Eating Animals

Always hard reading a book that makes you re-think how you live your life, especially when it comes to how we eat.  Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer does just that, he makes the reader think deeply about what happens to our environment, health risks to our bodies, and of course, the animals themselves.  Safran Foer steps away from the fiction format, which has made him pretty popular among RAs in the past, to present a story that begins when the impending birth of his son and how he believes he can transform his earlier life choices (in terms of eating) during this life changing addition to his family by becoming a vegan.  If this book doesn’t compel one (and I guess me) to become more aware of the potential dangers to our world because of the mass production of animals for protein, not sure what will? Why dogs are not eaten and cows are?  What type of waste is produced by the mass production of animals for food?  How much emphasis the American consumers have affected the rest of the world, (and how obese we are as a society!)?  Safran Foer draws a great deal from previous reviews on the topic, including one of my favorites, Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.  He also does intensive research by interviewing farmers who are still trying to hold on against the “factory farming and commercial fisheries” that may in the end destroy our world.  Details of the various harms caused to animals through brutal treatment of “ray guns gone awry,” “suffocation,” and inhumane ways that workers kill animals will make one think twice before eating this year’s Thanksgiving turkey dinner.   The US is leading a very scary movement to influence other nations to produce meat products in a “lab” that allows us to produce animals through artificial insemination. A ton of ethical issues are presented to the reader, though Safran Foer always challenging our own views on what we should do as a member of the society.  It certainly isn’t a topic that one really wants to think about when sitting down for a prime rib dinner, but we really do need to reflect on how our footprint may destroy the future generation’s clean water, fresh air, and ability to live without new diseases.  A compelling read that presents a great deal of data (and personal stories from insiders) on the current practices that seemingly not being challenged by our government or many members of our society.  Every person should reflect on a book of this importance.  Of course an added benefit of the book is that you support a NYU Faculty member when you purchase it!   Tough read, but important.