that both chapters do not have clear echoes of each in them. All together they are quite complimentary. Perhaps even more interesting is to put both chapters in conversation with an earlier book by Kim Socha (2014), Animal Liberation and Atheism. Kim argues that animal liberation should be completely free from religious influence on the basis that all religion is inherently (and thus necessarily, by their own construction) hierarchical. There is always a god or gods that are supposed to be taken as unquestionably more important than any other being. Thus, if one can accept this dualism, it is all too easy to accept other ones. This includes a risk of disinterest in Earthly affairs since the spiritual afterlife is considered highly desired and all that really matters. Thus, it is curious that there is no mention of this (at least potential) tension in the introduction given that Kim wrote a book where they took a pretty hard line on the subject. Granted Kim’s book was written before Kim’s year of radical activism written about in their chapter in the present volume and is eight years old now, so views may have changed. Regardless, I think further commentary on this would have been a valuable addition to the introduction, which, as far as I’m concerned, is somewhat short. Also along this line is a chapter in another recent book edited by Anthony and Amber E. George. The chapter is titled “On the Dharma of Critical Animal Studies: Animal Spirituality and Total Liberation” by Michael Allen and Erica Von Essen (2022). Michael and Erica focus on Eastern religions’ spiritual beliefs and their potential to influence CAS through the use of spirituality and mysticism as alternative forms of knowledge and speculation about the realities of nonhuman others. It’s a fantastic idea. I must admit that I struggle with recognizing any form of religion as legitimate but Michael and Erica have a point about how to take inspiration from religion and use it for secular ends, without necessarily being religious oneself. Thus, it can be worth staying with the trouble of religion and animal liberation. The chapters by Sarah (2022), Michael and Erica (2022) and Kyle and Piper from RAS, along with Kim’s (2014) earlier book are all excellent for sizing up these relationships for oneself. By way of conclusion, I’ll end with a couple critiques and a final evaluation of the book. One small issue I have is that I do not really understand the impetus for essentially coining a new compound term— radical animal studies. If the point of RAS is to emphasize CAS’s principles Volume 19, Issue 1, June 2022
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