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Rating: 
Summary: Sheer propaganda!
Review: I have recently become a dedicated Joan Hess fan. However, I have been reading her books out of order. Yesterday I started "Roll Over and Play Dead" ready for another light, funny story. Unfortunately, I got a speech from a soapbox. On page 28 one of the "good 'guys'" states: "The National Institute of Health gives away over three and a half billion dollars of your tax dollars so researchers can cut animals up, cripple them, blind them, burn them, infect them with diseases, and in general torture them. Over seventy million animals die this way every year so that someone can determine that you really shouldn't drink paint solvent or put it in your eyes."WHOA! Where to begin? In the context of this story the reader is led to believe that the majority of these poor animals are pets - cats and dogs. NOT!!! Yes, I have been involved in animal research. I, like the vast majority of whole animal researchers, use rats. Never have I caused a rat undue pain (they are anesthetized by legal and moral code). Never have I pounded nails in a skull or any of the atrocities put forth in this book. In fact, I have never even heard of such a thing occuring in a lab. On the other hand, I HAVE heard of such things in pets homes from a vet tech student of mine. Such horrible cruelties are much more commonly afflicted upon animals by their "loving" owners. I stuck with this book through the end even after countless assults on scientists and the necessity of medical research. I have never worked with dogs but I still take offense at the insults steeped high in the course of the story. I respect the views of animal rights groups. However I fully agree with a poster hanging in the lab where I worked. It shows a group of protesters and the caption reads "Because of animal research, they have 20.9 more years to protest." The next time you pop an antibiotic to cure your bronchitis, or a pill to lower your blood pressure thank a scientist and a group of rats.
Rating: 
Summary: Not her best, but still good!
Review: Roll Over & Play Dead reveals Hess as her usual entertaining, witty self, but this time it's with a twist: she takes on the controversial issue of animal testing. Most of the general public really doesn't know (and may not want to know) what goes on in the world of animal testing. I do know; I've been in some animal testing labs. The world of animal testing is much uglier & more unconscionable than animal research scientists would have you believe. Hess always writes a good story, and this time she includes a worthy cause that definitely needs more press. I'm impressed that she tackled the issue!
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