Eating
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Product Description
Book Description
By leading philosopher Peter Singer and environmentalist Jim Mason, a hard-hitting and thought-provoking exploration of the ethics of our diets.
Product Description
Written with investigative vigour, provocative and controversial but always accessible, Eating is a hard-hitting exploration of our eating habits, making us look at what we eat as a moral issue.
Organic foods are the fastest growing section of the food industry, and it is estimated that vegans are now almost as common as vegetarians. Veal consumption in the US has fallen by more than 75% since 1975, and in the UK, sales of free-range eggs have now passed in value sales of eggs from caged hens. Evidently we are concerned. But how concerned should we be about where our food comes from? Does the food we buy really affect the world around us? And what can we do?
In Eating, philosopher Peter Singer and environmentalist Jim Mason follow three families with varying eating habits, from fast-food eaters to vegans, to explore how the food we eat makes its way to the table, and at what expense. The authors peel back each layer of food production, and examine how they ought to factor into our buying choices. Recognising that we are not all likely to become vegetarian or vegan, they go on to offer ways to make the most ethical choices within the framework of a diet that includes animal products.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This was quite simply one of the most interesting books I have ever read. Apart from the fascinating subject discussed, the writing is superb. Although the book follows 3 American families, it could quite easily have followed 3 British families with no difficulty at all to the British reader - simply substitute Asda for Walmart etc. How the previous reviewer can say British readers will find it difficult to maintain interest is beyond me.
The book follows the eating habits of 3 very different American families. One is on a low wage and buys the cheapest food products available. The other two families have larger disposable incomes, one buys ethically and organically where possible, whilst the other is vegan. The books looks at the reasons for their eating habits, and the history of where and how each item of food they buy has been produced. The book makes plenty of references to UK equivalents and, at the risk of repeating myself, it really isn't difficult for British readers to follow. After all, a chicken is a chicken and a slaughterhouse is a slaughterhouse.
One of the previous reviewers criticises the book because it doesn't spend enough time discussing the hardships of the people producing the food. I find that criticism quite extraordinary. Firstly it is completely incorrect, and secondly even if it were true, the book is about food, not the people producing it.
It was probably impossible for the authors to have reached any other conclusions than the one they reached. However this book is not "a polemic disguised as a debate about how food is produced." The book looks at cold hard facts, digests those facts and reaches obvious conclusions. Even if the ethical arguments don't convince readers to stop eating meat, the environmental and health impacts should - if these are difficult for meat-eaters to accept, then so be it.
In conclusion, this was one of the best books I have read in years.
The book follows the eating habits of 3 very different American families. One is on a low wage and buys the cheapest food products available. The other two families have larger disposable incomes, one buys ethically and organically where possible, whilst the other is vegan. The books looks at the reasons for their eating habits, and the history of where and how each item of food they buy has been produced. The book makes plenty of references to UK equivalents and, at the risk of repeating myself, it really isn't difficult for British readers to follow. After all, a chicken is a chicken and a slaughterhouse is a slaughterhouse.
One of the previous reviewers criticises the book because it doesn't spend enough time discussing the hardships of the people producing the food. I find that criticism quite extraordinary. Firstly it is completely incorrect, and secondly even if it were true, the book is about food, not the people producing it.
It was probably impossible for the authors to have reached any other conclusions than the one they reached. However this book is not "a polemic disguised as a debate about how food is produced." The book looks at cold hard facts, digests those facts and reaches obvious conclusions. Even if the ethical arguments don't convince readers to stop eating meat, the environmental and health impacts should - if these are difficult for meat-eaters to accept, then so be it.
In conclusion, this was one of the best books I have read in years.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Yes, a great book again from Peter Singer, giving us the real opportunity to think about what it is we are eating and the moral implications of our choices. I particulary liked the way the Authors took 3 families as examples and followed the food they ate to source, then suggested real changes that we the consumer could make that actually impact a great deal on the lives of the people and other beings involved in the food chain. Empowering.
Format:Paperback
Good, solid reasoning from the dependable Peter Singer, but not a classic. It tends to confirm your understanding of the issues rather than take you forward into any new territory. I found I skipped some of the book as it started to become a little relentless and repetitive, and, for this UK reader, the US references and story-lines just took some of the edge of its enjoyment and relevance for me personally.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Why Only Vegans Can Save the Earth....
The authors follow three different American families tracing the source of the food that these very different people collect from their, mainly, supermarket shopping. Read more
Published on 20 Mar 2008 by J. Grundy
British buyers beware!
Let me say first that the principles and ideas behind this book are entirely sound - finding out where our food comes from, how and why it is produced and how we can make more... Read more
Published on 6 Jun 2007 by Christopher Clipson
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