Convenience, price and packaging have become the driving forces behind the American diet. But what is the true cost of our day-to-day food choices?
To answer this timely and important question, coauthors Peter Singer, our most probing ethicist, and Jim Mason, an environmentally conscious writer and attorney, undertake a modern-day odyssey both shocking and illuminating. Beginning their adventure at the dinner tables of three typical families with differing tastes and grocery shopping habits, they set out to trace the origins of the foods we eat.
“Eating is, among other things, an ethical act. But to eat ethically requires knowledge of how our food is produced. In this well-researched and deeply troubling book, Peter Singer and Jim Mason paint a devastating portrait of the American meat industry that is bound to change the way you eat.”
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“In their new book—commonsense in its approach, easy to read, packed with information—Peter Singer and Jim Mason show how market forces inexorably drive farmers toward cruel practices. But their overall message is not bleak. Factory farming is under pressure to justify itself. The day may not be far when we will return to a more ethical treatment of fellow animals, and there are many practical things that ordinary consumers can do to bring that day nearer.”
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“An absolutely indispensable book for anyone who thinks about what they eat. Singer and Mason present a sensible, rational discussion of why we should care about what we put into our stomach—whether for health reasons, for the environment’s health, for the sake of animals, or for the people who work at producing our food. The Way We Eat is that rare combination of a lively read and thorough research and investigation. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”
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