Neither Man Nor Beast

Adam's "The Sexual Politics of Meat" introduced a new idea to the general public: that the eating of meat and the oppression of woman are intimately connected. According to Adams, the patriarchal mind constructs both women and animals as "other", and sees them only in terms of their usefulness. Insofar as women participate in meat-eating, Adams argued, they are complicit in their own oppression. Although most of the essays were previously published, they have been largely inaccessible and so the collection is welcome. Some of the essays are geared to sophisticated academic audiences; most presume at least some acquaintance with feminist theory, but even general readers with an interest in animal rights should be intrigued by Adams's work.