The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter by Peter Singer, Jim Mason Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter
Book Review: Ethical Consumption
Summary: 5 Stars
There are several books lining the shelves that contain information on animal rights, vegetarianism, and organic and fair trade food items. However, none seem quite as well-rounded, or nearly as objective and succinct as Peter Singer and Jim Mason's The Ethics of What We Eat. These two authors have put together an incredibly well-crafted and unbiased argument regarding making ethical choices at the grocery store, and "voting" with one's diet and wallet.
The book begins by taking the reader to the grocery store on a routine shopping trip with a few different families. The first family is what one might consider your stereotypical "meat and potatoes" American consumers. The second family, in contrast, are "conscientious omnivores" who pay fairly close attention to their purchases, buying certified organic and fair trade items, and eat little meat. The third family is vegan. The authors even foray into "dumpster diving" with a few people who contend that ethical eating involves not letting disposed of edibles go to waste. The day-to-day purchases (or scavenges) of each of these families are dissected and analyzed. Which one of these families is truly making the most ethically sound decisions when it comes to their daily food choices? What lies behind that "Certified Organic" label? What does it mean when something is labeled "free range" or "fair trade?" Is it worth paying extra money for something with the aforementioned labels?
While focusing quite a bit on factory farming, this book also discusses the ethics of buying locally grown food, sustainability of marine ecosystems, environmental impacts of food production (including water and gas use), and the global economy. Pros and cons are given for each side of each argument, and, though they ultimately seem to side with a vegan diet as being the most ethically sound decision, they do note that this may be too drastic a decision for many and leave it up to the reader to come to their own conclusions about what to place in their shopping cart. The authors are never "preachy" with regards to the information presented, as many of the books found in this genre so often are.
As if this book itself weren't packed full enough with useful information itself, the back of the book provides several good books, websites, and stores where more information can be found on any of the included issues. Overall, this book is very highly recommended for those who want to put some thought and attention into what they put on their plates and into their mouths. The food industry does indeed try to keep consumers in the dark, and it's time everyone took some initiative to educate themselves on their dietary choices. This is a great place to start.
Book Review: Well written, but the premise was a bit contrived
Summary: 3 Stars
This book was very well written and well researched, but I felt that basing the whole book around the eating habits of these three families was a bit contrived. Also, although I figured (being familiar with Singers other books) the book was headed toward an advocation of a vegan lifestyle, I would have preferred that the authors be upfront about that and intersperse it throughout the whole book instead of waiting until the last 10 pages or so to get to their real point which was not to eat animals at all.
Still, it had a lot of good information and will hopefully make people more aware of what they are eating. However, I fear that they are probably just preaching to the choir.
Book Review: Shopping with your mind
Summary: 5 Stars
It's not much fun, sitting down to a meal and having your conscience nagging at you about what you're eating. Anybody on a diet can impart the agonies of decision-making when various foods are on offer. However, as Singer and Mason go to some length to point out, there's even more thinking involved in partaking of the foods offered today. The most important issue they argue is learning where the food originated, and how it was treated before reaching your table. "Ethical eating" has become a major consideration to an increasing number of US consumers. In this exhaustive study, the authors portray a trio of families, using their food buying habits as gateways to examining where the food comes from. The picture is generally grim, but they demonstrate how change is taking place.
The three families represent a troika of ethical choices. One follows the Standard American Diet [SAD], of high levels of meat consumption and fast food. Their primary consideration is availability and cost. The second, although aware of the ethical options behind food production, are constrained by available time and family demands. The third, a "vegan" family has managed to shun all animal foods. Their greatest problem is acquiring foods that meet their standards. They are fully aware of the ethical questions arising from modern farming methods.
Farming in North America has undergone immense changes in only a few years. Where the "family farm" was once considered an optimum lifestyle, "agribusiness" has concentrated land, and coalesced the production methods. Now, "barrage" animal housing has usurped the open paddock and "free ranging" livestock. Chickens, whether as egg producers or meat, are crammed in ranks of cages, unable to move. Beaks are clipped and forced moults are a practice achieved by starving the fowl. Cattle and pigs fare no better, as they are closeted in pens or "farrow crates" to maintain complete control over their condition. Many justifications are offered for these practices, but the ultimate one remains profit. Animal raisers claim that losses due to the enclosure techniques are more acceptable than would be the case in open living animals. Chicken raisers cite the threat of "avian flu" while the pig and cattle raisers deem grain feeding as better than grass or rooting. The result is huge concentrations of thousands of animals, all living in purely artificial situations.
The authors met with great reluctance by the major distributers when they sought to view food animal raising conditions. Through various means and with the cooperation of a few producers, they were able to see, but not film, barracks breeding establishments. They interviewed farmers and distributers, where possible, and toured retail stores with the subject families. Their investigations also reached to the new practice of "fish farming" and relate the impact of this practice on the remaining wild stocks. They also discovered how "renaming" some species to make them more marketable has become a common practice. Another ploy has been to simply overlook the source of some seafood, with shrimp arriving from the Far East and elsewhere.
They conclude the study with an examination of what is meant by the terms "ethical" in consuming and "organic" in producing. As they spell out the options and disputes surrounding these concepts, their scope is wide. Narrow definitions and rigid ideals have no place in a global food market. Is it more ethical to pay a local farmer directly, or pay for foreign produce that may spell the difference between subsistence and abject poverty for Third World producers? Is it actually cheaper to fly in New Zealand products than buy "US made"? Why should that be the case? The consumer is obviously caught up in these conundrums, and it takes a great deal of dedicated interest to make intelligent and proper decisions. Shopping shouldn't be a chore in our times and the retailer has as much responsibility in providing correct information as the consumer is in seeking it out. This book is an invaluable resource for all levels of food production and consumption. If you can read without flinching about the conditions under which your evening hamburger is produced, then this book should be high on your list of references. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Book Review: YES...inspired me again...very thoughtful
Summary: 5 Stars
Great read...time to look at the way we eat and it's VERY important impact on the global community. Eating is an ethical act...this book offers insight and thoughtful discussion on this communal activity. Great read...
The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter
Book Review: Eat Ethically
Summary: 5 Stars
Find out where your food comes from and learn how to eat more carefully. This is a very eye-opening read.