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ysabitree's review against another edition
4.0
Disturbing and definitely makes me want to become a vegetarian!!! Could have been better organized, as there was plenty of repetition. Maybe that was on purpose though.
pippa_w's review against another edition
4.0
"Can we tell a new story?"
First of all, I continue to love the artful way in which Jonathan Safran Foer's books are physically laid out. They're unique, interesting, and stunning.
Stylistically, Eating Animals can be described as a series of (often-narrative) essays laden with careful and extensive research. As for the content, well, the straightforward title is well-chosen: Foer explores the culture and impact of eating animals, and his own experience with both.
"Generally speaking, I didn't cause hurt. Generally speaking, I strove to do the right thing. Generally speaking, my conscience was clear enough. Pass the chicken, I'm starving."
The book also includes several complete, stand-alone letters from all sides of the food debate -- factory farmers to animal rights activists to vegans who designed slaughterhouses (I kid you not). Some are more polarizing than others. You'll hate some and you'll like some, but who falls into each category depends on where your biases lie. I love this. In a succinct, effortless way, Foer forces his reader to consider the book's issues from every angle, even those they'd rather dismiss.
As much as the book is about a 360° view of that topic, it's also a tribute to Foer's family -- past, present, and future -- and their relationship with food. Most notable and enjoyable is his grandmother -- a Holocaust survivor who lived by running and hiding. She's an amazing woman, and Foer has some amazing stories about the matriarch and her following generations. They add warmth and humour to a book that, otherwise, and without Foer's light touch, would have been dark and depressing.
"Cruelty depends on an understanding of cruelty, and the ability to choose against it. Or to choose to ignore it."
This book isn't easy reading. It goes into animal cruelty's role in the meat and fish industries, and Foer employs unnerving frankness, black humour, and shock-value metaphor to illustrate key concepts (ie. a rather explicit argument for eating dogs, including with a recipe that begins "first, kill a medium-sized dog," to give an introductory overview of the ecology and ethics of meat). Foer started writing this book when he learned he was going to be a father, but don't expect that to mean he's going to treat the topic with kiddie gloves. He doesn't. Not by a long shot.
(He also doesn't even kind of follow through on his commitment to not be preachy. In the last few chapters he drops the ball on balance. I'm largely on his side of the argument and even I became a little done with his rhetorical style toward the end. His judgment of half the people he spoke to and became friends with becomes very evident and, if you're like me, you feel a bit betrayed on their behalf. This is a passionate, ethical topic with high stakes. He still goes beyond the needs of his thesis.)
This book will change the way you think about your food. In one way or another, it will. If you're not prepared for that, don't read Eating Animals. If you're even kind of prepared for that, do.
I'll end this review with a quote from Foer's grandmother, which in many ways serves as the book's thesis:
"'If nothing matters, there's nothing to save.'"
First of all, I continue to love the artful way in which Jonathan Safran Foer's books are physically laid out. They're unique, interesting, and stunning.
Stylistically, Eating Animals can be described as a series of (often-narrative) essays laden with careful and extensive research. As for the content, well, the straightforward title is well-chosen: Foer explores the culture and impact of eating animals, and his own experience with both.
"Generally speaking, I didn't cause hurt. Generally speaking, I strove to do the right thing. Generally speaking, my conscience was clear enough. Pass the chicken, I'm starving."
The book also includes several complete, stand-alone letters from all sides of the food debate -- factory farmers to animal rights activists to vegans who designed slaughterhouses (I kid you not). Some are more polarizing than others. You'll hate some and you'll like some, but who falls into each category depends on where your biases lie. I love this. In a succinct, effortless way, Foer forces his reader to consider the book's issues from every angle, even those they'd rather dismiss.
As much as the book is about a 360° view of that topic, it's also a tribute to Foer's family -- past, present, and future -- and their relationship with food. Most notable and enjoyable is his grandmother -- a Holocaust survivor who lived by running and hiding. She's an amazing woman, and Foer has some amazing stories about the matriarch and her following generations. They add warmth and humour to a book that, otherwise, and without Foer's light touch, would have been dark and depressing.
"Cruelty depends on an understanding of cruelty, and the ability to choose against it. Or to choose to ignore it."
This book isn't easy reading. It goes into animal cruelty's role in the meat and fish industries, and Foer employs unnerving frankness, black humour, and shock-value metaphor to illustrate key concepts (ie. a rather explicit argument for eating dogs, including with a recipe that begins "first, kill a medium-sized dog," to give an introductory overview of the ecology and ethics of meat). Foer started writing this book when he learned he was going to be a father, but don't expect that to mean he's going to treat the topic with kiddie gloves. He doesn't. Not by a long shot.
(He also doesn't even kind of follow through on his commitment to not be preachy. In the last few chapters he drops the ball on balance. I'm largely on his side of the argument and even I became a little done with his rhetorical style toward the end. His judgment of half the people he spoke to and became friends with becomes very evident and, if you're like me, you feel a bit betrayed on their behalf. This is a passionate, ethical topic with high stakes. He still goes beyond the needs of his thesis.)
This book will change the way you think about your food. In one way or another, it will. If you're not prepared for that, don't read Eating Animals. If you're even kind of prepared for that, do.
I'll end this review with a quote from Foer's grandmother, which in many ways serves as the book's thesis:
"'If nothing matters, there's nothing to save.'"
mamaxke's review against another edition
5.0
This was really good, well written and didn't seem preachy. I would have liked to have seen a bit more about dairy. It did make me recommit to not eating animal products and made me reconsider my views on seafood. So...careful if you read it. :)
jude907's review against another edition
4.0
This book contains a lot of disturbing factors about farming especially factory farming of poultry farms. I have heard about the cruelty and bad condition of the factory farms before. However, I have been avoiding this subject for a long time. It was simply eye opening. What I liked about the book the most is the stories of people who works at farms which follow the traditional farming like Frank Reese. The author put those stories in a way that you think about things deeply through reading the book. There are so many things affected by the factory farms. It’s not just about moral or environment. It’s also about our health and our children’s health. After finishing the book, I myself a lifelong omnivore seriously started to consider choosing plant based diet from now on. Although I can’t agree with some of the authors thoughts in the book, I believe this book has a huge impact on people who reads it.
md_1995's review against another edition
5.0
Not what I was expecting, pretty US centric but still offered a lot of information but more valuable was the debate which it roused and the clarity with which is was handled. A good book for anyone who needs a digestible read on eating animals.
shansandler's review against another edition
5.0
The information is this book is absolutely mind-altering. I feel as if I've been kept in the dark all my life on a very important topic.
msnicolelee's review against another edition
4.0
A wonderful book for anyone that is interested in learning about factory farming and vegetarianism/veganism. It is also a really great book for anyone who may already know about the horrors of factory farming but wants an emotional and personal encounter with how this knowledge can affect one person's life drastically.