Book Forty Two - Eating Animals

I heard about "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer on George Stroumboulopoulos tonight, which I find to be a good source to find out about good books and movies etc. It was good timing for me to read this book since I have been transitioning into a vegetarian diet since the spring. Vegetarian or not, everyone should read this book since we all need to be aware of where our food comes from, and the toll that it takes on our planet.

There are sections of this book that are quite upsetting to read. It goes into detail about the ways that different types of animals are slaughtered and also discusses their living conditions. It also discusses the factory farming that has become so prevalent these days.

The book also presents some farmers that are trying hard to do better for the animals, and for the planet, but they are fighting a losing battle it seems. Even those farmers that are able to raise their animals humanely are struggling to find slaughterhouses that will not cause undue suffering to the animals at the end.

If you eat, then you should read this book. One must know all the facts in order to make the most responsible choices. We can no longer turn a blind eye to things that we find unpleasant. Even if a person chooses to eat meat, they can make better choices as to the source of that meat, or the quantity of meat consumed. Cheap meat should not be the ultimate goal, as we will all pay an enormous price for that in the end.