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158 of 162 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bound to get AR folks talking, September 9, 2005
(repurposed rom vegblog.org):
After being vegetarian for almost five years and vegan for ten months, I feel like I've read most of what there is to read when it comes to animal rights literature as related to veganism. I've read Slaughterhouse, I've read Fast Food Nation, I've read Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating, I've read The Food Revolution. But when I got Erik Marcus' wonderfully written and impeccably-researched and -reasoned second book, Meat Market: Animals, Ethics, and Money, I realized that there are a lot of new ideas floating around worth thinking about.
The first three chapters cover material that will be familiar to long-time AR activists. But even so, there are still some worthwhile nuggets in there that will surprise you. Erik starts off by talking about the economics of animal agriculture and how dramatically the farming landscape has changed over the last fifty years. Long gone are the days when small farms ruled and you knew where your eggs were coming from. Now animals are grown more quickly, forced to produce a higher output (whether it be meat, eggs, or dairy), and are killed at an earlier age. One fact that struck me: in 1950, it took 70 days before a chicken reached slaughter weight. Now, it's down to 47 days. And on that 47th day, the chicken is 2/3rds larger than a 70-day old chicken from 1950. Even if the argument that "eating meat is 'natural'" is true, that kind of physiological change in an animal is anything but.
The "Farmed Animal Lives" chapter summarizes the pain and suffering animals go through throughout the meat/dairy/egg production process. Not too much new ground here, but the ethical argument for not eating meat is summed up so succinctly here, I wouldn't hesitate recommending this as the one chapter to show to meat-eating friends and relatives. The facts are presented in such a straightforward way with just enough detachment that it's powerful and moving without being preachy. This chapter made an impression on me, causing me think very differently about eggs. Erik contends, and it seems correctly, that egg-laying hens are the more tortured animals in all of food production. The pain and suffering they endure goes beyond even what veal calves endure. Clearly, it's not a walk in the park for any animal subject to such a life, but if you're a lacto-ovo vegetarian considering veganism, this might be the chapter that helps push you the rest of the way. I got this book just before I completely gave up eggs and dairy, and it was definitely one of the deciding factors in nudging me the rest of the way.
In the "Possibilities for Reform in Animal Agriculture" section, Erik discusses how it's technically possible to provide slaughter-free eggs and dairy, but it is economically unfeasible in our current climate (it would cost about a dollar an egg). I always thought about how one could perhaps ethically eat eggs since hens will lay unfertilized eggs, but finding a place to get such eggs proves to be an extremely difficult task. Free-range and organic labels are intended to make consumers feel better about their purchases, but truly, the difference is miniscule, if anything, to the animals. Eggs are a torturous business, no way around it.
The main focus of the book comes in part two which talks about "dismantlement." Sure, you've heard of animal rights, animal welfare, and vegetarianism as approaches to reducing animal suffering, but Erik introduces this idea of dismantlement as the ideal fourth movement that all animal activists can get behind. It's a lofty goal: bring down the industry systematically not by telling people "You need to change your diet!" but by introducing them to the cruelties of factory farm life. "Animal agriculture takes a small hit whenever somebody becomes vegetarian or vegan," Erik writes, "but the loss of one customer is something the industry can live with. What the industry won't be able to endure is a steady stream of new activists [from the general public] seeking to put an end to animal agriculture."
The argument for dismantlement is a strong one, and Erik does a very good job of outlining the problems the animal rights movements have had in the past and how they can be avoided. Everything from poor use of money to hostiliy towards hierarchy has hurt the movement, and these organizational issues need to be addressed before the dismantlement movement can really get off the ground.
It can be frustrating for an activist to look at the animal rights/protection movements over the last 20 years and see that while there have been incremental gains, public awareness of the issues isn't really noticeably higher. Or, at the very least, the number of people that have converted to veganism has only increased slightly. Whether or not the idea of dismantlement is the answer remains to be seen. But perhaps the most valuable thing that Meat Market will do is cause activists to talk and consider new ideas. Erik wants his idea critically examined, just as he wants every other aspect of animal rights and protectionism examined. As a movement, it behooves us to make sure we have not only rock-solid science behind health and environmental claims, but a firm, clearly stated argument about the misery caused by factory farming.
Erik argues that the movement has been split evenly between health, ethical, and environmental issues and that it needs to shift primarily towards ethical issues in order to be most effective. I'm not completely convinced this is the best route to take. Perhaps it's because I'm becoming a bitter old man when it comes to my view of humanity. I feel like people, in general, care more about taste and their "right" to eat what they please a lot more than they care about how animals are treated. Sure, organic and free range meats have gained in popularity, but I'm convinced it's more for taste and health reasons than anything resembling a true and honest concern for the animals.
That said, I think that what Erik suggests as a new direction and focus can be true. What we have to do first, though, is help the average person not cringe when they hear the phrase "animal rights." We have to show them that for every goofy PR stunt PETA pulls, they do a world of good that doesn't get reported helping farmed animals. We have to remind people that there really isn't a difference between their dog and a pig other than that one winds up on their plate in a particularly heinous fashion. I think that once we can shift public perception of the animal rights/protection movement, we'll be able to drum up a lot more support for fighting the factory farm machine. We've begun to see this shift on the vegetarian side of the movement, where even though not significantly more people are becoming full-fledged vegetarians, more people are becoming aware of vegetarian foods and don't automatically think of someone eating tofu raw out of the carton. I'm not completely sure how we can cause similar change in perception on the AR side of things, especially on a large scale, but I think it can be done. And once it is, then the concept of dismantlement will be ready to roll full-force.
The next section of the book features guest essays from activists on topics such as leafleting, working for school lunch reform, and promoting vegetarian diets as a nutrition expert. There's a lot of inspiration in these brief essays and everyone will find something here that will encourage them to get up and make a difference in their own way.
Meat Market closes out with a set of appendices that take a critical look at the facts behind the arguments the movement uses, like the difficult question of hunting and how it's not as black-or-white of an issue as either the traditional AR stance nor the hunter's party line. This is what makes Meat Market a successful endeavor: it has a crossover appeal and it doesn't lay everything out as "this is the only thing that is true and the other side is totally wrong about everything." It's a refreshing take on the issue and one that we have to consider, debate, pick apart, and act on in the coming years in order to keep our movement from stagnating and losing its true focus.
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64 of 68 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some new ideas, must read for AR activists, March 14, 2005
This book is like a personal guide on how to be (or become) an effective activist. It's pretty short, and has some interesting essays from all aspects of activism. It introduces the idea of dismantlement, the idea to put the agriculture business in a decline within our generation. Erik Marcus says it is one of the realistic goals the movement should strive for. He says that AR activists are focusing too much on health and environmental benefits of a Vegan lifestyle, while we should focus more on the cruelty of factory farms, and make sure that our statements are correct, so we are taken seriously. He searches for strong arguments that will withstand the scrutiny of the average meat eater. This is a much needed book that goes into detail on how to be ready to face society being an activist. It made me think much more clearly about what points I want to get across in the few moments I may have to talk to a person that passes me demonstrating or leafleting. It's important that we keep our facts straight, and know the basic cruelties of factory farming and have convincing arguments that are based on hard facts. Thank you for this great book, Erik!
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30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fresh look at animals and activism, May 30, 2005
VegKC.com presented author/speaker Erik Marcus to Kansas City on April 10th and 11th. He provided a focused talk for activists on Sunday, a public book presentation and signing on Monday, and joined us for meals after both. We talked about the job of activism and the nature, state, and future of animal protection movements. I have been thinking about these subjects for a long time and have finally found ideas that make sense to me, all neatly bundled in Erik's new book. I bought two copies of Meat Market. One for me and one to share with anyone I can get to read it.
Eight years ago, Marcus wrote Vegan: the New Ethics of Eating. Since that time, he has seen every side of animal protection movements, become dissatisfied with their progress, and developed strategies to improve them. If every major industry (including our competition) has a board to analyze and evaluate their effectiveness, so should the animal protection movements. Yet, somehow, this has been overlooked. Marcus provides Meat Market as a welcome first step towards movement refinement and evolution.
Meat Market is intentionally different from typical vegan literature in both format and content: Instead of striving to induce mass veganism, it provides a starting point for those who are compelled to accomplish something more. Topics are brief, focused, and without the shouting and gore that somehow became acceptable in the early stages of the modern movements. It's a solid information source and provides specific actions for individuals at any level of commitment. It's also timely for me because I held so many of its ideals, as well as frustrations, and this gave both a well-reasoned voice.
I divide the book into five sections: The first is a factual exploration of the business of growing animals for food. It doesn't identify actions as horrible (so much); rather, it describes the actions, provides the rationale for them, and lets the reader absorb the information. It shows the evolution of the industry, its current state, and explains that the current system can't change its methods. It provides the facts you need before talking to anyone about factory farming. You've probably met omnivores who said, "don't even talk to me about factory farming--I know it's horrible but I don't want to think about it." These 55 pages are what you give to them.
The second section offers a history, state, and future of the three animal protection movements. The last chapter of this section provides a great resource when books, pictures, or movies finally compel someone to action.
The third section contains essays from a cross-section of individuals who've incorporated a higher purpose into what they love to do. They're a good source of inspiration and will leave you wondering how you can weave activism into your professional life or weave a professional life around activism.
Section four provides unassailable information on vegan issues, while section five contains supplemental notes supporting section four (and the rest of the book). To give activists a sound knowledge base, Erik spent 18 months in the Cornell Agriculture Library (Mann) researching the latest and best science on vegan topics. He exposes the bad science and exaggerations that have crept into, and propagated through, our literature. The result is compelling while avoiding outlandish claims.
These sections combine to make Meat Market an important addition to every activist's library. In particular, section one and four are essential reading before discussing veganism in public. Section one also provides a gentle but thorough introduction you can give to friends or relatives without worrying that they'll think you're a kook. It's also compelling and short enough to make a great display/tabling item. Section two provides important direction for budding activists with a rational, results-oriented approach to activism. Section three serves up motivation when your batteries are low, as well as pearls for new ideas.
Erik Marcus's goal is not simply to convert people to veganism; it's to inspire people to activism - and he offers plenty of ways to contribute. My first suggestion is buy a copy for inspiration. My second suggestion is to buy a second copy and give it to the first interested friend, relative, or stranger you find.
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