"In recent years the ways in which humans treat animals has come to hold a central place in contemporary ethics, encapsulating, as it does, our increasingly strained relationship with our environment as well as overlapping with other global issues such as overpopulation and hunger. [This book] is a compelling account of some of the often bitterly contentious debates surrounding animal ethics. [It] will appeal to both students and general readers, giving a fascinating introduction to animal rights-- and what matters most about them"--Back cover.