet helps us see where we've gone wrong and lets us know how by just expanding our "compassion footprint" we can make things right again. This book should be required reading for all so that we can indeed begin to reshape our world as we come to realize that: "Animals aren't third-class citizens; they're nations of beings who deserve dignity and respect."

A great general review and a must read for animal lovers. I learned much and it was inspiring to read it.

This book is beautifully written! Marc Bekoff shares stories and facts about animals, and their right to freedom. It illustrates what animals would write if they could. I am going to pass this book on to my friends, and read it again!!!