Book Review: Eating Animals

Disclaimer: I am predisposed to like something by Jonathan Safran Foer, and therefore to find him more persuasive. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was wonderfully written and so moving that I would find probably any non-fiction work by him if not compelling, than at least trustworthy.

I picked up Eating Animals from the local library knowing that it would probably sway me to maintain a vegetarian diet (which I had tried for 6 months sometime in college). Interestingly, Foer makes the point that most people when hearing about the book assumed that it would be a cry for vegetarianism, even though Foer went into the project simply looking to get the facts and make educated decisions about what he and his family should eat. Why would a book about eating animals necessarily be vegetarian-minded? It implies that we know already that there is something wrong about eating animals; that learning more about it will give evidence not for being omnivorous but for swearing off meat.

This book was eye-opening. Thorough. Personal. When I last tried not eating animals, I did it just to try. I hadn't had any particular experience or learned anything specific that made me want to be a vegetarian. I just felt that it was a morally preferable choice, and wanted to see what it would feel like to do it (and if I could sustain it). In the end, I went back to meat. In recent months, I've been cutting back chicken and beef in favor of pescatarian options, though not seriously making an effort to be pescatarian.

After reading this book, I decided I no longer want to eat meat. I believe that this time, my vegetarianism will last. I'm no longer ignorant about factory farming and the cruel conditions animals I eat have faced in their short, unnatural lifetimes. I'm no longer 'just trying it.' I enjoy the taste of meat, but knowing what I know after reading this book, I just don't want to eat it. It's not even just the gruesome descriptions of what happens at factory farms. It's a culmination of knowing that environmentally, vegetarianism is a more sustainable option. It's knowing that we eat too much meat anyway. It's knowing that I don't have to eat meat, and that this is probably the easiest time to be a vegetarian (for me, at least) ever.

Some excerpts from the book that I found particularly interesting and compelling:
"The choice-obsessed modern West is probably more accommodating to individuals who choose to eat differently than any culture has ever been, but ironically, the utterly unselective omnivore--"I'm easy; I'll eat anything"--can appear more socially sensitive than the individual who tries to eat in a way that is good for society."

A farmer who raises turkeys naturally, quoted by Foer: "People care about animals. I believe that. They just don't want to know or to pay. A fourth of all chickens have stress fractures. It's wrong. They're packed body to body, and can't escape their waste, and never see the sun. Their nails grow around the bars of their cages. It's wrong. They feel their slaughters. It's wrong, and people know it's wrong. They don't have to be convinced. They just have to act differently. I'm not better than anyone, and I'm not trying to convince people to live by my own standards of what's right. I'm trying to convince them to live by their own."

I'm going to try to live by my own standards.



One question that remains unanswered for me is whether to try and be completely vegan. Foer does all of the legwork I needed to see that a vegetarian lifestyle is best for me, but he didn't do as much digging (or writing, at least) about eating other animal products. I'm thinking of weaning myself into veganism, but don't want to make changes so suddenly that I find it too overwhelming to keep up with it. I want to do it right. I think I'll start by buying some vegan snacks and looking into vegan alternatives to products like eggs cooking-wise. I've already switched to soy milk (and it's delicious, and basically the same price as cow's milk!). Thankfully, I have a lot of vegan friends that I can look to for advice and recipes.

I still have questions about balancing being veg/vegan and trying to not eat as many processed foods. So many veg/vegan substitutes are highly processed. I was mostly swayed toward vegetarianism by Foer's arguments about animal cruelty, but I also want to make healthy choices for myself and limit my intake of highly processed foods. This is going to require some more research and legwork on my part.

Next steps for me:
1. Get more veg/vegan recipes to try, so that it's easier to have a healthy, varied, satisfying veg diet.
2. Get to the local farmer's market to see what products are available to cut back on processed foods.
3. Talk with veg/vegan friends about their advice and food recommendations.
4. Shop for more veg/vegan alternatives. Try new things.
5. Finish the fish, cheese, eggs, and butter that I've already purchased, but also be looking for items that can replace these once I finish them.