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The Way of the Rabbit
Independent and resourceful, rabbits represent balance, rebirth, speed, fertility, resurrection, abundance, creativity, magic, and harmony. Yet they are much more than symbols—they are unique individuals with complex inner lives. In The Way of the Rabbit, Mark Hawthorne immerses himself in their world, exploring their habitats and evolution, their role in legend and literature, their place in popular culture, their fascinating biology, and of course their significance as household companions. It’s an entertaining journey through myth and history that celebrates the rabbit’s spirit, courage, friendships, and playfulness.
232 pages, Paperback
Published July 30, 2021
8 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Mark Hawthorne
13 books56 followersI am the author of A Vegan Ethic: Embracing A Life Of Compassion Toward All, Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism, Bleating Hearts: The Hidden World of Animal Suffering, The Way of the Rabbit, and Eco-Spirituality and Human-Animal Relationships. I stopped eating meat after an encounter with one of India’s many cows in 1992, then went vegan a decade later.
Beginning in 2004, I served as a contributing writer for Satya until the magazine ceased publication in 2007, and am a frequent contributor to VegNews. My writing has also appeared in Vegan’s Daily Companion by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (Quarry Books), Stories to Live By: Wisdom to Help You Make the Most of Every Day (Travelers’ Tales) and The Best Travel Writing 2005: True Stories from Around the World (Travelers’ Tales), as well as Vegan Voice, Herbivore, Hinduism Today, Utne.com and newspapers across the United States.
Beginning in 2004, I served as a contributing writer for Satya until the magazine ceased publication in 2007, and am a frequent contributor to VegNews. My writing has also appeared in Vegan’s Daily Companion by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (Quarry Books), Stories to Live By: Wisdom to Help You Make the Most of Every Day (Travelers’ Tales) and The Best Travel Writing 2005: True Stories from Around the World (Travelers’ Tales), as well as Vegan Voice, Herbivore, Hinduism Today, Utne.com and newspapers across the United States.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 26, 2021
Enjoyable especially if you're a rabbit fan. I really enjoyed learning more about rabbits in history and in the arts.
September 15, 2021
Absolutely loved this book. If you love rabbits, this book is for you. If you don't, you will see them a way different way after reading it. Although the book is full of information, it doesn't feel information dumpy as the author puts his own thoughts to it. Highly recommend!
October 22, 2021
This is a must-have for all who love rabbits. Even those of you who think you know everything there is to know about rabbits, read this charming book by Mr. Hawthorne and you may realize you know JACK about rabbits. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. No spoilers here. Please get the book and you will learn that Bugs Bunny is not as innocent as you think he is. That is the only enticement I will provide here.
December 7, 2021
Cute, entertaining and interesting. A great book!
May 1, 2022
5 stars for sure!
This is a great read for any bunny parents or bunny lovers out there. There’s so much material in here that I didn’t know myself.
Mark Lawrence has been very fond of bunnies and has adopted many throughout the years—7 “foster failures” to be exact—and fostered many more. His love for rabbits were one of the motivations to write this and I’m so glad he did.
In this book, not only do you learn about basic bunny behavior and about house bunnies, you’re learning about bunnies in history, art, popular culture and many other stories that involve around bunnies. The author explores how rabbits became house pets through history and how the rabbit became such a popular figure of Easter which is all extremely interesting.
One of my favorite parts of the book was where the author discussed many accounts of bunnies saving human lives. You often hear about dogs or cats doing so, but I was definitely very surprised to read numerous stories throughout history about this. For instance, bunnies have alerted owners to fires, sudden illnesses and one bun even saved a man nearly buried alive by rocks.
The author’s writing is a bit formal and though it did take me a bit to get into the book, it is well worth it. I often found myself chuckling at different ways he worded things. Two examples being:
“This is just the tip of the carrot.”
Rather than the usual wording of the idiom and
“To say rabbits have made their mark on popular culture is like saying Mozart has a penchant for music.”
It was definitely an outstanding book that more people should read. I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this and learning even more about one of the best animals; the rabbit.
This is a great read for any bunny parents or bunny lovers out there. There’s so much material in here that I didn’t know myself.
Mark Lawrence has been very fond of bunnies and has adopted many throughout the years—7 “foster failures” to be exact—and fostered many more. His love for rabbits were one of the motivations to write this and I’m so glad he did.
In this book, not only do you learn about basic bunny behavior and about house bunnies, you’re learning about bunnies in history, art, popular culture and many other stories that involve around bunnies. The author explores how rabbits became house pets through history and how the rabbit became such a popular figure of Easter which is all extremely interesting.
One of my favorite parts of the book was where the author discussed many accounts of bunnies saving human lives. You often hear about dogs or cats doing so, but I was definitely very surprised to read numerous stories throughout history about this. For instance, bunnies have alerted owners to fires, sudden illnesses and one bun even saved a man nearly buried alive by rocks.
The author’s writing is a bit formal and though it did take me a bit to get into the book, it is well worth it. I often found myself chuckling at different ways he worded things. Two examples being:
“This is just the tip of the carrot.”
Rather than the usual wording of the idiom and
“To say rabbits have made their mark on popular culture is like saying Mozart has a penchant for music.”
It was definitely an outstanding book that more people should read. I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this and learning even more about one of the best animals; the rabbit.
April 14, 2022
Wow, what a collection of rabbit facts and information! Rabbits in folklore, history, religion, art and pop culture. The author could use this as a research thesis. But my favorite chapters were the last 2 on bunny biology and his personal experiences. Thank you for furthering bunny knowledge!
April 29, 2022
A fun quick read all about rabbits. Etymology. Literature. Art. Biology. Proper care. The history of house rabbits.
Absolutely wonderful read if you have bunnies, love bunnies, or are thinking about adopting bunnies.
Also, major props for the author being a vegan.
Absolutely wonderful read if you have bunnies, love bunnies, or are thinking about adopting bunnies.
Also, major props for the author being a vegan.
January 15, 2023
I am fully in my crazy bunny lady era. I love bunnies and have two adorable ones of my own. I enjoyed the little tidbits presented in this book, and I liked learning more about the ways in which rabbits have enriched our lives throughout history 🐰💞
June 15, 2023
Lovely book about the lives of rabbits but with a mostly positive spin. A lot of rabbit books focus on the bad things that happen to them but this one goes for the good stories intentionally.
October 10, 2023
(3'5 ⭐) Algunas partes son maravillosas y realmente interesantes, pero tengo que decir que no ha profundizado todo lo que me hubiese gustado. Hay algunas partes anecdóticas y otras en las que la información se me queda muy simple (tal vez no tanto para las personas que nunca hayan investigado sobre este tema).
Aún así lo guardaré con mucho cariño 🐰
Aún así lo guardaré con mucho cariño 🐰
January 17, 2026
This is such a happy book! Wonderful for anyone who loves rabbits or wants to learn more about it. I just wish there was a textbook version that included pictures in the chapters that discuss all of the places rabbits show up in art and popculture and everywhere else. While reading I often found myself stopping to Google a particular reference made.
August 31, 2024
This book was informative and, at times, amusing. I would rate this book a 3.75 out of 5 stars. While I can see myself referencing certain parts of the book again, I don’t know that I would reread it in its totality. That being said, I enjoyed this book, and am glad that I read it.
December 2, 2025
It's such a touching book for rabbit lovers. And also those who know nothing about rabbits, since after reading this, you will learn how wonderful and amazing it is to share your life with rabbits.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews