  As an international spokesperson for the animal rights movement, Karen Dawn has appeared on MTV, ABC, and NBC and hosted talk shows on major radio stations. Her opinion pieces have appeared in leading newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, New York's Newsday, and the UK Guardian. The Australian-raised, Los Angeles-based activist is founder of the animal advocacy media watch DawnWatch.com.
A free talk and book signing by renowned animal advocate and author Karen Dawn! |
The animal rights movement has reached a tipping point. No longer a fringe extremist cause, it has become a social concern that leading members of society endorse and young people embrace. From Michael Vick's dog fighting scandal to the incredible success of the bestselling Skinny Bitch veggie diet book, animal rights issues have hit the headlines — and are being championed by students and senators, pop stars and producers, and actors and activists.
Don't you want to be part of the conversation?
In Thanking the Monkey, Karen Dawn covers pets, fur, fashion, food, animal testing, activism, and more. But as the title playfully suggests, this isn't like any previous animal rights book. Thanking the Monkey is a fun primer offering not only facts and figures about the treatment of animals, but also whimsical cartoons, celebrity cameos, and feel-good stories. Karen Dawn shares the animal rights message in a positive, humorous, and balanced way without preaching, preferring to inform and allow readers to draw their own conclusions. Thanking the Monkey tells audiences everything they wanted to know about animal rights — but were afraid to get into a fight about — and lets them weigh that information against their own values.
See the fun, celebrity studded promo for the book at www.ThankingtheMonkey.com
Praise for Thanking the Monkey
Thanking the Monkey received rave reviews from The Washington Post, New York Daily News, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and Nobel Prize-winning author J.M. Coetzee. It's also received endorsements from a diverse mix of celebrities, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis, HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" host Bill Maher, "The X-Files" star David Duchovny, feminist Gloria Steinem, and Matthew Scully, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush.
"Thanking the Monkey is a cogent and thoroughly researched overview of all the major issues in animal rights. . .This has the potential to become a big hit for a general reading audience that wants to know what the fuss is about animal rights, as well as the many college students at the forefront of animal rights activism."
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
"A fun book about the animal-rights movement? Dawn, an activist and author (online and print), has produced an easily digested, sound-bite laden primer to all sides and gradations of the crusade for animal rights. . . Well illustrated with numerous drawings and cartoons. An excellent introduction."
—Booklist
"Sensitive and informative, her first book, while encompassing all aspects of animal rights, focuses on animal exploitation. Dawn's view is not only uniquely free of overt sensationalism but factual. She covers cultural differences, historical practices, and a balance of divergent views on the ways animals are raised and used. . . Dawn manages, despite the seriousness of the subject matter, to intersperse bits of humor throughout, primarily through cartoons. A riveting text you'll be sure to want to read. Highly recommended."
—Library Journal
"Vegetarianism was a source of Gandhi’s successful non-violence, and cruelty to animals is a predictor of everything from domestic violence to serial killing. With wisdom and insight, Karen Dawn introduces readers to the fact that animal rights are an organic part of social justice movements everywhere. Her book is a bridge between worlds for both the committed and the curious."
—Gloria Steinem
"I am sick of being ignorant! This book is education with a smile, information with a kiss from a dog who just drank out of a toilet, and should be required reading for all students."
—Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Karen Dawn’s work is powerful — compelling and well-argued, intellectually sound and passionate."
—Paul Haggis, Oscar-winning writer/director of Crash
"In an age, and in a medium, in which people seem to be content with quick clichés and approximations, Karen Dawn writes a lucid and accurate prose that could be held up as a model to her profession."
—JM Coetzee, Nobel Prize-winning author of Disgrace
"Charming and thoughtful, witty yet engaged, it would be a hard heart that could put this book down without having old prejudices seriously shaken. Thanking the Monkey will make you sit up and take notice and probably, too, drop your fork and reach for the fruit."
—Jeffrey Masson, best-selling author of When Elephants Weep and Dogs Never Lie About Love
"I am so excited about Thanking the Monkey because I have loved Karen Dawn’s approach to animal rights for a long time. I love taking it and making it fresh, making it young and making it interesting."
—Persia White, star of Girlfriends
"This is a book that brings up a view of animals that should be part of mainstream thought. I applaud its publication."
—Bill Maher, host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher
"Karen Dawn’s new book is a graceful invitation to open your heart to animals. With well reasoned arguments and engaging, witty prose, Dawn goes beyond the usual categories of liberal and conservative with a message of compassion that speaks to everyone. The book is a fast read that can change your life forever."
—Matthew Scully, former senior speechwriter for President George W. Bush and author of Dominion
