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sophie_huy's review against another edition
3.0
2.5⭐
Might downgrade to 2 later.
The author brings up very interesting points as to why a Vegetarian/vegan diet for everyone is unsustainable. She divides her arguments in themes like political and health-related (and others, I listened to the audio book so I don't have them under my eyes) which was a good way to go about it imo.
There's definitely quite some food for thoughts (
Might downgrade to 2 later.
The author brings up very interesting points as to why a Vegetarian/vegan diet for everyone is unsustainable. She divides her arguments in themes like political and health-related (and others, I listened to the audio book so I don't have them under my eyes) which was a good way to go about it imo.
There's definitely quite some food for thoughts (
mastercabs's review against another edition
I try to examine intelligent arguments against my own beliefs on things so as to not fossilize into an untenable position. As a vegetarian, I read this looking for such and found it wanting. Poor Ms. Keith cries over slugs and meets the stupidest vegans and space-cadets imaginable. She finds a magical world full of life in her topsoil and reaches the mind-shattering epiphany of -gasp!- sustenance requiring death. After expounding on the evils of factory farming she sets out a line of reasoning that is sure to keep the industry running for years and years.
Keith's pathos arguments at times make it sound as if there is a global corn conspiracy, enslaving human beings, as if she has made a deal with the chicken union to take care of them so long as they provide her with meat and eggs, as if every vegetarian and vegan has or will have health problems that border on her own. Her book is reviewed by self-proclaimed global-warming skeptic, Michael Eades, who points out the her passion "...bleed[s] through in every sentence..." On that point, I agree. I got so tired of reading about her puerile and sophomoric insights that I eventually had to just put this one down. Life is too short to read books like this.
Keith's pathos arguments at times make it sound as if there is a global corn conspiracy, enslaving human beings, as if she has made a deal with the chicken union to take care of them so long as they provide her with meat and eggs, as if every vegetarian and vegan has or will have health problems that border on her own. Her book is reviewed by self-proclaimed global-warming skeptic, Michael Eades, who points out the her passion "...bleed[s] through in every sentence..." On that point, I agree. I got so tired of reading about her puerile and sophomoric insights that I eventually had to just put this one down. Life is too short to read books like this.
planetevelyn's review against another edition
5.0
Essential reading for anyone who cares about the planet.
There's no easy answer and trying to make one creates more damage.
There's no easy answer and trying to make one creates more damage.
inurlibrary's review against another edition
3.0
Extremely preachy (perhaps should be taken with the entire shaker of salt?), but interesting nonetheless. Not as accessible as other major works on the subject. Too many anti-vegetarian/vegan examples are used to the extreme. Would recommend for those interested in the Paleo diet, but not the general audience (especially since the author's entire premise is that there's no such thing as sustainable agriculture.)
syngirl's review
3.0
My dad is a vegan. My family is mostly vegetarian. My dad is all about sustainability. I was hoping to get some insight and good information to be able to discuss with my father (and by discuss I mean arguments to get him to back off about my cheese habit). While I appreciate the authors passion. And I can see (in a convoluted way) her point, it was a very biased book. As most tend to be. She cites papers and studies, using them in her context to prove her point, but I do not think those mean what she thinks they mean. All in all I give it a "meh" it was worth the time but not as useful as I wanted.
errantreads's review
4.0
The author outlines the ridiculousness of the Vegan and Vegetarian mythos and digs into political, social, moral, nutritional, and most importantly, the sustainable aspects of eating... and ultimately our footprint, as a species, on planet Earth.
For this reader there was no huge revelations, since I'm well versed in the realities of agriculture and food at this point, and spend a great deal of time immersed in the natural and agricultural world, but the author nicely packages a fairly comprehensive discussion of the topic into this volume. There is a disturbing element to having all this laid out in one volume though: As you read it, it really underscores the pervasiveness of a community of folks that live their lives entirely divorced from the realities of the natural world and the cycles of life, death, and rebirth. I don't want to sound overly harsh, but it is a bit unavoidable. These are folks that look at nature from inside a bubble... through a pane of glass. Never really understanding it. Some is their fault, but it is a societal disorder, long in coming considering urbanization and how housebound most people in the 1st world are today.
The other disturbing element to the story as outlined by the author, is that though we know what we need to do to address the deeper ecological realities of massive over-population on this planet I personally am not confident that we'll take the necessary steps, and I don't think the author is either.
And that is where the biggest surprise of the book was found. The author was not afraid to summarize the corrective course of action that we would have to take as humans to make things better. Finally someone is bold enough, in a relatively mainstream book, to state that in order to ever have a sustainable, ecological, and ethical food system (or any system)... over-population really needs to be addressed. Severely. It will solve itself eventually, but it can either be messy and violent, or orderly and peaceful. Not many authors writing a mainstream book are bold enough to state it so plainly.
4 stars: There are three issues I had with the book: (1) The author slips into "appeal to emotion" a bit much, (2) It's hard to weed out the good science from the bad or mediocre, and (3) There is no index... which means you have to take notes, write in the margins, and highlight, or just have a really good memory. ;) Geez. Books like this *have* to have an index. I blame her editors. What a disappointment.
Great book. Folks, if you are confused as to why the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle is unsustainable, unnatural, relatively unhealthy, un-ecological, and ultimately more than a bit silly (but with non-silly implications)... this is a great book to to read. Even more importantly, it is a great discussion about environmentalism, food security, and agricultural sustainability, and of course, overpopulation -- topics that I am particularly passionate about, even more so than the main topic of the book.
Recommend.
For this reader there was no huge revelations, since I'm well versed in the realities of agriculture and food at this point, and spend a great deal of time immersed in the natural and agricultural world, but the author nicely packages a fairly comprehensive discussion of the topic into this volume. There is a disturbing element to having all this laid out in one volume though: As you read it, it really underscores the pervasiveness of a community of folks that live their lives entirely divorced from the realities of the natural world and the cycles of life, death, and rebirth. I don't want to sound overly harsh, but it is a bit unavoidable. These are folks that look at nature from inside a bubble... through a pane of glass. Never really understanding it. Some is their fault, but it is a societal disorder, long in coming considering urbanization and how housebound most people in the 1st world are today.
The other disturbing element to the story as outlined by the author, is that though we know what we need to do to address the deeper ecological realities of massive over-population on this planet I personally am not confident that we'll take the necessary steps, and I don't think the author is either.
And that is where the biggest surprise of the book was found. The author was not afraid to summarize the corrective course of action that we would have to take as humans to make things better. Finally someone is bold enough, in a relatively mainstream book, to state that in order to ever have a sustainable, ecological, and ethical food system (or any system)... over-population really needs to be addressed. Severely. It will solve itself eventually, but it can either be messy and violent, or orderly and peaceful. Not many authors writing a mainstream book are bold enough to state it so plainly.
4 stars: There are three issues I had with the book: (1) The author slips into "appeal to emotion" a bit much, (2) It's hard to weed out the good science from the bad or mediocre, and (3) There is no index... which means you have to take notes, write in the margins, and highlight, or just have a really good memory. ;) Geez. Books like this *have* to have an index. I blame her editors. What a disappointment.
Great book. Folks, if you are confused as to why the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle is unsustainable, unnatural, relatively unhealthy, un-ecological, and ultimately more than a bit silly (but with non-silly implications)... this is a great book to to read. Even more importantly, it is a great discussion about environmentalism, food security, and agricultural sustainability, and of course, overpopulation -- topics that I am particularly passionate about, even more so than the main topic of the book.
Recommend.
guttaperk's review
4.0
This controversial book has been a love-it-or-hate-it affair for many.
Some see it as a manifesto for those who reject militant vegan and eco-vegetarian approaches.
Others reject it strongly for its large lapses in substantiation for its sometimes-erroneous factual claims.
I would have thought myself a shoo-in for inclusion in the latter category, and yet...
I found myself captivated by this book, despite the sometimes-foundational factual and technical errors that pepper the pages.
For me, the book is compelling when regarded as autobiography (a coming-of-age story) and philosophical treatise. Those literary functions are not overturned by the author's beliefs about the cause of her illnesses.
All in all, I found the book to be engaging food for thought, if scientifically unpersuasive. In my opinion, it's a must-read for anyone interested in nutrition. Just, please, don't treat it as an authoritative source for accurate factual information.
Some see it as a manifesto for those who reject militant vegan and eco-vegetarian approaches.
Others reject it strongly for its large lapses in substantiation for its sometimes-erroneous factual claims.
I would have thought myself a shoo-in for inclusion in the latter category, and yet...
I found myself captivated by this book, despite the sometimes-foundational factual and technical errors that pepper the pages.
For me, the book is compelling when regarded as autobiography (a coming-of-age story) and philosophical treatise. Those literary functions are not overturned by the author's beliefs about the cause of her illnesses.
All in all, I found the book to be engaging food for thought, if scientifically unpersuasive. In my opinion, it's a must-read for anyone interested in nutrition. Just, please, don't treat it as an authoritative source for accurate factual information.
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