Not all souls sing; some growl—for justice, for truth, for nonviolence. In this compelling book, Kim Stallwood offers frontline reflections with feet-on-the-ground theory, centered in compassion.
Carol J. Adams, author, The Sexual Politics of Meat
An erudite, engaging, and at times hilarious autobiography from one of the wisest voices of the animal rights movement.
Jonathan Balcombe, biologist and author, Pleasurable Kingdom
Growl gives us a front-row seat to the inner workings of the animal rights movement during the past forty years. Stallwood provides a thoughtful review of the theories, strategies, tactics, and—yes—personalities that have propelled the movement’s growth and fueled its increasing sophistication. It’s a fascinating story and a good read, as well as an honest, tough, and occasionally provocative analysis of the strengths and, more interestingly, weaknesses of the modern animal rights movement. His discussion of the major currents of thought that have shaped the movement—the spiritual, the ethical, and the political—is concise and insightful, and places animal advocacy squarely within a social justice–movement framework. Although his Grumpy Vegan persona remains intact and despite the book’s title, Stallwood’s other side shines through in this book—one that is compassionate (as he precisely defines the term), candid, and self-reflective.
Beatrice M. Friedlander, Director, Animals and Society Institute
Cruelty to animals is abhorrent to most people and many animal protection organisations have been established. Yet animal exploitation remains commonplace. In examining this paradox, Kim Stallwood’s Growl considers the value of animal life and offers a unique insight into a lifelong discovery of what that truly means.
Chris Williamson, Labour MP for Derby North
If you read just one book this year about animals, make it Growl by Kim Stallwood. This stand-out text chronicles Kim’s journey from industry insider to a leader in some of the most important advocacy agencies in the world. Without a doubt, Kim is on the front lines of our common struggle to recognize that all life matters, regardless of species.
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, speaker, educator, and award-winning author of six books on vegan living
Combining historical and philosophical thinking with personal experience, Kim Stallwood analyses the origins and growth of his lifetime work advocating for animals. In this engaging and accessible narrative he explores different ways of thinking about—and acting towards—nonhuman animals in order to change the lives of us all.
Dr Hilda Kean, formerly Dean of Ruskin College, Oxford
On compassion, and our role in social transformation, Stallwood examines our relationship with ourselves, others, and the ability to continue to develop personally. Compassion isn’t always comforting; for as much as it is essential to further the animal protection cause, it can be challenging on a personal level, and perceived as confrontational to those we seek to influence and change.
Jasmijn De Boo, Chief Executive Officer, The Vegan Society
This is a fine introduction to animal rights. A writer with verve and flair and rare honesty, and somebody who was there right from the beginning, Kim Stallwood has stayed fighting the good fight all these years. Reading his book reminded me why I am a vegan. The eloquence with which the author explains his ethical choices is compelling to the point that I expect converts!
Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author, Dogs Never Lie About Love and Beasts: What Animals Can Teach Us About the Origins of Good and Evil
Kim’s personal journey from slaughterhouse worker to dedicated and professional animal rights advocate is an interesting tale in itself. But it’s his reflections on how we should put animal rights beliefs into effective practice which make Growl an especially valuable contribution to the growing body of Animal Studies.
Joyce D’Silva, Ambassador, Compassion In World Farming
Don’t just read this book: underline sentences, highlight paragraphs, and take notes. That’s what I did. Kim Stallwood is one of the sanest and most visionary leaders the animal rights movement has to offer. In this book, he has distilled forty years of wisdom gained from his own personal journey as an animal advocate on two continents and in various organizations. He explores the painful internal questions each of us asks ourselves as we struggle to be effective animal advocates in a world where animal exploitation is the norm. There are gems of insight in Growl, things that too often remain unsaid by animal activists, especially to each other. What I saw in this book is a mature and truly compassionate individual offering us signposts to becoming more skillful and holistic in our work on behalf of animals. Thank you, Kim; Growl left me purring.
Joyce Tischler, Founder, Animal Legal Defense Fund
Although every activist starts out on their own path to social justice, Growl showed me how much our thoughts and feelings are shared experiences. Both funny and philosophical, Growl is a joy to read and will be enjoyed by new and seasoned activists alike.
lauren Ornelas, Founder/Executive Director, Food Empowerment Project
A fascinating read, not just for its personal account of one man’s journey, but also for its history of the growth of the vegetarian/vegan/animal rights movement. I found a lot to identify with in the book: how hard it sometimes is to change people’s hearts and minds; the scale of the task; how people rationalise away their treatment of animals and deny their responsibility; and how they eventually realise they must change. Growl is written from the heart and full of fascinating detail. I hope it’s read not only by all who’ve renounced meat-eating and care deeply about animal rights, but by others who haven’t yet embarked on that journey, but who will, I am sure, find the book’s arguments compelling and persuasive.
Kerry McCarthy, Labour MP for Bristol East
A well-written read that is thoughtful, honest, and insightful.
Lisa Kemmerer, author, Animals and World Religions, and associate professor at Montana State University Billings
In Growl, Stallwood tells a remarkably honest story of his transformation from being a strident, self-righteous, misanthropic animal activist to becoming a reflective, compassionate, nonhumanent voice for justice for all animals. Along the way, he shares important insights for developing self-respect and strategies for successful activism.
Professor Lori Gruen, author, Ethics and Animals, and Coordinator, Wesleyan Animal Studies, Wesleyan University
Kim Stallwood is one of my animal rights heroes. His Growl is a must read for anyone interested in how we treat other animals. He instills hope that everyone’s hard work matters; but that we can do better in bringing animals into a human-dominated world and peacefully coexist with them. Indeed, it’s a win–win situation for everyone. Buy multiple copies. Read one and share the others.
Marc Bekoff, author, The Emotional Lives of Animals, and editor, Ignoring Nature No More: The Case for Compassionate Conservation
Growl is much more than the autobiography of well-known animal advocate Kim Stallwood. He weaves a larger story about animal activism in which he makes a call for justice, compassion, truth, and nonviolence. Growl is a book that new activists should read. Long-time activists will also wish they had it when they were just starting out.
Margo DeMello, Human–Animal Studies Program Director, Animals and Society Institute and author, Animals and Society: An Introduction to Human–Animal Studies
Kim Stallwood’s life as an animal advocate mirrors the progress, in theory and action, of a movement that is poised to change the world. He emerges from these pages as insightful, passionate, occasionally opinionated, and, most of all, deeply devoted to principles of compassion and nonhumanence. If you want to know where the animal rights movement has been, and want to think about where it’s headed, you would do well to read Growl.
Mariann Sullivan, Program Director, Our Hen House
Inspiring and insightful, Growl is an eloquent blend of history and hope. Both a personal narrative and a call to action, Growl considers what it means to care deeply about animals and is essential reading for anyone who wants to better understand the animal-protection movement—and their place in it.
Mark Hawthorne, author, Bleating Hearts: The Hidden World of Animal Suffering and Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism
If you have spent years growling about the way animals are treated, you’ll find Kim Stallwood a well-informed, reflective, and companionable fellow-growler. Growl is a personal chronicle of the modern animal movement, written by someone who has been a part of it from the early 1970s, and has thought hard about what it will take for the movement to succeed in achieving its radical goals. I hope a new generation of activists will read it, absorb its wisdom, and continue the march towards animal liberation.
Professor Peter Singer, Princeton University, author, Animal Liberation and The Life You Can Save
No one ever said that caring about animals was easy, especially in a world where society has a long way to go before animal cruelty is a thing of the past. Being struck by the plight of others and wanting to do something to help can be a lonely place. For anyone starting down this road afresh, Growl is the perfect companion. In his introduction, Stallwood declares this book the one he would have ‘loved’ to read when starting down the long and often confusing road of trying to make sense of man’s relationship with animals. Through his own experiences, the author navigates the complex web of thoughts, emotions, and motivations that can buffet those who want to make the world a better place for animals and thereby people. He lays bare personal flaws with engaging honesty. He crystallises what it means to care deeply for others of a different species as well as our own. Stallwood pours forty years of hard lessons into this synthesis of humane thought. Growl gives us a rare glimpse of life as one of the animal movement’s most enduring leaders.
Philip Lymbery, Chief Executive, Compassion In World Farming and co-author, Farmageddon
We can learn much from Kim Stallwood’s new book, written by an insider who helped shape the Animal Rights Movement in the past, and who aspires to continue to do so in the future.
Professor Tom Regan, author, Empty Cages and The Case for Animal Rights
Both new and seasoned activists will learn and be inspired by Kim Stallwood’s Growl. It’s an important—and highly engaging—exploration of the strategies and values that lie at the heart of effective activism for animals. Packed with stories and insider insights from the author’s four decades of experience within the animal rights movement, this book reads like a captivating history of that movement. And at the same time, it’s a guide for anyone who wants to make a difference for animals.
Virginia Messina, MPH, RD, co-author, Never Too Late to Go Vegan