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particular subject. In 2004, a law enforcement officer shot to death a cougar sleeping in a tree in Palo Alto, California. With the state's populations of humans and cougars then at 35 million and four thousand, respectively, this incident led me to reflect on the economic principle—inconsistently applied, it turns out—that value is based on scarcity.
    And a few years later, the slaughterhouse video Glass Walls showed a cow dangling upside-down from one hoof in a fast-moving butchering machine. Already past the stunning station (without being stunned) and headed for the belly-ripping station, she continued to bellow and struggle to free herself. We don't often see animals as individuals, but when we do, it can leave a lasting impression. These individual animals, and many others whose lives or deaths I've seen—sometimes just in brief glimpses—have changed the focus of my own existence.
    I am indebted to the many people who helped with this book—particularly those who provided comments on the manuscript simply because I asked. As the combined result of their good-natured generosity and my shameless begging, I had the tremendous good fortune to be advised in this effort by more than thirty people. Seven readers have advanced degrees in economics. Ten have PhDs. Twelve are lawyers. Some fit more than one category. While this feedback dramatically improved the book's accuracy and objectivity, I remain solely responsible for any errors. Further, I note that several of those who commented disagree, in varying levels, with my analysis and/or recommendations.
    I am particularly grateful to Donald Garlit, Claire Kim, John Maher, and Michael Pease for heroically spending the many hours necessary to read and comment on the entire manuscript. For their valuable help in reviewing parts of the manuscript, I also owe deep thanks to John Boik, Chris Bryan, Karen Davis, Carol Glasser, Michael Harrington, Chris Holbein, Julie Jaffe, Miles Jaffe, Melanie Joy, Dina Kourda, Tom Lillehof, Dara Lovitz, Tania Marie, F. Bailey Norwood, Robert Ranucci, Kendra Sagoff, Mark Sagoff, Larry Simon, Max Simon, Michele Simon, Janice Stanger, Paul Wazzan, James McWilliams, and Bill Weissinger. And special thanks to Erin Evans for her valuable research and editorial assistance.
    A number of veterans of the book trade were key to this work's publication, and I am grateful for their expert assistance. My agent, Lindsay Edgecombe, provided invaluable advice at each step, guiding me through the publishing process with energy and savvy. My editor, Caroline Pincus, backed this book with courage, enthusiasm, and foresight. Josh Chetwynd provided terrific editorial help, excising redundancies and lawyer-speak with the skill of a surgeon. Thanks also to Ali McCart for her astute and meticulous copyediting, Vanessa Ta for her excellent production editing, and Bonni Hamilton and Anne Sullivan for their zealous and creative promotional efforts.
    I'm especially grateful to my partner, Tania Marie, for her extraordinary patience, support, and encouragement. The past few years saw many a sunny Saturday or Sunday morning spent in the house, working. She brightened those indoor hours with her sparkle.
    Finally, I must also recognize Joy, Gaia, Boojum, and Sweet Pea—the rabbit, tortoise, and two cats who share our home and whose visits punctuated and enlivened many a writing session. The cats even gave their own input, walking on the keyboard every so often to insert random strings of characters in the manuscript. These individual animals' unique personalities and behaviors provide a daily reminder that they, like all sentient beings, live to pursue their own versions of happiness.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    David Robinson Simon is a lawyer and advocate for sustainable consumption. He works as general counsel for a healthcare company and serves on the board of the APRL Fund, a non-profit dedicated to protecting animals.
    David received his BA from UC Berkeley and his JD from