Investigative journalist Peter Laufer is back with his third book in a trilogy that explores the way we humans interact with animals. The attack of a trainer at Sea World by a killer whale in February 2010 is the catalyst for this examination of the controversial role animals have played in the human arenas of entertainment and sports. From the Romans throwing Christians to lions to cock-fighting in present-day California, from abusive Mexican circuses to the thrills of a Hungarian counterpart, from dog training to shooting strays in the Baghdad streets, Laufer looks at the ways people have used animals for their pleasure. The reader travels with Laufer as he encounters fascinating people and places, and as he ponders the ethical questions that arise from his quest. "A provocative examination of the fine line between the use and abuse of animals. In a continuation of his study on the interaction of animals and humans, Laufer (Journalism/Univ. of Oregon; Forbidden Creatures: Inside the World of Animal Smuggling and Exotic Pets , 2010, etc.) opens the doors to the complex world of animal service and exploitation. What is the difference between use, misuse and abuse of animals? How does a person know an animal is actually enjoying itself? Do animals feel pain? Does a chicken raised specifically for meat suffer more or less at its death than a rooster raised specifically for cock fights? Is a circus act entertainment for humans or an enslavement of animals? These are some of the many troubling questions the author poses as he travels the world searching for answers. From a lion handler in Budapest to whale shows at SeaWorld to slaughterhouses in California, Laufer graphically details firsthand the varied ways humans and animals interact. Descriptions of canned hunts, dairy-cow abuse, vivisection and many examples of cockfights force readers to ponder the same questions as the author. Interviews with members of the Humane Society, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and numerous animal-rights organizations counterbalance interviews with breeders of fighting cocks, arsonists and many others who see no harm in how they treat animals. Laufer’s compelling evidence will push readers to assess the distinctions between love and mistreatment among our animal brethren." -- Kirkus "While [Peter Laufer] provides no easy answers, for his book raises as many ethical questions as it answers, his journey through the many forms of human-animal interaction gives readers new ways to ponder their own connections with the animals around them." -- Booklist "This book asks its audience to reflect upon their own actions and, with greater awareness, perhaps some of the most blatant abuses will cease. A compelling read." --Library Journal   Following the success of The Dangerous World of Butterflies and Forbidden Creatures , investigative journalist Peter Laufer returns with his third book in a trilogy that explores the way humans interact with animals. The attack of a trainer at SeaWorld by a killer whale in February 2010 sparked his examination of the controversial role animals have played throughout the ages in the human arenas of entertainment and sports. When it comes to using animals for our own entertainment, Laufer asks: What’s okay and what’s not? Homing pigeons? Sled dogs? Dancing bears? Elephant polo? Teaching Spot new tricks? From the Romans throwing Christians to the lions to cock-fighting in present-day California, from abusive Mexican circuses to the thrills of a Hungarian counterpart, and from dog training to shooting strays in the Baghdad streets, Laufer looks at the ways people have used animals for their pleasure. Travel with Laufer as he encounters intriguing people and places and contemplates the line that separates animal use from abuse. Peter Laufer, PhD, is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books, including the widely praised The Dangerous World of Butterflies, Forbidden Creatures, and Neon Nevada  (all Lyons Press), as well as Wetback Nation: The Case for Opening the Mexican-American Border .  He is the James Wallace Chair in Journalism at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication.  Visit him at peterlaufer.com. No Animals Were Harmed The Controversial Line between Entertainment and Abuse By Peter Laufer Lyons Press Copyright © 2011 Peter Laufer All right reserved. ISBN: 9780762763856 “Where is the line that separates animal use from abuse? The more I read, the more I observed, the more animals—human and nonhuman—I met, the more it seemed to me that a possum was pointing me toward my conclusion. ‘We have met the enemy,’ Pogo taught us, ‘and he is us.’ Even the one thing I wanted to promise the reader as I embarked on this project—that no animals were harmed by me during the writing of this book—proved an impossible task.” —From the Prologue Continues... Excerpted from No Animals Were Harmed by Peter Laufer