I Didn't Forget

You might remember early on in the days of this blog (I say as if this blog is really really old) I designated a space for books.  It is a list of links to books which have to do with food, usually vegetarian or vegan food, that I find fabulous in some way or another.  Not only was I going to list those books, but "review" them within the blog as well.

I haven't done that much.

It isn't so much that I have forgotten about that feature, but that I am a little intimated by the idea of reviewing this next book.  I could always choose another book first, but why go on any longer?  I'll have to do it sooner or later.

The Face on Your Plate by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson is the book that launched me into a dairy-free, humane-egg-only lifestyle.  Most of the people I know won't even touch this book simply because of its title.  I read the title now and it's quite clear, this is a book that will tear into every detail about your diet and make you feel guilty about it.  For G-d's sake, just look at the word face.

I originally picked up this book and read the jacket thinking it would be an exploration into the psychology of why people eat what they eat.  Cool.  I'd like to know that considering I am so profoundly effected emotionally that I can't eat certain things (and thus this blog).

Not so much.

Moussaieff Masson digs into the food industry, into the psychology of eaters, into cultural dining, into the economics of food, and into the environmental effects of the way we eat.  He didn't leave many corners unexplored and he tied many of these elements together.  The Face on Your Plate is a good go-to book for any information you may want on the food industry, unless you'd like to keep eating flesh without a guilty conscience.

That last part is unfortunate in my opinion.  So much of that information is invaluable and could be used to help make healthier, cleanier, safer farms and an Earth on the way to improvement instead of in a constant downward spiral of damage and global warming.  But what omnivore wants to read about how cows, chickens, and fish are treated pre-plate?  Or about their negative carbon foot print?

Prior to reading this book I always thought I was doing my part by not eating meat and that dairy and eggs were okay because no animal was being killed.  I laugh at that now because cruelty does not equal death.  And as I read those sections of the book, I wanted to kick myself because it all seemed so obvious.  I'm not giving specifics because some of my readers won't want to know them.  I am going to respect that.  At the same time, I am going to encourage everyone to read this book.  I have a sneaking suspicion it is very under-read.

To address what I know some people are thinking:
*No, this is not the only book from which I've gotten my information.  After reading these menu-altering chapters, I picked up other books and joined online groups.  I asked many questions, researched, and confirmed what I originally read.