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Meat: A Love Story
Documents the author's short-term adoption of a vegetarian lifestyle and her subsequent search for a life that would enable her to eat meat with a clear conscience, which was marked by her interviews with meat producers from a variety of cultures.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 16, 2009
I’ve finished these books that I’ve had about food. I also had this book so I figured, why not? Out of all the books on food, this was my least favorite. In fact, I’m thinking of selling this book if I can. The book isn’t about ethics, nor about philosophy. It’s a study of culture. The book starts with Susan working undercover in a slaughterhouse to see the working conditions of the people that work there. It’s brutal, no one wants to work there and Bourette quits and states that she can’t eat meat. However, that doesn’t last long. She wants to go back to eating meat but she wants to figure out where is the best place to get it. It’s odd that she only goes through Canada and the United States for this search.
* She goes to Alaska to eat whale. No good, she spits it out.
* A Greenwich village butcher shop to see the cutlery.
* A ranch in Texas.
* Moose hunting in Newfoundland. The meat tastes gamy.
* A farm in upstate New York where the animals are happy. She tastes the meat but can’t tell the difference, but she convinces herself that she doesn’t have a good palate to tell the difference. However, she later enjoys the meal.
* A steakhouse in Texas. And based on the reading, this was probably the best meat she’s had. (Although it’s odd that the meat could possibly have come from a similar slaughterhouse where she worked at.)
* A new fad where eating raw meat is considered healthy. She doesn’t try it.
* And Louisiana for some Cajun food and boudin.
Although there is something to say about these different cultures, I didn’t find it satisfying for my tastes. Maybe I don’t have a good palate to distinguish it. The ending was offputting. Bourette mentions that eating meat is part of our community and culture and without it, we wouldn’t have some connection to the earth or our history. I don’t understand that argument. Pollan makes the same argument in The Omnivore’s Dilemma and I don’t get it. Whenever I hear that, that’s just a fancy way of saying, “It’s been part of our culture, so it must be ok.” Nope, sorry. That argument doesn’t fly for me. For a cultural view of eating meat, with some added references to pop culture, this might be for you. However, I don’t find it a serious read.
* She goes to Alaska to eat whale. No good, she spits it out.
* A Greenwich village butcher shop to see the cutlery.
* A ranch in Texas.
* Moose hunting in Newfoundland. The meat tastes gamy.
* A farm in upstate New York where the animals are happy. She tastes the meat but can’t tell the difference, but she convinces herself that she doesn’t have a good palate to tell the difference. However, she later enjoys the meal.
* A steakhouse in Texas. And based on the reading, this was probably the best meat she’s had. (Although it’s odd that the meat could possibly have come from a similar slaughterhouse where she worked at.)
* A new fad where eating raw meat is considered healthy. She doesn’t try it.
* And Louisiana for some Cajun food and boudin.
Although there is something to say about these different cultures, I didn’t find it satisfying for my tastes. Maybe I don’t have a good palate to distinguish it. The ending was offputting. Bourette mentions that eating meat is part of our community and culture and without it, we wouldn’t have some connection to the earth or our history. I don’t understand that argument. Pollan makes the same argument in The Omnivore’s Dilemma and I don’t get it. Whenever I hear that, that’s just a fancy way of saying, “It’s been part of our culture, so it must be ok.” Nope, sorry. That argument doesn’t fly for me. For a cultural view of eating meat, with some added references to pop culture, this might be for you. However, I don’t find it a serious read.
December 1, 2010
I have to agree with the other reviewers: what was missing from this book was a real passion for food. For a book with "A Love Story" is the title, the vignettes on her travels to wide variety of meat producers were reported in a detached, journalistic way. I think the book could have had a completely different tone had she lovingly prepared the prime rib (detailed in the epilogue) before she started her research.
I do agree with her that the future of meat is likely to be a return to the past: small farms where the animals' diet and welfare is the primary concern. Leading the charge is the Weston Price Foundation (westonaprice.org), a group worth checking out if you want to know what to eat. While I eat that type of meat (and eggs and raw milk) for its nutritional density and overriding concern for the animals--I will not allow my food dollars to support animal torture--the taste just blows you away. I've had steaks from the wonderful Peter Lugar's, but the flavor of the $5/lb. Amish-raised ground beef gently cooked in an iron skillet on my stove--seasoned only with sea salt--blows Peter Lugar's steaks away.
I do agree with her that the future of meat is likely to be a return to the past: small farms where the animals' diet and welfare is the primary concern. Leading the charge is the Weston Price Foundation (westonaprice.org), a group worth checking out if you want to know what to eat. While I eat that type of meat (and eggs and raw milk) for its nutritional density and overriding concern for the animals--I will not allow my food dollars to support animal torture--the taste just blows you away. I've had steaks from the wonderful Peter Lugar's, but the flavor of the $5/lb. Amish-raised ground beef gently cooked in an iron skillet on my stove--seasoned only with sea salt--blows Peter Lugar's steaks away.
November 28, 2011
Meh! Not such a great book or such a likable author. Susan Bourette is a Canadian reporter who writes a story showing the horrendous conditions of working in a meat packing plant. She tries being a vegetarian but likes meat too much and doesn't feel well as a vegetarian. So she wanders about looking at different cultures and meat-eating but it doesn't feel like a cohesive whole or even much of a labour of love. She goes to Alaska to eat whale with the Inuit, to a farm with happy animals, to a steakhouse (where did that meat come from? Surely she should have told us!), a butcher in NY, moose hunting (with a bow no less!), some health fanatics who eat raw meat (eating raw chicken? That is positively bone-headed and stupid) and to some sausage place (boudin - some kind of pork sausage). And I'm sure I have forgotten something. I didn't like it much anyway although I liked the idea of it.
September 6, 2023
I wish that this book was more like its chapter about Maple Leaf- it could have been so interesting, discussing labour relations, worker welfare as well as animal welfare, and it could have even went into discussions of accessibility of nutritious food and how this accessibility is inherently political (if you're looking for writing on this topic, I recommend the essay "34 grams per dose" by Alicia Elliott). Instead, she visited lots of different meat-eating individuals or groups (all but one white) and explored different ways of treating the consumption of animals.
This book felt fake deep or even pseudo intellectual to me because she mentions different philosophers or theories at at seemingly random times without full development of ideas. For example, she doesn't go very deep into her analysis- she talks about Antonio Gramsci in relation to "our" (presumably she is referring to other white north americans') evolving perception of hunters- but she does not make a connection with Gramsci in relation to why American society generally considers one (white) hunter the epitome of health and masculinity, and another (the indigenous hunter) a savage. It’s ironic for white American people to be considered clear headed and noble for their hunting apparently for their proximity to plains nature and water, when indigenous peoples are called not held to this same standard whatsoever.
Even in her own writing, she seemed to emphasize the long held tradition of cattle raising "cowboys" with more fervour than she used for her chapter on the Inuit- whose traditions have been around for centuries. I also thought that it was incredibly rude that she spit out the muktuk in plain sight of the community members who gave it to her.... I could not believe the disrespect in being unable to stomach one bite.
Anywho, I think that this book made me think about connections between food and culture, and it made me more aware of both animal welfare and the welfare of workers who butcher or package meat for a living. This book has inspired me to eat less meat and be more purposeful with what companies I support.
This book felt fake deep or even pseudo intellectual to me because she mentions different philosophers or theories at at seemingly random times without full development of ideas. For example, she doesn't go very deep into her analysis- she talks about Antonio Gramsci in relation to "our" (presumably she is referring to other white north americans') evolving perception of hunters- but she does not make a connection with Gramsci in relation to why American society generally considers one (white) hunter the epitome of health and masculinity, and another (the indigenous hunter) a savage. It’s ironic for white American people to be considered clear headed and noble for their hunting apparently for their proximity to plains nature and water, when indigenous peoples are called not held to this same standard whatsoever.
Even in her own writing, she seemed to emphasize the long held tradition of cattle raising "cowboys" with more fervour than she used for her chapter on the Inuit- whose traditions have been around for centuries. I also thought that it was incredibly rude that she spit out the muktuk in plain sight of the community members who gave it to her.... I could not believe the disrespect in being unable to stomach one bite.
Anywho, I think that this book made me think about connections between food and culture, and it made me more aware of both animal welfare and the welfare of workers who butcher or package meat for a living. This book has inspired me to eat less meat and be more purposeful with what companies I support.
April 27, 2020
A history of the procurement of meat, from hunting and gathering to the packaging and processing. It left a sizzling smell behind after I finished it.
July 18, 2013
After going undercover at a slaughterhouse for an expose on meat processing, the author resolves to go completely vegetarian. She lasts approximately five weeks, her body simply unable to subsist on lentils and tofu. She embarks on a journey for the perfect meat that she could enjoy without guilt. This book celebrates the pleasure of eating meat, as well as the lives of those who hunt, raise and cook it. She discusses the rewards of being a compassionate carnivore.
The author embarks on a search for fellow compassionate carnivores after a failed attempt to become a vegetarian. She allows us to join her on this journey. Together, we experience a Inupiat whale hunt, a schmarmy Canadian moose hunt, a Texan cattle drive, the happiest pigs on earth, a top end steak house, a Greenwich Village butcher shop, and much more.
This book is a fantastic idea. The author allows us to gain insight into a variety of ways of enjoying meat, and we soon discover that all good meat is a part of a culture that produces it, whether its muktuk or a delectable steak. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, and gained profound insights. My favorite: The author paid big bucks to enjoy a meal of 'the happiest pigs on earth' - pigs that forage for truffles and acorns and roam the hillsides of a rural farm - essentially the piggiest pigs you can imagine. As she takes that first bite of this expensive and highly touted meal, she can't help but feel disappointed. As she writes, her tongue only knows what it knows. After a lifetime of subsisting on grain-fed industrial meat, her palette is used to a fattier kind of pork. She finishes her meal, savoring each bit, and by the end she can appreciate the flavor subtleties this meat provides. But it took time and effort. This experience matches my own foray into enjoying pasture-raised meat - the initial bites have been disappointing. It will take time for my palette to adjust to eating this way.
In the end, I enjoyed the journey this book offers, but I felt disappointed that she stopped at her descriptions, and didn't delve into the broader issues that surround the topic of meat. Perhaps that was her intent - this is a personal journey and not a meat manifesto. Nonetheless...I felt disappointed. Another distraction: the author is a highly intelligent and educated Toronto Canada urbanite, who makes literary and social references that go over my head as an Alaskan/Pacific Northwest gal. This made it hard to fully appreciate her journey.
The author embarks on a search for fellow compassionate carnivores after a failed attempt to become a vegetarian. She allows us to join her on this journey. Together, we experience a Inupiat whale hunt, a schmarmy Canadian moose hunt, a Texan cattle drive, the happiest pigs on earth, a top end steak house, a Greenwich Village butcher shop, and much more.
This book is a fantastic idea. The author allows us to gain insight into a variety of ways of enjoying meat, and we soon discover that all good meat is a part of a culture that produces it, whether its muktuk or a delectable steak. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, and gained profound insights. My favorite: The author paid big bucks to enjoy a meal of 'the happiest pigs on earth' - pigs that forage for truffles and acorns and roam the hillsides of a rural farm - essentially the piggiest pigs you can imagine. As she takes that first bite of this expensive and highly touted meal, she can't help but feel disappointed. As she writes, her tongue only knows what it knows. After a lifetime of subsisting on grain-fed industrial meat, her palette is used to a fattier kind of pork. She finishes her meal, savoring each bit, and by the end she can appreciate the flavor subtleties this meat provides. But it took time and effort. This experience matches my own foray into enjoying pasture-raised meat - the initial bites have been disappointing. It will take time for my palette to adjust to eating this way.
In the end, I enjoyed the journey this book offers, but I felt disappointed that she stopped at her descriptions, and didn't delve into the broader issues that surround the topic of meat. Perhaps that was her intent - this is a personal journey and not a meat manifesto. Nonetheless...I felt disappointed. Another distraction: the author is a highly intelligent and educated Toronto Canada urbanite, who makes literary and social references that go over my head as an Alaskan/Pacific Northwest gal. This made it hard to fully appreciate her journey.
October 13, 2011
A mere 12 hours ago I wrote "I hate this book but I can't stop reading it!" Then I went to work. Having already finished the gross slaughterhouse part of Meat, I thought I'd spend my lunch break reading the rest of it. I spent my lunch break scowling at it. Susan Bourette is a horrendous writer, a stereotyper of vegetarians, and someone who has basically nothing to say whatsoever.
As a quasi-vegetarian (I cringe at the term "flexitarian" though I guess you could say it applies to me, somewhat, maybe) I eat meat pretty rarely. Bourette spent five weeks eschewing meat, and during that time she said her health took a serious downturn even though she entered into vegetarianism "scientifically." I find this very hard to believe. Her descriptions of vegetarians range from "pallid" to "reedy" and they're always about to pass out, except the one Super Cool Vegetarian she aspired to be like. BLECH. I hate that stereotype. I hate it so much. It's so narrowminded. Bourette insists that there is absolutely something lacking in the vegetarian diet. You don't eat meat, you will be sickly. Cool, lady, you sound like everyone's grandma. That's lame. You clearly have no idea what you're doing.
Then instead of a dramatic paradigm shift that restored her status as an omnivore (or "carnivore" as she constantly says, AGHDHGKDHAKJG) she just succumbed to an intense craving for bacon, steak, and a hamburger, in that order. That's not normal, and more importantly, it is not at all interesting. Clearly she was anemic or something.
I was also a bit put off by the author bio on the dust jacket, which states that her longtime boyfriend is a longtime vegetarian. Whoop dee doo? As if that gives her some street cred? She seems to say, "I'm in a relationship with a vegetarian and therefore have the right to discredit that lifestyle entirely! I dare anyone to argue with my logic! I went without meat for over a month!"
I got through about a third of the book before giving up in disgust. In addition to her flawed arguments and lack of anything interesting say, Bourette's prose is so littered with eye-rollingly terrible similes that it becomes unbearable. She does not have a way with words. I gotta stop reading books written by journalists.
As a quasi-vegetarian (I cringe at the term "flexitarian" though I guess you could say it applies to me, somewhat, maybe) I eat meat pretty rarely. Bourette spent five weeks eschewing meat, and during that time she said her health took a serious downturn even though she entered into vegetarianism "scientifically." I find this very hard to believe. Her descriptions of vegetarians range from "pallid" to "reedy" and they're always about to pass out, except the one Super Cool Vegetarian she aspired to be like. BLECH. I hate that stereotype. I hate it so much. It's so narrowminded. Bourette insists that there is absolutely something lacking in the vegetarian diet. You don't eat meat, you will be sickly. Cool, lady, you sound like everyone's grandma. That's lame. You clearly have no idea what you're doing.
Then instead of a dramatic paradigm shift that restored her status as an omnivore (or "carnivore" as she constantly says, AGHDHGKDHAKJG) she just succumbed to an intense craving for bacon, steak, and a hamburger, in that order. That's not normal, and more importantly, it is not at all interesting. Clearly she was anemic or something.
I was also a bit put off by the author bio on the dust jacket, which states that her longtime boyfriend is a longtime vegetarian. Whoop dee doo? As if that gives her some street cred? She seems to say, "I'm in a relationship with a vegetarian and therefore have the right to discredit that lifestyle entirely! I dare anyone to argue with my logic! I went without meat for over a month!"
I got through about a third of the book before giving up in disgust. In addition to her flawed arguments and lack of anything interesting say, Bourette's prose is so littered with eye-rollingly terrible similes that it becomes unbearable. She does not have a way with words. I gotta stop reading books written by journalists.
August 21, 2008
Journalist Susan Bourette begins the journey with an undercover assignment at a slaughterhouse and then she takes us along on her search for the perfect meat. She spends time with a celebrity chef, on a ranch in Texas, in the Arctic and others. I cringed at some of the stories especially those of eating raw meat, but I enjoyed the history of our love affairs with meat as well as vegetarianism. I was surprised to learn of the number of vegetarians in the past.
"Truly man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds theirs. We live by the death of others; we are burial places! I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look on the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men." - Leonardo da Vinci
Despite attempts at vegetarianism, Susan remains an eater of meat but only a few days a week - I can eat less meat as long as I do not have to give up chicken noodle soup!
"Truly man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds theirs. We live by the death of others; we are burial places! I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look on the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men." - Leonardo da Vinci
Despite attempts at vegetarianism, Susan remains an eater of meat but only a few days a week - I can eat less meat as long as I do not have to give up chicken noodle soup!
August 28, 2010
It's odd that a book a "love story" would be so lacking in love. Susan flies around the world diving into different cultures on how and why people enjoy eating meat. It has the making and potential for quite a story.
She travels north to dine with Eskimos, dines in Louisiana to eat boudin, tries raw meat and happy meat (the pigs were raised in an organic and happy environment) ... but I want to say the book lacks warmth. Maybe she's too cerebral. I could see the jokes and mentally make a courtesy laugh in my head.
But mostly throughout the book, the book had a sad undertone. It's a book about the love of eating meat. Where's the love? The climatic moments of bliss when she takes that first savory bite? Most of the time she didn't really like it. And when she did, it was more like a blip than a boom.
February 27, 2009
This is not at all what I expected from this book, which was an insightful look at eating meat and possibly an interesting defense of the practice. Maybe even how to do it responsibly.
What I got was a list of how some people do it without considering the implications and have done so for a long time (and therefore it is a good thing?)
I'm not anti-meat, I just want to do it responsibly whenever possible... This book is not only written HORRIBLY (e.g. my favorite phrase: "his drawl was as slow as the Pecos River" - really? is this a second grade simile lesson?) but it lacks a compelling argument or place on my shelf in my small food ethics library.
I had to fight to finish this one... And check my ratings - it takes me a lot to give something one star.
September 18, 2014
I thought this book would be the meat-lovers response to vegetarians (and the book-flap and back of the book also leave that impression). Unfortunately, it was one women's perspective on different facets of the meat industry. This would've been fine if it was an engaging personal story, but it was pretty dull accounts of a meat packing plant, butchering, whale hunting and other various areas. Every time an interesting point was made or something mentioned about North America's history with meat, it was just brushed upon and not a developed thought. I found the most interesting facts in the intro and epilogue. What I was looking for could basically be summed up with: Eat less meat and eat organic. Too bad I had to read over 200 pages to get there.
September 8, 2010
Bourette's writing is juvenile and her similes read like third grade creative writing. I didn't even get through this one. I managed to stomach four chapters before I had to skim to the end to see what the author was sluggishly getting at. As it turns out, she thinks meat is simply a part of our culture and we should eat it to pay tribute to that- riiiight. Her argument itself is ridiculous, and her glib attitude towards a subject I find extremely important is obnoxious bordering on offensive. If you're considering reading some books on humane slaughter and eco-friendly options for omnivores, put this book down right now. You're wasting your time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2008
This book combines a few of my favorite genres: foodie books, books where the author travels around researching a specific subject, and books where the author makes some sort of personal voyage. Susan Bourette explores our cultural attachment to eating meat from the point of view of a lapsed sometimes vegetarian. She brings a balanced, real-world point of view to the subject, and writes thoughtfully in chapters ranging from Cajun sausage to whale blubber.
November 6, 2008
this book chronicles an investigative reporter's journey into the land of meat...for one year she works at various meat outlets...the first chapter has her working at a pork products processing plant...she lasts a week...then she goes whale hunting in alaska and eats blubber...there is also a raw meat eating adventure...and tries her hand as a butcher...it was eye opening, and though i'm not giving up meat, it does give me food for thought...
February 14, 2015
Canadian journalist who worked undercover as an employee for a hog packing plant. She had planned to work for at least two weeks, she couldn't make it. I had to put this book down for awhile, its a little gruesome and definitely makes you lose your appetite for meat. This is written in the style of a memoir which I appreciate, although she throws in a lot of factual information for sure. 8/11 Didn't finish, and probably won't, so much else to read!
September 6, 2010
The title of this book is misleading. It really should be called Meat: A Tentative Pat on the Head because that was about the level of enthusiasm the author shows. She throws herself into all these different cultures revolving around the eating of the flesh but she manages to seem rather apathetic and cold about all of it. If you are unwilling to try the foods of different cultures then why are you writing this book in the first place?
November 15, 2013
This is my kind of book - informative, funny, and well-written. Meat, and meat consumption, is so polarizing. My meat-loving friends joke that "vegetarian" is an old Native American way of saying "bad hunter." My vegetarian and vegan friends loathe meat production processes. This book is a good discussion starter for both sides of that fence. No, I am not a vegetarian; I was for 6 years. But now I like to align myself with the informed omnivore side of the food world.
February 9, 2009
Her adventures and explorations of meat production and people's relationships with animals and meat are very interesting, but her writing is frustrating... Fresh-out-of-journalism-school excessive use of adjectives and flumpy language. Better editting and/or cleaner, more crisp/concise language would have carried the book.
December 18, 2011
I thought this book would help me reconcile my love of meat (mmm...bacon) with the moral responsibility of living and eating green. Instead, it's all about bits and parts of the dead animal. I was too disgusted to finish.
December 9, 2010
Pretty entertaining, quick read. Follow the author on her journey: working in the bowels of a processing plant, with a hunting party in Canada, making bodin sausage in new orleans, and other memorable experiences.
January 12, 2011
The author takes us across the US into meat-processing plants, boutique farms, and sausage festivals. Some topics (chapters) were really interesting; others just ok. Her writing style is light and funny but I've read some really excellent food writing lately and this pales in comparison.
January 29, 2009
Yet another addition to my long list of "nonfiction that sounded so sexy and was really disappointing in the end."
sad.
sad.
June 26, 2008
A pallid version of _Fast Food Nation_ and _The Omnivore's Dilemma_. Less angst, more superficial exploration, could use a good fistful of salt.
Read
May 17, 2009i finished it, but couldnt help but be annoyed with her throughout.
May 29, 2009
As unlikely as it is, I was worried that this book would put me off meat in some way. Of course, it didn't, but it did make me think about where my steak was coming from.
September 22, 2010
i found both her reporting and writing skills severely lacking.
September 5, 2010
An interesting walk through one person's food adventures. I liked the author's humor and her focus on the cultural aspects of food.
October 11, 2011
Pretty well written! Like a kinder, more culturally sensitive, and funnier Michael Pollan. Who'd a thunk - I found the hard cover for $3 at Big Lots.
July 5, 2011
An interesting, self-indulgent read; author takes us along on her exploration of meat without really coming to real answer to her quest for "the perfect meal."
April 28, 2012
I returned this one to the library before I finished it. It was pretty good, I may check it out again...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews