Reading the first pages of "Eating animals" I found myself in a serious dilemma: Continue and probably become a vegetarian after finshing this book or stop reading and ignore the message before it's too late. I did the first and I don't regret. Thank you Jonathan for opening eyes and ears.
My sister is vegan about 7 years now. She is very happy and healthy. I am changing too. I must say that there is a lot of prejudice going around from meat eaters. I have seem more vegan restaurants opening or some have a menu option for vegan.
I wish and hope that this book has millions of millions of readers all over the world. Jonathan, your very good work helps to make the world a better place. Thank you. Love and Peace to you.
I'm about halfway through this book. I think it's great. It's not preachy or self righteous, it simply presents a lot of info that most people don't know. I've just finished reading about how much waste animal farming is producing, and I sort of got depressed about it. Up till then I hoped that things would change and we would find better ways of doing things, but this has really filled me with despair! Are we too far gone? Anyway, it really made me feel like I have to do something about it.
Your book was absolutely amazing.All my life I tried to explain to others why I am vegetarian, and how to convince people I wasn't crazy to think that it's because of animal rights. Not just for their own welfare but also our own. I'm from an almost carnivorous country, always hungry and always consuming ignorantly. I draw parallels from what you say to Adam Zoretsky. It's not just about their "feelings" (condescending voice).This book meant so much to me, I just want to show it to everyone!
Before reading this book I only wanted to learn more about this subject but swore to myself I would not become a vegetarian....that willpower lasted less than 1/2 way through the book. The worst part is when people ask me "why" I went veg when the real question should be "why not"
I've just about finished "Eating Animals" I cut my meat eating by about 90 to 95% in January for mostly eccological and moral reasons. That is of course as I understand things. I am not overly educated in all things agriculture but your book reinforced much of what I believe and added quite a bit to more knowledge. Thanks for this book I do hope everyone who is looking for this kind of information finds you book. I still eat some meat but that may change. Great work. I will read all your books.
@meganovatron Yes, plants a LIVING BEINGS too. And that's a very good reason to be respectful to them - and another very good argument for a vegan diet, because the animals you eat need about 10 kg of this wonderful plants to build up only 1 kg of their body. So vegans save animals AND plants too.
Dear Jonathan My husband and I are wake up. You had made us to Veganer! Thank you very much and also in the name of all animals: Thank you! Good bless you!
@toobamatooba you don't have to stop eating meat, just cutting it out for one or two meals a week is good. I personally don't like the taste of soy products. Besides nuts for protein, which you mentioned, there is spinach, broccoli, chickpeas and other types of beans, even cheese and milk.
@meganovatron Let's fight against slavery, child labor and pollution too. We need stricter laws to save humans and the environment. I buy only organic food and clothes and I don't eat animals and animal products. This is a very good start to save the world. If everybody would do so, this world would be a much better place.
His journal article about eating dogs was disturbing but seems to be a shock and all tactic to drive book sales. If he was serious I would suggest eating hipsters but figure the meat would be to tainted with possible side effects like wearing skinny jeans and hanging out at Starbucks reading Russian literature.
@littlexbluebutterfly I never said anything even remotely like that. Being vegetarian is FINE and I don't just go around bashing people for their choice. However when vegans and vegetarians shout to the world that's their choice because animal production is BAD and tries to expose all the "BAD" things about it. That's where I take offense. Vegetarian? Fine. Don't attempt to ruin eating meat for everyone else.
@echoingheads Foer says it at the end of this video: watch?v=tATqTV2Mtfs He probably talks about it in his book too. I don't know for sure 'cause I started reading it yesterday :)
I don't see where it's relevant which human animal writes anything. It would seem more important that we as a self-proclaimed 'superior' species aren't too lazy to ensure that other species do not suffer because of our deliberate ignorance. Taking something to heart should not hinge on human social constructs, but on obvious truths and end results. Does it cause unnecessary pain? That's all we need to know.
I became a vegan 100 pages into Eating Animals. It is significantly easier to give up meat, eggs, and milk, when thinking about how they are produced makes me feel sick to the stomach.
@meganovatron As an US-citizen you live in a country where food is plentiful too. It is well known that US-citizens eat a lot of meat (much more than Germans) and consume more energy than any other people of the world. In the USA the laws are so that poor people have the "freedom" to die, if they aren't able to earn enough money. You should do your best to change your system of nearly pure capitalism. The meat industry is part of the system.
@Rainzkul Having to "destroy all the rainforest to make space to grow crops"? What about all the crops needed to feed animals (in stead of people) to produce meat? Universal/global environmental benefits from veganism can be argued, but that's not the same as beeing "not just true".
he's incorrect where he says that most people know that it's bad for the environment. most people i've discussed it with assumed that if we at nothing but plants, we'd destroy all the rainforests to make space to grow crops. of course this is shallow, fallacious thinking, but it's just not true that the environmental benefits of veganism are universal.
@meganovatron You have no car - very good decision. And you are right: The destructions cars make are huge. But I think you aren't well informed about the destructions the meat industry makes.
@SmileYoureBeautiful it has protein and is way better than other things (except maybe fruit ) it's what older civilizations thrived on obviously they must be doing something right and as far as I know the enviro ment would be full of cranky meat lovers barely getting any protein other than a little bit from their potatoes and beans the real problem is that there's not enough meat farmers in the US and there are way to many services
@meganovatron I have a garden of 40 qm. I'm not rich. I live in a small flat, drive a very small car and go to work 5 days a week. Vegans aren't the top earners and owners of wealth in Germany - on the opposite! Yes, meat is cheap. It is so, because animals are forced to live in very bad conditions and the meat industry gets a lot of money from the Government. In the Roman Empire it is said: It's easy to rule the people with bread and games. In the US bread is junk food and games is TV.
I liked that he assumed viewers gave him their undevided attention, it's cute. Also, I think it odd most people eat cows without thinking about it, but same people would probably a appalled if suggested to eat, I don't know, a dog. I would definitely read this book. Although, I find his books difficult to read. It's just that nearly every few sentences \ pages one must stop and think, you know. I did like the Jewish version... up until it was named the jewish version, obviously :)
Ever heard of a thing called science? Biology shows that animals have neural receptors and the nervous system that makes animals sentient creatures able to experience pain. Fruits for instance are meant to be eaten and or they would rot in order for the disbursement of seeds. Ever heard of a thing called classification? It's science too. You better hope that one day you would have the capacity to process simple logic and scientific concepts
@meganovatron I think you know that animals can suffer pain, plants not, don't you? I never said that I'm superior to others. The human rights should be respected in all countries of the world. Unfortunately they aren't. I'm not against your rights, but I'm against torturing animals. In my opinion they have the right to live as we have.
@meganovatron Hi, I like your choice to not own a car (which is quite unusual for U.S. citizens I guess) - but even though car production and usage do lots of harm to environment the production of meat (like nowadays) does even more: It adds 40 - 50% to global warming (uses much oil also), it causes millions of acre rain forest to be changed to Soy monoculture and causes many serious illnesses. Don't get me wrong, do what you think is best, I just wanted to correct this one point factually.
@InvisiMan2006 Meat and dairy products are HEALTHY. Dairy posters? Wow what a crime!!! Milk contains calcium and Vitamin D, HEALTHY. Pork is a lean meat and an incredible source of protein, HEALTHY. Why do you think they're so heavily promoted? It must be hell forcing healthy choices on children...especially milk, a vegetarian approved product.
@meganovatron If it was really so easy, to change your diet into veganism, please tell me, why do people eat such huge amounts of meat? In Germany we are perhaps 500.00 vegans (if so many) in a population of 82 million people. Why ? Billions of animals suffer day after day in bad conditions and are killed often very cruelly. Who gives them a voice? You should watch the film "Earthling" to get a glimpse of what happens to animals in their man-created world. Look behind the bars.
@meganovatron - part 2 ... and the USA started war on Iraq and Afghanistan (where Germany is involved - but not with my support). I wonder why US-citizens are not willing to pay more taxes so that poor people need not starve or freeze. In Germany there are social assistance for all poor people. They only have to fill in a few papers and get money for living and a warm flat. Your county supports pure capitalism, but that's not good for the poor people.
All this book does is close minds to facts. He claims to have researched everything, yet all of his facts start with "More than 98%" or "More than 99%". If you choose to be vegetarian or vegan, that's fine but it doesn't mean you need to force your biased views on the mass public. Obviously you don't see many farmers out there writing books titled "Eat Pork" or "Eat Corn", but that's probably because they're doing their JOB...their life's work...FEEDING AMERICA.
@xBoilerUpx Excuse me? Do you realize how many hundreds of millions of dollars the meat and dairy industry puts into advertising their products? My kids school has dairy posters on the walls and they give out "pork farming" coloring books to kids in kindergarden. Talk about forcing biased views! If you believe it's morally wrong to beat a dog, then eating farm animals is no different. Go vegan, it's easy and it's the morally right thing to do.
John, I like your videos. But please bro...You're not a heroin addict. it's not like you're quitting smoking and suffering physical nicotine withdrawal. If you can go from 90 to 95, you can go from 90 to 100 just as easily. Unless you're sprinkling opium over your steak, meat has about zero physically addictive properties. Just quit already!
Reading the first pages of "Eating animals" I found myself in a serious dilemma: Continue and probably become a vegetarian after finshing this book or stop reading and ignore the message before it's too late. I did the first and I don't regret. Thank you Jonathan for opening eyes and ears.
My sister is vegan about 7 years now. She is very happy and healthy. I am changing too.
I must say that there is a lot of prejudice going around from meat eaters.
I have seem more vegan restaurants opening or some have a menu option for vegan.
I wish and hope that this book has millions of millions of readers all over the world.
Jonathan, your very good work helps to make the world a better place.
Thank you.
Love and Peace to you.
Eating Animals made me a vegan. Thank you Jonathan. You are amazing.
By far one of the most thought-provoking accounts on eating animals.
Brilliant author!
I'm about halfway through this book. I think it's great. It's not preachy or self righteous, it simply presents a lot of info that most people don't know. I've just finished reading about how much waste animal farming is producing, and I sort of got depressed about it. Up till then I hoped that things would change and we would find better ways of doing things, but this has really filled me with despair! Are we too far gone? Anyway, it really made me feel like I have to do something about it.
The book is BRILLIANT. Thanks JSF!
Your book was absolutely amazing.All my life I tried to explain to others why I am vegetarian, and how to convince people I wasn't crazy to think that it's because of animal rights. Not just for their own welfare but also our own. I'm from an almost carnivorous country, always hungry and always consuming ignorantly. I draw parallels from what you say to Adam Zoretsky. It's not just about their "feelings" (condescending voice).This book meant so much to me, I just want to show it to everyone!
The grandmother is completely adorable!! Also- the book is awesome. Read it. Loved it. Changed my life.
Before reading this book I only wanted to learn more about this subject but swore to myself I would not become a vegetarian....that willpower lasted less than 1/2 way through the book. The worst part is when people ask me "why" I went veg when the real question should be "why not"
JSF is my favorite author. He writes brilliantly, and I can't wait to read this next one. I've waited so long for a new JSF book.
I've just about finished "Eating Animals" I cut my meat eating by about 90 to 95% in January for mostly eccological and moral reasons. That is of course as I understand things. I am not overly educated in all things agriculture but your book reinforced much of what I believe and added quite a bit to more knowledge. Thanks for this book I do hope everyone who is looking for this kind of information finds you book. I still eat some meat but that may change. Great work. I will read all your books.
@meganovatron
Yes, plants a LIVING BEINGS too. And that's a very good reason to be respectful to them - and another very good argument for a vegan diet, because the animals you eat need about 10 kg of this wonderful plants to build up only 1 kg of their body.
So vegans save animals AND plants too.
me too :) im on my way to becoming a vegan
GENIUS...just saw him on Ellen...many thanks for posting!
Great book! it is changing my way of life
Dear Jonathan
My husband and I are wake up. You had made us to Veganer! Thank you very much and also in the name of all animals: Thank you! Good bless you!
Lieber Jonathan
Du hast mich und meinen Mann zum Veganer gemacht! Herzlichen Dank! Wir sind aufgewacht!
@toobamatooba you don't have to stop eating meat, just cutting it out for one or two meals a week is good. I personally don't like the taste of soy products. Besides nuts for protein, which you mentioned, there is spinach, broccoli, chickpeas and other types of beans, even cheese and milk.
@meganovatron
Let's fight against slavery, child labor and pollution too. We need stricter laws to save humans and the environment.
I buy only organic food and clothes and I don't eat animals and animal products. This is a very good start to save the world. If everybody would do so, this world would be a much better place.
Excellent video. I can't wait for the book to come out. Can I pre-order?
bought the book today, as a vegetarian i cant wait to read it !!
@SmileYoureBeautiful but the other thing is that people are not eating enough other things
His journal article about eating dogs was disturbing but seems to be a shock and all tactic to drive book sales. If he was serious I would suggest eating hipsters but figure the meat would be to tainted with possible side effects like wearing skinny jeans and hanging out at Starbucks reading Russian literature.
i think i may get this book
@littlexbluebutterfly I never said anything even remotely like that. Being vegetarian is FINE and I don't just go around bashing people for their choice. However when vegans and vegetarians shout to the world that's their choice because animal production is BAD and tries to expose all the "BAD" things about it. That's where I take offense. Vegetarian? Fine. Don't attempt to ruin eating meat for everyone else.
This book will change your life. free your conscience, and extend your life. Read it.
that book changed my life
@echoingheads Foer says it at the end of this video: watch?v=tATqTV2Mtfs
He probably talks about it in his book too. I don't know for sure 'cause I started reading it yesterday :)
@meganovatron - part 3
Do you know Michael Moore? I love his documentations.
@brewskhee thats true i've seen chicken accidents with free roam chickens
I love this book!
I decided to be vegetarian about a month ago and happy about it. Im 16.
great!
I don't see where it's relevant which human animal writes anything. It would seem more important that we as a self-proclaimed 'superior' species aren't too lazy to ensure that other species do not suffer because of our deliberate ignorance. Taking something to heart should not hinge on human social constructs, but on obvious truths and end results. Does it cause unnecessary pain? That's all we need to know.
I became a vegan 100 pages into Eating Animals. It is significantly easier to give up meat, eggs, and milk, when thinking about how they are produced makes me feel sick to the stomach.
Read that book!!!!
@meganovatron
As an US-citizen you live in a country where food is plentiful too. It is well known that US-citizens eat a lot of meat (much more than Germans) and consume more energy than any other people of the world.
In the USA the laws are so that poor people have the "freedom" to die, if they aren't able to earn enough money. You should do your best to change your system of nearly pure capitalism.
The meat industry is part of the system.
@brewskhee read the book before you judge it, brewskhee.
" shock and all"?
@Rainzkul Having to "destroy all the rainforest to make space to grow crops"? What about all the crops needed to feed animals (in stead of people) to produce meat? Universal/global environmental benefits from veganism can be argued, but that's not the same as beeing "not just true".
he's incorrect where he says that most people know that it's bad for the environment. most people i've discussed it with assumed that if we at nothing but plants, we'd destroy all the rainforests to make space to grow crops. of course this is shallow, fallacious thinking, but it's just not true that the environmental benefits of veganism are universal.
@xBoilerUpx yes, and why is Coca Cola so heavily promoted? HEALTHY
@meganovatron
Do you want to say that we should do nothing?
@meganovatron
You have no car - very good decision.
And you are right: The destructions cars make are huge.
But I think you aren't well informed about the destructions the meat industry makes.
@zenmama88
it will be soon. well at least one school
@SmileYoureBeautiful it has protein and is way better than other things (except maybe fruit ) it's what older civilizations thrived on obviously they must be doing something right and as far as I know the enviro ment would be full of cranky meat lovers barely getting any protein other than a little bit from their potatoes and beans the real problem is that there's not enough meat farmers in the US and there are way to many services
did this guy name his son sasha to be ironic because americans think it's a girl's name? because it's actually a boy's name
@meganovatron
I have a garden of 40 qm. I'm not rich. I live in a small flat, drive a very small car and go to work 5 days a week.
Vegans aren't the top earners and owners of wealth in Germany - on the opposite!
Yes, meat is cheap. It is so, because animals are forced to live in very bad conditions and the meat industry gets a lot of money from the Government.
In the Roman Empire it is said: It's easy to rule the people with bread and games. In the US bread is junk food and games is TV.
I liked that he assumed viewers gave him their undevided attention, it's cute.
Also, I think it odd most people eat cows without thinking about it, but same people would probably a appalled if suggested to eat, I don't know, a dog.
I would definitely read this book. Although, I find his books difficult to read. It's just that nearly every few sentences \ pages one must stop and think, you know.
I did like the Jewish version... up until it was named the jewish version, obviously :)
Ever heard of a thing called science? Biology shows that animals have neural receptors and the nervous system that makes animals sentient creatures able to experience pain. Fruits for instance are meant to be eaten and or they would rot in order for the disbursement of seeds. Ever heard of a thing called classification? It's science too. You better hope that one day you would have the capacity to process simple logic and scientific concepts
this book made me vegetarian, and Earthlings sent me vegan!
@meganovatron
I think you know that animals can suffer pain, plants not, don't you?
I never said that I'm superior to others. The human rights should be respected in all countries of the world. Unfortunately they aren't.
I'm not against your rights, but I'm against torturing animals. In my opinion they have the right to live as we have.
I became a vegan 100 pages into Eating Animals. Easy to give up milk and eggs when thinking about them makes me sick.
@meganovatron
Hi, I like your choice to not own a car (which is quite unusual for U.S. citizens I guess) - but even though car production and usage do lots of harm to environment the production of meat (like nowadays) does even more: It adds 40 - 50% to global warming (uses much oil also), it causes millions of acre rain forest to be changed to Soy monoculture and causes many serious illnesses. Don't get me wrong, do what you think is best, I just wanted to correct this one point factually.
@InvisiMan2006 Meat and dairy products are HEALTHY. Dairy posters? Wow what a crime!!! Milk contains calcium and Vitamin D, HEALTHY. Pork is a lean meat and an incredible source of protein, HEALTHY. Why do you think they're so heavily promoted? It must be hell forcing healthy choices on children...especially milk, a vegetarian approved product.
@meganovatron
If it was really so easy, to change your diet into veganism, please tell me, why do people eat such huge amounts of meat?
In Germany we are perhaps 500.00 vegans (if so many) in a population of 82 million people.
Why ?
Billions of animals suffer day after day in bad conditions and are killed often very cruelly. Who gives them a voice?
You should watch the film "Earthling" to get a glimpse of what happens to animals in their man-created world.
Look behind the bars.
@meganovatron - part 2
... and the USA started war on Iraq and Afghanistan (where Germany is involved - but not with my support).
I wonder why US-citizens are not willing to pay more taxes so that poor people need not starve or freeze. In Germany there are social assistance for all poor people. They only have to fill in a few papers and get money for living and a warm flat. Your county supports pure capitalism, but that's not good for the poor people.
All this book does is close minds to facts. He claims to have researched everything, yet all of his facts start with "More than 98%" or "More than 99%". If you choose to be vegetarian or vegan, that's fine but it doesn't mean you need to force your biased views on the mass public. Obviously you don't see many farmers out there writing books titled "Eat Pork" or "Eat Corn", but that's probably because they're doing their JOB...their life's work...FEEDING AMERICA.
@xBoilerUpx Excuse me? Do you realize how many hundreds of millions of dollars the meat and dairy industry puts into advertising their products? My kids school has dairy posters on the walls and they give out "pork farming" coloring books to kids in kindergarden. Talk about forcing biased views! If you believe it's morally wrong to beat a dog, then eating farm animals is no different. Go vegan, it's easy and it's the morally right thing to do.
I think this book seems ULTRA lame. Lets be honest.
John, I like your videos. But please bro...You're not a heroin addict. it's not like you're quitting smoking and suffering physical nicotine withdrawal. If you can go from 90 to 95, you can go from 90 to 100 just as easily. Unless you're sprinkling opium over your steak, meat has about zero physically addictive properties. Just quit already!