The Forgotten Child

Yesterday, Anne and I again brought up how being fired in 2014 was one of the absolute best things that has ever happened to us (as I've written about). 

However, being canned and excommunicated from the Vegan community did keep The Accidental Activist from reaching much of an audience. That is, I think, too bad. Even though I no longer think along the same lines, and don't currently agree with a fair amount in the book, it probably could be useful for many advocates; e.g., "A Meaningful Life." 

Unlike my first book (which is one of the publisher's best-sellers ever, and continues to sell to this day) the rights for TAA reverted back to me. So, like Losing My Religions, the pdf of The Accidental Activist is free online. 

You can see the reviews here - quite a window on the past! 🤯 Below is the (edited and no longer entirely true) Forward by Peter Singer (the only reason the publisher agreed to go ahead with the project after the (ultimately fortuitous and profitable) ugliness of 2014, described in Day 22, p. 403). 

I have followed Matt Ball’s evolution for many years, and observed the parallels with the evolution of the animal rights movement in the United States. Matt began his involvement in animal rights in the 1980s by participating in, and sometimes getting arrested during, protests against the use of fur, and against testing household products on animals.

Nowadays Matt, in keeping with a large proportion of current animal activists, is much more focused on utilitarian goals. The bottom line for Matt is to have the greatest possible beneficial impact for animals, given the finite resources available. Matt’s advocacy is informed by his understanding of psychology and the social sciences. It is based on a realistic, thorough, and ongoing evaluation of society as it currently is, and on how change can and does come about at different levels, from individuals to industries.

There is room for diverse views within the animal movement. Not every animal activist will agree with Matt on the best focus for her or his activities, nor on the best way of reducing animal suffering. Nevertheless, every activist will benefit from reading about how he arrived at where is today—especially because he is candid in describing what he now considers mistakes and missteps. 

Wisdom is the ability to learn from one’s own mistakes and from the mistakes of others. We are fortunate to have people like Matt helping us to be wiser tomorrow.