The Way We Eat

Eating is about more than satisfying our hunger. It's also about the environment, social justice, personal development, and sustainable living. Many Americans already know this. We're eating less red meat and more organically produced foods, and most restaurants offer vegetarian options. But do we really know the truth about mechanized animal farming and slaughterhouses, herbicide and pesticide use, and labels that promise "Certified Humane"? In this revolutionary look at food and the future of life on earth, Peter Singer and James Mason examine the diets of three typical families and track down the sources of their food to see how humanely it was produced. They identify six empowering ethical principles that conscientious consumers should consider when shopping for groceries or eating out. They name names -- of companies that are voluntarily instituting more humane systems, and of those that continue to offend. Recognizing that not all of us will become vegetarians, they explore ways to make the most ethical choices within the framework of a diet that includes some animal products. The bottom line is: You can be ethical without being fanatical, and here's how. Peter Singer is one of the highest-profile writers on ethics today, regularly drawing fire for his views on such hot-button issues as abortion, euthanasia, war, and, most famously, animal rights; his book Animal Liberation is credited with sparking the animal-rights movement in the 1970s. Born in Australia, he has taught at Princeton University since 1999. Jim Mason is an author, speaker, journalist, environmentalist, and crusading attorney. His 1980 book Animal Factories (written with Peter Singer) examined America's system of factory farming. Mason lives in Virginia.