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Voracious Science and Vulnerable Animals: A Primate Scientist's Ethical Journey
The National Institute of Health recently announced its plan to retire the fifty remaining chimpanzees held in national research facilities and place them in sanctuaries. This significant decision comes after a lengthy process of examination and debate about the ethics of animal research. For decades, proponents of such research have argued that the discoveries and benefits for humans far outweigh the costs of the traumatic effects on the animals; but today, even the researchers themselves have come to question the practice. John P. Gluck has been one of the scientists at the forefront of the movement to end research on primates, and in Voracious Science and Vulnerable Animals he tells a vivid, heart-rending, personal story of how he became a vocal activist for animal protection.
Gluck begins by taking us inside the laboratory of Harry F. Harlow at the University of Wisconsin, where Gluck worked as a graduate student in the 1960s. Harlow’s primate lab became famous for his behavioral experiments in maternal deprivation and social isolation of rhesus macaques. Though trained as a behavioral scientist, Gluck finds himself unable to overlook the intense psychological and physical damage these experiments wrought on the macaques. Gluck’s sobering and moving account reveals how in this and other labs, including his own, he came to grapple with the uncomfortable justifications that many researchers were offering for their work. As his sense of conflict grows, we’re right alongside him, developing a deep empathy for the often smart and always vulnerable animals used for these experiments.
At a time of unprecedented recognition of the intellectual cognition and emotional intelligence of animals, Voracious Science and Vulnerable Animals is a powerful appeal for our respect and compassion for those creatures who have unwillingly dedicated their lives to science. Through the words of someone who has inflicted pain in the name of science and come to abhor it, it’s important to know what has led this far to progress and where further inroads in animal research ethics are needed.
Gluck begins by taking us inside the laboratory of Harry F. Harlow at the University of Wisconsin, where Gluck worked as a graduate student in the 1960s. Harlow’s primate lab became famous for his behavioral experiments in maternal deprivation and social isolation of rhesus macaques. Though trained as a behavioral scientist, Gluck finds himself unable to overlook the intense psychological and physical damage these experiments wrought on the macaques. Gluck’s sobering and moving account reveals how in this and other labs, including his own, he came to grapple with the uncomfortable justifications that many researchers were offering for their work. As his sense of conflict grows, we’re right alongside him, developing a deep empathy for the often smart and always vulnerable animals used for these experiments.
At a time of unprecedented recognition of the intellectual cognition and emotional intelligence of animals, Voracious Science and Vulnerable Animals is a powerful appeal for our respect and compassion for those creatures who have unwillingly dedicated their lives to science. Through the words of someone who has inflicted pain in the name of science and come to abhor it, it’s important to know what has led this far to progress and where further inroads in animal research ethics are needed.
- GenresNonfictionAnimals
360 pages, Hardcover
Published October 26, 2016
4 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 14, 2017
4.5 stars -- In another ominous development in the current political climate, a the USDA recently chose to delete laboratory inspection reports and other key information relating to enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act from its website, thus shutting off an already cloistered world more completely from the general public. We don't know if, when, or in what format the reports may return, so that's another reason why books like this are so important.
Gluck has indeed experienced an ethical journey--from working with the famed Harry Harlow and running his own primate laboratory, to eventually leaving the animal research track to become a noted lecturer on research ethics. Each step of the way he discusses the mental gymnastics he did to close himself off from his natural empathetic feelings toward the animals, when eventually problematic things he encountered throughout his career began opening those doors once again. As others have discovered, the animal research community dislikes a turncoat, and Gluck writes of the interpersonal turmoil he experienced when he decided to start speaking out, as well.
If you're expecting a horror story full of grisly details and sadistic scientists, this isn't it. Gluck is very respectful toward his former colleagues, even though he now disagrees with many of the research projects they engaged in. Nor does he oppose all animal research. Instead, he makes a strong and compassionate case that the interests of the animals be seriously considered when devising any research project; and makes numerous practical recommendations on ways scientists can avoid using animals altogether.
Gluck has indeed experienced an ethical journey--from working with the famed Harry Harlow and running his own primate laboratory, to eventually leaving the animal research track to become a noted lecturer on research ethics. Each step of the way he discusses the mental gymnastics he did to close himself off from his natural empathetic feelings toward the animals, when eventually problematic things he encountered throughout his career began opening those doors once again. As others have discovered, the animal research community dislikes a turncoat, and Gluck writes of the interpersonal turmoil he experienced when he decided to start speaking out, as well.
If you're expecting a horror story full of grisly details and sadistic scientists, this isn't it. Gluck is very respectful toward his former colleagues, even though he now disagrees with many of the research projects they engaged in. Nor does he oppose all animal research. Instead, he makes a strong and compassionate case that the interests of the animals be seriously considered when devising any research project; and makes numerous practical recommendations on ways scientists can avoid using animals altogether.
March 1, 2020
John Gluck is unbelievable. I admire his work today and respect his ethical life journey. I am very grateful I was given this book to read during my fellowship.
I strongly believe that if just 4 more previous animal researchers followed Professor Gluck’s path, the AR movement would make significant strides forward. Having their support would provide legitimacy in response our scientific opposition.
I learned a lot from the book about the pressures behind animal researchers. I still don’t understand their ethical points of view but I feel for their struggle and encourage their attempts at minor improvements.
The book was a little difficult for me to read for long time periods due to the scientific and psychological speak. If was one of those a-few-pages-over-my-morning -coffee books.
I strongly believe that if just 4 more previous animal researchers followed Professor Gluck’s path, the AR movement would make significant strides forward. Having their support would provide legitimacy in response our scientific opposition.
I learned a lot from the book about the pressures behind animal researchers. I still don’t understand their ethical points of view but I feel for their struggle and encourage their attempts at minor improvements.
The book was a little difficult for me to read for long time periods due to the scientific and psychological speak. If was one of those a-few-pages-over-my-morning -coffee books.
June 9, 2017
As a the sub-title implies, this is the story of Gluck's gradual awakening to the possibility that researchers using animal test subjects need to weigh their career advancement agendas and the hoped for — but by no means certain — benefits to human welfare, against the physical and psychic damage inflicted on the animals in their labs.
In my case, Gluck was preaching to the choir.
If we are supposed to be more intelligent and more ethically evolved than animals and can, thus, with out qualms use them and use them up in any way that we choose, then it seems to me we should be smart enough to realize that by crippling and exterminating species after species we fully responsible for our own demise. It is time to retire the title "homo sapiens" and to come up with another one that is more accurate.
In my case, Gluck was preaching to the choir.
If we are supposed to be more intelligent and more ethically evolved than animals and can, thus, with out qualms use them and use them up in any way that we choose, then it seems to me we should be smart enough to realize that by crippling and exterminating species after species we fully responsible for our own demise. It is time to retire the title "homo sapiens" and to come up with another one that is more accurate.
January 20, 2021
John Gluck’s account of the indoctrination into animal experimentation is powerful, horrifying, and heartbreaking. Have tissues ready to see this powerful animal advocate’s journey from primate researcher under Harry Harlow to coming out against animal testing for being unethical.
October 8, 2022
This is the first book I have read about animal research and now I am very eager to read more about this topic! This book was very informative and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it; it opened my eyes to the cruelty of animal research. It was amazing to hear about ethics and animal research from a former animal researcher’s point of view. I have been recommending this book to everyone I know!
February 3, 2021
This is an important and deeply felt book. It could use some editing to shape it a little more effectively, but Gluck's ethical transformation is compelling and makes a good example.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews