The Ten Trusts: What We Must Do to Care for the Animals We Love by Jane Goodall & Marc Bekoff
224 pgs, paperback, new, may have remainder mark on edge and price sticker on bar code
Goodall (My Life with Chimpanzees; Reason for Hope) and Bekoff, a biology professor at the Univ. of Colorado, offer a prescriptive conservation plan designed to protect animals as well as help educate people about the importance of saving both animals and the environment. The authors, who have also worked on Roots & Shoots, an international service program for young people, explain their position by including personal recollections and statistical evidence. Their position that people have chosen to destroy both animals and habitats and will continue to do so unless they radically change their behavior is stressed throughout the book: "It is sad to have to put a monetary value on the wilderness and on animal species. But until the wealthy nations can agree to pay an annual `rent' on huge areas of land, it seems likely that governments in the developing world will exploit their natural resources in any way they can...." The steps to action, including "Praise and Help Those Who Work For Animals and the Natural World" and "Value and Help Preserve the Sounds of Nature," are sound. For example, having children work with animal protection programs has already been successfully tried. Suggesting that kids "adopt" animal programs by making monetary donations is also practical. The book is particularly likely to interest people already active in environmental causes.
