I truly believe that everyone should be informed, particularly with regards to what they are placing in their mouths, and this is an excellent, easy-to-read personal account that does just that. Howard Lyman, a fourth generation cattle rancher, blows some of the common misconceptions and agribusiness propaganda right out the window in this straight forward and, at times, humorous expose that comes, so to speak, straight from the horses mouth.
Lyman doesn't waste any time in getting right to the gritty, gruesome details behind the highly politicized business of food production. Within the opening pages, he informs us that cattle, chickens, and pigs are fed "protein concentrates" consisting of euthanized pets, ground up diseased farm animals, fecal matter, and roadkill. Not only are fodder animals being fed this vomit-inducing mixture, but our pets are as well. Yummy!
Lyman spends a good amount of time discussing the impact that the aforementioned practice could have on America's potential to see "Mad Cow Disease" effecting people in the not-so-distant future, which has been a steadily increasing problem in Britain. He points out several studies that debunk the myth that spongiform encephalopathy cannot jump species barriers.
In addition to the Mad Cow and Downed Cow issues, Lyman brings up the issue of rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) used to increase milk production in cows and the possible effects this could have on human health. To combat the mastitis that develops from the use of rBGH, cows are given antibiotics that are then passed to the dairy consumer in various milk products. With the increased use of antibiotics comes increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
In addition to the gross-out factor involved in the early pages of the book, Lyman points out several benefits of adopting a plant-based diet. The risk factors for diabetes, hypertension, coronary disease, and a plethora of other ailments can be reduced drastically by adopting a plant-based lifestyle as weight tends to decrease. Furthermore, abstaining from flesh-feasting can be helpful to the environment. Lyman spends several pages of his book discussing overgrazing and it's environmental impact. Rainforests are being depleted, in part, due to the need for land for cattle to graze, as are riparian woodlands. Native species are going extinct because of the human desire for burgers and steaks. Flooding and erosion have become a problem because of overgrazing and lack of natural vegetation. The list goes on and on.
Howard Lyman is a rancher/cowboy/meat-eater turned vegan, and this important text is his personal reasoning for making that momentous decision. It may not "convert" some people to veganism or vegetarianism, but it will definitely make you think, which is more than can be said for several books lining bookstore shelves today, and it is certainly a step in the right direction. Though I think this book could have used a little bit more detail in some areas, it is definitely a highly recommended and compelling read. Though this may not have made Lyman popular with many agribusiness officials and proponents, this was a book that needed to be written, and it is a book that needs to be read.
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