Eating Animals

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LTHMPLS, September 5, 2011 (view all comments by LTHMPLS)
I typically rate books and do not write reviews. Why should I throw my two cents in about a topic when everyone else has probably said the same thing--and more eloquently? Do I need to repeat what has already been written just so I can see my name somewhere? It feels narcissistic. Or perhaps that is just a good excuse for not being able to add anything new?

This one is hard to leave without a review or reflection though. I am not even sure what a rating matters in this instance. I could give it a 3 or a 4 because I thought it was powerful, but felt too emotionally wrenched by it or manipulated by the rhetoric. I could give it a one for forcing me to reconsider my purchasing and eating habits and for making me feel like I have a horrible conscience. A five would signal the transformative power contained herein. Any of these feels arbitrary, so I give it a four based on all of these reasons.

I did not enjoy this book. I found it funny in a few places. I was perplexed by some of his comments (his belittling dismissal of normal consumers who would take the slaughter of an animal's life into their own hands in order to know from where their food came). He is clever and he pushes cultural norms and logical buttons (dogs as a source of food). And yes, he is absolutely rhetorically dastardly.

Why shouldn't he be? The industry of factory farming does not play fair and acts with such stomach-churning cruelty that his rhetorical deviousness is the best approach. Going about our normal lives and presuming that we live in a harmless society or pretending that our consumption is not harmful to the animals, our environment, and ultimately to us (see his connection to pandemics) is as unsustainable as these "farms."

Foer himself is a vegetarian and his ultimate goal is vague. He says that the book is not simply a case for vegetarianism--though this seems ideal because it reduces animal suffering the most. He presents some of the family farmers and ranchers who truly care about animals, try to give them happy lives, and the least-cruel death possible. These real farmers do exist and can thrive (and multiply) if our consumption changes. In some ways, this approach--fully funded and supported through our ethical choices--is more of a blow to the factory farm behemoth (and more realistic) than assuming there will be a mass conversion to vegetarianism. It is also supported by vegetarian ranchers and vegan slaughterhouse builders.

I have known many of these facts and yet have turned away and gone back to my old ways of thoughtless consumption in the past. This feels different. I do not see how my desire for animal flesh can justify the cruelty and suffering that Foer presents in these pages (and is available through many other sources). Rate it whatever you want, but read it and wrestle with it.

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Martin Hallanzzini, September 1, 2011 (view all comments by Martin Hallanzzini)
Inspired me to join my souse in vegetarianism and saying no to the factory farm. Safron has such an accessible way of writing that allows the reader to fully engage with the topic of EATING ANIMALS.

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selena hoy, January 26, 2011 (view all comments by selena hoy)
Great book, makes thoughtful and compelling arguments about considering the implications of our diets. At least one friend felt compelled to make a change after reading this book.

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Product Details

ISBN:

9780316069885

Author:

Foer, Jonathan Safran

Publisher:

Back Bay Books

Subject:

Animal Rights

Subject:

General

Subject:

Agriculture & Food

Subject:

Essays

Subject:

Vegetarianism

Subject:

Vegetarianism - Philosophy

Subject:

Outdoors-Conservation and Animal Rights

Copyright:

2010

Publication Date:

20100931

Binding:

TRADE PAPER

Language:

English

Pages:

341

Dimensions:

8.22x5.54x.97 in. .71 lbs.