Eating Animals

Such important material. Such a great presentation. Such a shame that he ends it on such an offputting sanctimonious note.

We all know we need to eat less meat. We can all use periodic boosts to our resolution; some of us also appreciate impartial observations about the meat we do eat, especially when we're hoping to eat humanely raised and ethically slaughtered animals. This book provided much of that: points of view I hadn't considered, frank discussion of the difficulties of being humane throughout an animal's entire life. Genuinely thought-provoking material. Then, at the end, he goes all preachy-like and undoes so much of the good he's done! I felt like eating a fuck-you burger just out of spite. (I didn't, but it's taken me more than a week to get over my ill will and write a fair(ish) review.)

So, unless you're already vegan: read this book, but skip the last section (“Storytelling”). There's worthwhile material in it, but it's not worth the proselytizing.

If you eat any meat at all, even 100% non-CAFO, read it. You will be better informed, and perhaps be a better person.

If you do eat CAFO meat, I don't know what to say: you probably should read this book, but you won't. It'll be too difficult. Do me favor, though: start thinking a little about the animals you eat. Start paying attention to infectious-disease news and to animal-rights voices. At some point you'll be ready to read this, and then please do. (Just skip the last section).