I am also a long-term vegetarian (for reasons relating to meat production and world hunger) who recently began considering entering the meat-eating world again. I've read tons of books about food and where it comes from, and have followed the Food, Inc and Ominvore's Delimma tidal wave.
But Foer has captured something with this book - he has raised the skirt on the industry of meat making and challenges his readers to gaze into the madness without looking away. Inspired by his first son's birth, his book is a search for what is ethically acceptable to place into our mouths. He talks of the stories behind food and of his late night forays into turkey farms. My personal favorite section of the book was a glossary of terms - a witty dictionary of all things agribuisness related. The chapters are broken up with amazing graphics that drive his points home. Just check out his awesome book site.
The book reaffirmed my prior convictions for vegetarianism - but I think anyone who cares about what they eat and why they eat it should give it a chance. I'm serious. It's a well written book and is sure to prompt thought next time you are in the supermarket!
If you aren't convinced yet, check out this quote from Huffington Press. It pretty much sums up my feelings on the book:
Eating Animals is part personal journey, part modern muckraking and a surprisingly candid and empathetic book on food. Foer doesn't preach but instead invites us to have a conversation with family farmers and factory farmers, animal activists and slaughterhouse workers. His book is important not because he has all the answers (he often acknowledges his own uncertainty), but because he asks the right questions and makes it impossible for us not to ask them too.
I've been devouring books lately - more reviews coming soon!
