What do you think?
Rate this book
Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, And Inhumane Treatment Inside the U.S. Meat Industry
Slaughterhouse is the first book of its kind to explore the impact that unprecedented changes in the meatpacking industry over the last twenty-five years - particularly industry consolidation, increased line speeds, and deregulation - have had on workers, animals, and consumers. It is also the first time ever that workers have spoken publicly about what's really taking place behind the closed doors of America's slaughterhouses. In this new paperback edition, author Gail A. Eisnitz brings the story up to date since the book's original publication. She describes the ongoing efforts by the Humane Farming Association to improve conditions in the meatpacking industry, media exposes that have prompted reforms resulting in multimillion dollar appropriations by Congress to try to enforce federal inspection laws, and a favorable decision by the Supreme Court to block construction of what was slated to be one of the largest hog factory farms in the country. Nonetheless, Eisnitz makes it clear that abuses continue and much work still needs to be done
328 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
92 people are currently reading
3413 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
September 13, 2016
I highly recommend it but this is a very disturbing book. One would have to have no ability to empathize with humans or animals to not feel devastated after reading this book. It’s about the completely horrible conditions for both the farmed animals who are killed and for the slaughterhouse workers also.
November 3, 2008
So painful to read...but also so necessary. Go vegan and quit making excuses!!!!
May 31, 2016
Slaughterhouse is AMAZING!!! I have never cried while reading a book until I picked this one up. My Environmental Ethics professor gave me his copy in college in 2002. I started to read it and finished it in a matter of days. This book is approachable because it is easy to read and understand. Eisnitz doesn’t get bogged down in Philosophical arguments, but simply presents information. If you want to know about slaughterhouse conditions then you HAVE to read this book. If I wasn’t vegetarian before reading this book I probably would have stopped eating meat the moment I closed it. In fact, I read this book right around the time I became vegan and I imagine this book helped form that idea.
November 7, 2008
This one's a life changer. If it were required reading in highschool I'm fairly certain we'd have a nation of vegetarians. I tend to read a lot of books dealing with animal welfare, and many of them are dry and factual. This one reads like a thriller while simultaneously informing.
October 8, 2009
For anyone who does not know anything about what happens in slaughterhouses (spoiler: animals are slaughtered) this book would represent a strong and much needed dose of reality. Reading this book would be a good start, but should not be the last one a sincere, thinking and moral human being should read.
For anyone who already has some notion of what happens in slaughterhouses (spoiler: it really is worse than you thought) this book will most likely end up being avoided. Willful ignorance is morally very dangerous, but for many people it is an acceptable way of living their lives.
For anyone who truly knows what goes on and has made a decision to do something about it they will unfortunately find sufficient wiggle room for justifying to themselves a personal decision to "always buy free-range."
As a vegan--which is far more than merely following a strict vegetarian "diet", I cannot give this book a high rating. The author successfully pulls together all the facts necessary to make a strong case for abolition, but at every opportunity actively avoids doing so.
Similar to "Food Inc" this book helps the myth of "happy meat" (See http://www.humanemyth.org/) live another day.
For anyone who already has some notion of what happens in slaughterhouses (spoiler: it really is worse than you thought) this book will most likely end up being avoided. Willful ignorance is morally very dangerous, but for many people it is an acceptable way of living their lives.
For anyone who truly knows what goes on and has made a decision to do something about it they will unfortunately find sufficient wiggle room for justifying to themselves a personal decision to "always buy free-range."
As a vegan--which is far more than merely following a strict vegetarian "diet", I cannot give this book a high rating. The author successfully pulls together all the facts necessary to make a strong case for abolition, but at every opportunity actively avoids doing so.
Similar to "Food Inc" this book helps the myth of "happy meat" (See http://www.humanemyth.org/) live another day.
October 17, 2021
If you aren’t a vegetarian before reading Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, and Inhumane Treatment Inside the U.S. Meat Industry by Gail A. Eisnitz you will be after you read this. WARNING: These details are very difficult to read and very graphic. “Carol Taylor” is the undercover name of Gail A. Eisnitz. She gets as close as she can to the terrifying abuses inflicted on animals and does what she can to bring the abusers to justice. One of the industries she investigates is called Kaplan Industries based in Florida. She was given word that workers were skinning the cattle alive.
“One time I took my knife and sliced off the end of a hog’s nose, just like a piece of salami. The hog went crazy for a few seconds. Then it sat there looking kind of stupid. So I took a handful of salt and rubbed it on the wound. Now that hog really went nuts. It was my way of taking out frustration. Another time, there was a live hog in the pit. It hadn’t done anything wrong, wasn’t even running around. It was just alive. I took a three-foot chunk of pipe and I literally beat that hog to death. It was like I started hitting the hog and I couldn’t stop. And when I finally did stop, I’d expended all this energy and frustration, and I’m thinking what in God’s sweet name did I do.”
SLAUGHTERHOUSE
“A lot of times the skinner finds out an animal is still conscious when he slices the side of its head and it starts kicking wildly. If that happens, or if a cow is already kicking when it arrives at their station, the skinners shove a knife into the back of its head to cut its spinal cord. This practice paralyzes the cow from the neck down but doesn’t deaden the pain of head skinning or render the animal unconscious; it simply allows workers to skin or dismember the animal without getting kicked.”
SLAUGHTERHOUSE
This is just one of many slaughterhouses that encourage fast production over humane and safe working environments. There were times I felt nauseous reading this book. I became a vegetarian last year. I made this decision for health reasons originally, trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. Then secondly, to reduce my water footprint. Lastly, I figured if I couldn’t go out and kill and prepare the animal myself, I have no business eating it. It wasn’t until after I became a vegetarian that I discovered the inhumane treatment still imposed on animals in the meat industry. While I was already a vegetarian, it is still important to know this information.
The primary goal of the meat industry is more production is more money. The evidence shown in this book shows that the USDA has really failed in the matter of providing humane treatments, safe work environments, and safe monitoring/testing of the meat. In fact, she explains that testing has not progressed much since 1906.
It pretty much boils down to if the inhumane treatments aren’t convincing, then the dangers that the worker’s experience should. But more often than not. Workers are immigrants. Many are scared to come forward in fear of being deported. If that isn’t convincing. Then the process of the meat getting to your table should. The author discusses how ineffective the testing can be if not performed correctly. She provides examples of what happens when there is a failure in testing–and that is a child being exposed to E-Coli.
Honestly, this book is not easy to read, but it is necessary. If we sit here and ignore the problem then suffering will continue. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
“One time I took my knife and sliced off the end of a hog’s nose, just like a piece of salami. The hog went crazy for a few seconds. Then it sat there looking kind of stupid. So I took a handful of salt and rubbed it on the wound. Now that hog really went nuts. It was my way of taking out frustration. Another time, there was a live hog in the pit. It hadn’t done anything wrong, wasn’t even running around. It was just alive. I took a three-foot chunk of pipe and I literally beat that hog to death. It was like I started hitting the hog and I couldn’t stop. And when I finally did stop, I’d expended all this energy and frustration, and I’m thinking what in God’s sweet name did I do.”
SLAUGHTERHOUSE
“A lot of times the skinner finds out an animal is still conscious when he slices the side of its head and it starts kicking wildly. If that happens, or if a cow is already kicking when it arrives at their station, the skinners shove a knife into the back of its head to cut its spinal cord. This practice paralyzes the cow from the neck down but doesn’t deaden the pain of head skinning or render the animal unconscious; it simply allows workers to skin or dismember the animal without getting kicked.”
SLAUGHTERHOUSE
This is just one of many slaughterhouses that encourage fast production over humane and safe working environments. There were times I felt nauseous reading this book. I became a vegetarian last year. I made this decision for health reasons originally, trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. Then secondly, to reduce my water footprint. Lastly, I figured if I couldn’t go out and kill and prepare the animal myself, I have no business eating it. It wasn’t until after I became a vegetarian that I discovered the inhumane treatment still imposed on animals in the meat industry. While I was already a vegetarian, it is still important to know this information.
The primary goal of the meat industry is more production is more money. The evidence shown in this book shows that the USDA has really failed in the matter of providing humane treatments, safe work environments, and safe monitoring/testing of the meat. In fact, she explains that testing has not progressed much since 1906.
It pretty much boils down to if the inhumane treatments aren’t convincing, then the dangers that the worker’s experience should. But more often than not. Workers are immigrants. Many are scared to come forward in fear of being deported. If that isn’t convincing. Then the process of the meat getting to your table should. The author discusses how ineffective the testing can be if not performed correctly. She provides examples of what happens when there is a failure in testing–and that is a child being exposed to E-Coli.
Honestly, this book is not easy to read, but it is necessary. If we sit here and ignore the problem then suffering will continue. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
August 6, 2009
I read this about a year after I went vegan.. it shocked me, and I cried through a large proportion of it. Shocking, but everyone must read it. Great account of untold horrors in the animal agricultural industry. Go vegan, please.
May 24, 2007
I had a rude awakening very recently concerning the health hazards as well as the immorality of eating meat, and as a result, i've been seeking out information on the meat industry and animal rights. This book is more or less the top of the stack as far as I'm concerned, being a new convert to vegetarianism. It exposes the gross crimes committed against animals every day by the thousands as they're drug through the slaughterhouse, being skinned, mutilated, tortured, beaten, shocked, and scalded while still alive. Federal legislation "requires" humane slaughtering practices, but these are largely ignored as a result of USDA pressure and power over the meat plants and employees. The industry, being concerned only with the amount of production, looks the other way while innocent animals are subjected to gruesome and painful deaths so that we can put dinner on the table. The corruption doesn't just affect the animals; non-enforcement of health standards and practices in the slaughterhouses and packaging plants leaves us with meat products that are more often than not contaminated with fecal matter, bacteria, etc etc etc. Gail Eisnitz courageously investigates and uncovers these and other horrific injustices in the meat industry and presents them to us. Even if you're not particularly interested in animal rights, the governmental corruption this book demonstrates is absolutely astonishing, and the health risks being sold to us at the meat counter are of interest to ANYONE. You'll need a strong stomach to read this one, but it's absolutely worth it.
July 10, 2018
This is an important book to read especially now that the President of America wants to roll back regulations. In a meatpacking plant things are going on that are hard to believe and should never happen. This book will shock most people, but most of all it should enrage you and make you want to find ways to stop the atrocities.
December 17, 2014
If you read only one book about the meat industry, make it this one. Slaughterhouse is a book about the other reality behind our demand for cheap meat, and lots of it: horrifically abused animals, permanently disabled workers, and dangerously dirty product. While animals are a point of focus of this book, I wouldn’t call Slaughterhouse an animal rights or vegan work. Rather, it’s an overall study of the modern day meat-processing factory—but don’t be surprised if the animal rights and vegan arguments of others make more sense to you after closing the back cover. Even those who don’t feel a whit of conscience about the animals’ ordeals will be affected by the stories of children who suffer tremendously after being poisoned by pathogen-infected meat.
Much of Eisnitz’s work focuses on her investigations of alleged abuses of the federal Humane Slaughter Act. What she finds are not only violations, but cruelty so severe as to be not only inhumane, but inhuman. While intentional violations of the federal Meat Inspection Act carries heavy penalties, violations of the Humane Slaughter Act carry none at all. Eventually, the author concludes:
“Only when I’d seen the mockery meat inspection officials had made of their primary mandate—ensuring meat and poultry wholesomeness—did I really understand just how low a priority humane slaughter was.”
But what of the meat industry’s much-ballyhooed veterinarians and consultants? USDA inspector Dave Carney gives a more sobering view:
“[Vets are] reduced to paperwork. The physical location of the plants where the animals are stuck and bled is a very uninviting work environment, the vets hardly ever go there.”
Another inspector adds:
“Most [vets] are from foreign countries. They’ve never had a job as good as this one, and they don’t want to rock the boat.”
Most animal industries, indeed, like to boast that they have veterinarians on staff, playing on the public’s images of Dr. Doolittle and James Herriot. But really, as Carney points out, think about irony of vets who took a vow work to save animal life working in a place whose whole reason for existence is to kill as many animals as possible. The main purpose of vets in a slaughterhouse is to glance carcasses for visible signs of disease, not to tend to living animals.
Another passage makes reference to a consultant with a “national reputation as a slaughter expert.” Although her visits to check up on animal handling practices were supposed to be unannounced, a slaughter plant worker confirmed they had two days advance notice to amp up the power on the stunners and get rid of metal pipes and other objects used to beat uncooperative animals. While the author does not name names here, it’s pretty easy to guess who this nationally-known slaughter expert is.
Of course, all of these sloppy slaughter practices take a human toll as well, as was documented later, and perhaps more famously, by Eric Schlosser in Fast Food Nation. The slaughterhouse employees’ accounts of slavish conditions will truly make you ponder if anything has improved since The Jungle. And as for the consumer who ultimately gets the meat, I leave you with this quote from Tom Devine, legal director of the Govt Accountability Project:
“Twenty years ago…it wasn’t a reckless, foolhardy act for a family to eat medium-rare hamburgers or steak for Sunday dinner. Something has drastically changed if the USDA is warning people that federally approved beef has to be cooked to a crisp in order to avoid food poisoning tragedies. So, what’s changed? Obviously, the meat’s a lot dirtier.”
Much of Eisnitz’s work focuses on her investigations of alleged abuses of the federal Humane Slaughter Act. What she finds are not only violations, but cruelty so severe as to be not only inhumane, but inhuman. While intentional violations of the federal Meat Inspection Act carries heavy penalties, violations of the Humane Slaughter Act carry none at all. Eventually, the author concludes:
“Only when I’d seen the mockery meat inspection officials had made of their primary mandate—ensuring meat and poultry wholesomeness—did I really understand just how low a priority humane slaughter was.”
But what of the meat industry’s much-ballyhooed veterinarians and consultants? USDA inspector Dave Carney gives a more sobering view:
“[Vets are] reduced to paperwork. The physical location of the plants where the animals are stuck and bled is a very uninviting work environment, the vets hardly ever go there.”
Another inspector adds:
“Most [vets] are from foreign countries. They’ve never had a job as good as this one, and they don’t want to rock the boat.”
Most animal industries, indeed, like to boast that they have veterinarians on staff, playing on the public’s images of Dr. Doolittle and James Herriot. But really, as Carney points out, think about irony of vets who took a vow work to save animal life working in a place whose whole reason for existence is to kill as many animals as possible. The main purpose of vets in a slaughterhouse is to glance carcasses for visible signs of disease, not to tend to living animals.
Another passage makes reference to a consultant with a “national reputation as a slaughter expert.” Although her visits to check up on animal handling practices were supposed to be unannounced, a slaughter plant worker confirmed they had two days advance notice to amp up the power on the stunners and get rid of metal pipes and other objects used to beat uncooperative animals. While the author does not name names here, it’s pretty easy to guess who this nationally-known slaughter expert is.
Of course, all of these sloppy slaughter practices take a human toll as well, as was documented later, and perhaps more famously, by Eric Schlosser in Fast Food Nation. The slaughterhouse employees’ accounts of slavish conditions will truly make you ponder if anything has improved since The Jungle. And as for the consumer who ultimately gets the meat, I leave you with this quote from Tom Devine, legal director of the Govt Accountability Project:
“Twenty years ago…it wasn’t a reckless, foolhardy act for a family to eat medium-rare hamburgers or steak for Sunday dinner. Something has drastically changed if the USDA is warning people that federally approved beef has to be cooked to a crisp in order to avoid food poisoning tragedies. So, what’s changed? Obviously, the meat’s a lot dirtier.”
November 22, 2025
i keep thinking of this book. this industry is evil, very very evil. i recommend reading it, it will ruin meat consumption for you but perhaps that’s for the best. i won’t put myself into boxes, but i wont be eating much meat maybe none at all, but definitely not a hamburger lol. it’s healthier to eat plant based anyways. i’ll definitely be eating mainly greens.
April 28, 2023
Verandering en groei is alleen mogelijk als we de waarheid onder ogen durven te komen, in al haar gruwelijkheden. En dit boek staat vol gruwelijke waarheden. De auteur is een heldin. Wat zij heeft moeten doorstaan op persoonlijk vlak om dit verhaal te kunnen vertellen is verschrikkelijk. Een ongelofelijk moedig mens. Dit is een heel belangrijk werk. Iedereen die dit zou lezen stopt gelijk met dieren eten, daar ben ik van overtuigd. Sociopaten en psychopaten uitgezonderd. Een humane manier van vee dieren houden is onmogelijk. Zolang we met dieren omgaan alsof het producten zijn, is er geen hoop voor de mensheid.
Laat dieren met rust. Eet planten.
Laat dieren met rust. Eet planten.
May 21, 2010
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!! We can no longer stick out heads in the sand and pretend that the choice to eat meat, or not eat meat is simply a politically based decision. Every adult needs to read this book and understand the health hazards associated with eating the meat that comes from these disgusting, disease laden facilities. The USDA is NOT there to protect YOU! They are promoting their own interests and to think such an agency would put the welfare of people over money and power is silly... but they know we are willing to believe what they "feed" us.
This is one of the most horrific, compelling, and important books you can read if you want to do something for your health, and that of your family. Not only that, but to recognize and understand our moral responsibility to this Earth. God gave us Dominion over the earth- that does NOT mean the power to abuse and mistreat it when it suits our gluttony and our addictions.
Next time you eat chicken, think about them being scalded and burned while still alive... think about Mother cows CRYING for their babies, who will be the veal at a fancy restaurant. Think about these animals being beaten, shocked, and skinned while still ALIVE. Is that something you could stomach?
Do you REALLY know how much animal feces or bacteria is in your food? Would it bother you to know that contaminated meat was thrown back on the table to be ground up into BABY FOOD, and other ground meat products?
The corruption in the USDA and other government agencies in bed with the dairy and cattle industries will astound you... and the risk we are put under is enough to make anyone ill. You'll need a strong stomach for this one, but as I said, one of the most important books you can read for your health... and KNOWLEDGE IS POWER...
This is one of the most horrific, compelling, and important books you can read if you want to do something for your health, and that of your family. Not only that, but to recognize and understand our moral responsibility to this Earth. God gave us Dominion over the earth- that does NOT mean the power to abuse and mistreat it when it suits our gluttony and our addictions.
Next time you eat chicken, think about them being scalded and burned while still alive... think about Mother cows CRYING for their babies, who will be the veal at a fancy restaurant. Think about these animals being beaten, shocked, and skinned while still ALIVE. Is that something you could stomach?
Do you REALLY know how much animal feces or bacteria is in your food? Would it bother you to know that contaminated meat was thrown back on the table to be ground up into BABY FOOD, and other ground meat products?
The corruption in the USDA and other government agencies in bed with the dairy and cattle industries will astound you... and the risk we are put under is enough to make anyone ill. You'll need a strong stomach for this one, but as I said, one of the most important books you can read for your health... and KNOWLEDGE IS POWER...
August 5, 2012
Modern day look into slaughterhouses, not only what is done to the animals, but how the workers are treated as well. This modern day true to life version of The Jungle is a must read, for those that truly wish to be informed of what is going on and where their food comes from and how animals are treated in factory farms and slaughterhouses. Think the USDA and government has your best interests in mind? This book will change that for you, it's all about production and profit, screw the consumer, workers, and worse of all screw the animals! That is the cold hard truth!
February 20, 2021
(Zero spoiler review)
I didn't have any intention of reviewing this book, at least not currently. it's been a few years since I've read it (twice) and I didn't think the distance and time since would allow me to lucidly or accurately describe just how this book made me feel and the impact it still can have, despite its age. And besides, its already rated and reviewed well enough without me throwing my two cents in with the rest. Though in the last twenty four hours, I've had to say goodbye to one of my goodest good boys. My dear golden retriever Occy. The darkened swell of emotions that grief brings out in us is such a powerful, albeit unpleasant force. And whilst I sit here in my desolation, I felt that despite the time between reads, maybe now really was the best time to review this book. Not necessarily to provide an accurate accounting of the book, I'm sure others could do that better in my current state, but in as raw and honest way as I can, describe the reasons such a book exists, and why everyone really should read it. I've heard it said many times to me that some people couldn't read a certain book because of the way it made them feel. I am someone who has never really understood that sentiment. I understand from a literal sense. And I understand not everyone thinks like me. But no book has ever been too graphic, too confronting, too 'real'. I still feel that way. But Slaughterhouse has come as close as any book likely will into making me not want to keep reading. I like to say, If Earthlings or Dominion was a book, this would be it. I may never have stopped reading it, but I think I stopped a few times, took a deep breath, despairing at being human, and then continued on.
This book like, no other, highlights the near infinite chasm between our beliefs and our actions, between kindness and apathy disguised as hatred. Between peace and perpetual violence. No book greater exemplifies the extent to which we have turned off that fundamental part of ourselves, and the horrors that inevitably follow when we do. If you can read this and go back to your steak dinner afterwards, then I pity whatever has led to such indifference. I loved my Occy boy so very much. And in grieving for him. Sitting there, physically nauseous, then blank, then numb. It highlighted with stark clarity, the way great truth will occasionally grace us from time to time. Not that I ever forgot why I'm vegan, or the importance of my individual choices. But to remind me why I am who I am, think how I think, and act how I act, and what extends from that. The billions of animals who die today will pass from this earth without a shred of the love or compassion with which Occy left this earth with. But at the end of the day, those billions of lives are only lost due to the simplicity of a single, individual choice. Hopefully you will make the choice to read Slaughterhouse, and use that to make some different choices thereafter. A must read, no matter how difficult. 4.75/5
OmniBen and Occy.
I didn't have any intention of reviewing this book, at least not currently. it's been a few years since I've read it (twice) and I didn't think the distance and time since would allow me to lucidly or accurately describe just how this book made me feel and the impact it still can have, despite its age. And besides, its already rated and reviewed well enough without me throwing my two cents in with the rest. Though in the last twenty four hours, I've had to say goodbye to one of my goodest good boys. My dear golden retriever Occy. The darkened swell of emotions that grief brings out in us is such a powerful, albeit unpleasant force. And whilst I sit here in my desolation, I felt that despite the time between reads, maybe now really was the best time to review this book. Not necessarily to provide an accurate accounting of the book, I'm sure others could do that better in my current state, but in as raw and honest way as I can, describe the reasons such a book exists, and why everyone really should read it. I've heard it said many times to me that some people couldn't read a certain book because of the way it made them feel. I am someone who has never really understood that sentiment. I understand from a literal sense. And I understand not everyone thinks like me. But no book has ever been too graphic, too confronting, too 'real'. I still feel that way. But Slaughterhouse has come as close as any book likely will into making me not want to keep reading. I like to say, If Earthlings or Dominion was a book, this would be it. I may never have stopped reading it, but I think I stopped a few times, took a deep breath, despairing at being human, and then continued on.
This book like, no other, highlights the near infinite chasm between our beliefs and our actions, between kindness and apathy disguised as hatred. Between peace and perpetual violence. No book greater exemplifies the extent to which we have turned off that fundamental part of ourselves, and the horrors that inevitably follow when we do. If you can read this and go back to your steak dinner afterwards, then I pity whatever has led to such indifference. I loved my Occy boy so very much. And in grieving for him. Sitting there, physically nauseous, then blank, then numb. It highlighted with stark clarity, the way great truth will occasionally grace us from time to time. Not that I ever forgot why I'm vegan, or the importance of my individual choices. But to remind me why I am who I am, think how I think, and act how I act, and what extends from that. The billions of animals who die today will pass from this earth without a shred of the love or compassion with which Occy left this earth with. But at the end of the day, those billions of lives are only lost due to the simplicity of a single, individual choice. Hopefully you will make the choice to read Slaughterhouse, and use that to make some different choices thereafter. A must read, no matter how difficult. 4.75/5
OmniBen and Occy.
June 19, 2023
I first read a brief excerpt from this book as a child, and what I had read has vividly stayed in my mind even after all these years. Though, I didn't recall where I had read the passage from, so reading it unexpectedly again in this book was jarring, because even though I didn't remember where I had read it from, I still remembered those words exactly as they were written. I only wish that I had been able to read this book in its entirety when I first encountered it because I know that I would have been vegan years sooner if I had. As it is, the memory of that quote from this book was part of the reason that I went vegan, so this book has been incredibly important to me since before I even realized it.
This book is deeply disturbing, but yet, I also think that this should be required reading for everyone in order for people to have a clear understanding of what exactly it is that they are funding when they are purchasing the body parts of the animals who are killed for them.
In this book, the author Gail Eisnitz details what she uncovered through her investigations into violations in slaughterhouses throughout the United States. She compiled interviews that she conducted with whistleblowers and slaughterhouse workers, many of whom signed affidavits and agreed to have their interviews recorded, and she also includes photos taken inside slaughterhouses. This book exposes the realities of how animals are tortured (by routinely being beaten, dragged by meat hooks, scalded, left to freeze from during transportation, skinned, and dismembered while they are still alive and fully conscious), the ways that workers (who are often immigrants) are exploited, traumatized, injured, and have their lives endangered, and how the public's health is put at serious risk of illness because of the disgusting conditions in these facilities.
While the slaughterhouses investigated by Gail Eisnitz are located in the United States, it is important to note that the United States is one of the largest exporters of meat to other countries.
The egregious disregard for the well-being of animals and humans by animal industries (that is approved by the USDA as "humane") is absolutely deplorable, and I am so grateful to Gail Eisnitz for her work and for publishing her findings in this book to expose the atrocities and federal law violations involved in United States slaughterhouses.
This book is deeply disturbing, but yet, I also think that this should be required reading for everyone in order for people to have a clear understanding of what exactly it is that they are funding when they are purchasing the body parts of the animals who are killed for them.
In this book, the author Gail Eisnitz details what she uncovered through her investigations into violations in slaughterhouses throughout the United States. She compiled interviews that she conducted with whistleblowers and slaughterhouse workers, many of whom signed affidavits and agreed to have their interviews recorded, and she also includes photos taken inside slaughterhouses. This book exposes the realities of how animals are tortured (by routinely being beaten, dragged by meat hooks, scalded, left to freeze from during transportation, skinned, and dismembered while they are still alive and fully conscious), the ways that workers (who are often immigrants) are exploited, traumatized, injured, and have their lives endangered, and how the public's health is put at serious risk of illness because of the disgusting conditions in these facilities.
While the slaughterhouses investigated by Gail Eisnitz are located in the United States, it is important to note that the United States is one of the largest exporters of meat to other countries.
The egregious disregard for the well-being of animals and humans by animal industries (that is approved by the USDA as "humane") is absolutely deplorable, and I am so grateful to Gail Eisnitz for her work and for publishing her findings in this book to expose the atrocities and federal law violations involved in United States slaughterhouses.
June 4, 2013
Yet another life changer on this topic...
I can say that for me I didn't really learn anything new about the torturous ways we treat animals many call food but that is solely due to the fact that I have read numerous books on this topic. For many who haven't they will find numerous examples they likely were not aware of in regards to the treatment of animals in factory farms.
For me, because of the numerous books I have read about the treatment of animals, the most interesting part of this book was discovering the involvement of the USDA with factory farming. I did already know some of the ways the USDA has not only encouraged factory farming throughout the years but has also turned a blind eye to what was really happening but, I discovered so much more in this book. This book does a wonderful job explaining the various ways that the USDA has COMPLETELY ignored the way factory farming was treating animals and our health. The author walks the reader through this topic with numerous examples backed up with factual example after factual example. If you believe that the USDA is interested in American's health and protecting it you will be appalled by the decades of examples of exactly the opposite.
I can say that for me I didn't really learn anything new about the torturous ways we treat animals many call food but that is solely due to the fact that I have read numerous books on this topic. For many who haven't they will find numerous examples they likely were not aware of in regards to the treatment of animals in factory farms.
For me, because of the numerous books I have read about the treatment of animals, the most interesting part of this book was discovering the involvement of the USDA with factory farming. I did already know some of the ways the USDA has not only encouraged factory farming throughout the years but has also turned a blind eye to what was really happening but, I discovered so much more in this book. This book does a wonderful job explaining the various ways that the USDA has COMPLETELY ignored the way factory farming was treating animals and our health. The author walks the reader through this topic with numerous examples backed up with factual example after factual example. If you believe that the USDA is interested in American's health and protecting it you will be appalled by the decades of examples of exactly the opposite.
March 16, 2010
Interestingly, the author never mentions anything about "what can be done" to stop the animal abuse, worker abuse, and contamination of meat products that are so common in today's slaughterhouses. At the end of the book, she says that she is so happy that she got a job at the Humane Farming Association (HFA), which enabled her to write this book, which enables us to learn the facts so we can take action. But she doesn't offer even one suggestion for what kind of action should be taken. In a way, it's kind of refreshing. She just provides all her information, and there, that's it. Here's the link to HFA.
http://www.hfa.org/about/index.html
This book leaves me with a big question mark feeling. I feel like it just scratches the surface when it comes to government / corporate collusion and corruption.
http://www.hfa.org/about/index.html
This book leaves me with a big question mark feeling. I feel like it just scratches the surface when it comes to government / corporate collusion and corruption.
February 15, 2008
A very hard book to read but very informative and well researched. I am reasonably knowledgeable about the litany of Auschwitz like horrors that permeate the modern, industrial farm factory, but this book enlighten me to a few practices I wasn’t aware of. The edition I read was a slightly revised version from 2006 that included a new afterword. The use of Horse meat for human consumption and the classifying of Rabbits as poultry were news to me. Every one really should read this book. Yet another prime example of how deregulation mixed with greed undermines the safety of the public. Horrible.
April 29, 2013
This book is truly life-changing. I don't see how anyone can read this and continue to support the meat industry guilt-free. I was aware of abuse of animals in slaughterhouses, but not to this extent. And it's not only the abuse that is shocking -- the way the workers are treated and the quality of meat that is being sold to the public is abhorrent. I literally felt sick to my stomach as I was reading the way the meat is handled and "inspected." The USDA should be ashamed -- if I had little trust in them before reading this book, I have none now. Everyone should read this book.
March 28, 2008
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in maintaining and improving the health of their family! The filth is shocking and has forever guaranteed me of a meat-free diet!!! (Don't trust the FDA or USDA!!!)
December 6, 2020
This was a difficult but necessary read. I had to keep putting the book down after a few chapters because of the down right evil treatment the animals experienced. But this book talks about more than that, the whole system is corrupt. Greedy people in power, within the meat industry and in government, are willing to risk the well being of animals, employees, and consumers to make as much money as possible. This book is packed with information from a long journey Gail went on to reveal the true colors of the American meat industry in the 90s.
The meat industry is immensely bigger today than when this book was written. I recommend everyone read this to understand the past and to see how the same problems continue to plague the meat industry to this day.
The meat industry is immensely bigger today than when this book was written. I recommend everyone read this to understand the past and to see how the same problems continue to plague the meat industry to this day.
March 31, 2023
Harta. Asqueada. Violenta. (?)
No es un libro que resalta la crueldad de la industria cárnica. Es un libro que busca una revolución en la industria cárnica para pasar a un modelo que sigue siendo igual de cruel y violento, pero que disfraza la realidad para los humanos. Básicamente la escala de moralidad indica que el asesinato de parte de una corporación es malo, pero el mismo asesinato cometido por un negocio más pequeño, no.
El proceso mental enfermizo que una persona tiene que hacer para pasar una parte del libro hablando sobre lo dañino de la industria para terminar diciendo que métodos alternativos de asesinato masivo de animales son una "luz de esperanza" casi me generó un ataque de nervios.
Además, repetitivo. Podía enojarme leyendo esta basura en mucho menos tiempo.
No es un libro que resalta la crueldad de la industria cárnica. Es un libro que busca una revolución en la industria cárnica para pasar a un modelo que sigue siendo igual de cruel y violento, pero que disfraza la realidad para los humanos. Básicamente la escala de moralidad indica que el asesinato de parte de una corporación es malo, pero el mismo asesinato cometido por un negocio más pequeño, no.
El proceso mental enfermizo que una persona tiene que hacer para pasar una parte del libro hablando sobre lo dañino de la industria para terminar diciendo que métodos alternativos de asesinato masivo de animales son una "luz de esperanza" casi me generó un ataque de nervios.
Además, repetitivo. Podía enojarme leyendo esta basura en mucho menos tiempo.
March 9, 2019
I documented well-groomed horses as they were prodded into the knocking box, walking with great hesitation in each step. In the first photos, their coats would shine with a healthy luster, their manes carefully groomed. In the next, their bloodstained hides were being peeled from their bodies, their hooves thrown into the pile on the floor. I got shots of foals being herded into the knocking box, skittish at first, then panicked, then lifeless. I just kept shooting.
This one is hard to rate.
I guess I could put it into a "glad I read it" pile, but I don't think I'd ever add it into a "would reread" or "would recommend to others" pile. I'm even shaky on that last one, because I sort of do want other people to read it. It's gross. It's gross, and it's upsetting, and if I wasn't already committed to vegetarianism, I sure as hell would be now.
Beyond my own desire for animal empathy, though, I just wish more people knew what was going on behind the scenes. We deserve this in every aspect of our lives, from how our country is governed to how our justice system works to, especially, how our food is made. We need more information about how migrant workers are treated, about how our desire for "third world superfoods" like quinoa is harming other nations, and especially about how our meat is created.
I admire Eisnitz for trying to expose the meat industry's sins, even when she was seemingly foiled at every turn. She doesn't allow for room in her narrative for What-about-ism. Every account she writes down—and there are many, they feel repetitive—echoes the same sentiments: these animals are not being slaughtered properly. These animals suffer at every stage of the process. These animals suffer in ways that violate humane slaughter laws. These animals suffer in ways that endanger workers.
I found Slaughterhouse to be nearly comprehensive in its overview of the issues in the meat industry. Don't get me wrong, it isn't, but it feels that way because Eisnitz covers meat from birds to cows to horses to pigs and talks about how slaughterhouses wage war on the animals and the humans inside them. It shouldn't be surprising that a man who spends his days torturing animals [to relieve frustration at his own inhumane treatment by his supervisors] comes home to beat his wife. It shouldn't be surprising that a boss who endangers his workers with fast line speeds is also willing to endanger the public by illegally passing off contaminated and sick meat as USDA approved, healthy meat.
Eisnitz hits every angle I could think of in her book, and that's why I commend her. She did it. She went to the plants, talked to the workers, talked to the USDA inspectors, and pursued her story even when she had to take her chemotherapy drugs cross-country with her. That being said, the book can get repetitive, but in some ways, that's effective. The nigh-automated slaughter process is repetitive too. It's the same story repeated over and over again in our nation's meat-processing facilities. It has a point, so for that, I'll allow it.
In some ways, I wish Eisnitz had gone deeper; the natural conclusion of her narrative would be that capitalism, above all, causes the conditions in slaughterhouses. Industry owners demand profits; plant supervisors speed up line times; workers must speed up to accommodate the faster line; USDA inspectors can no longer do their jobs and prevent inhumane or unsanitary conditions; workers incorrectly and cruelly torture animals because they must keep up with the speed to keep their jobs and USDA officials can no longer stop them. Animals become a product, become commodified, and their pain is no longer the sign of a sentient being but rather a stumbling block between a raw resource and a sellable product.
Viva la révolution, baby.
July 30, 2024
WHAT REALLY GOES ON INSIDE THE "KILLING ROOMS"...?
Gail Eisnitz is an investigative reporter, who began investigating the meat and poultry industry after receiving a tip. She ultimately interviewed dozens of workers in the industry, and in 1997 produced this shattering report on animal abuse; the changes within the industry from consolidation, deregulation, and pressure to increase "line speed"; and how this affects the workers.
She reports, "Alvaro said that even after workers were grazed by falling cattle, they were afraid to speak up. I asked him why. He snapped his fingers and pointed over his shoulder with a thumb, hitchhiker style. 'Fire. Right away. On the spot... Or moved to a different, much worse job, to get them to quit.'" (Pg. 41)
About the cattle still kicking after being hung up, a worker said, "They pick up their heads, and their eyes look around. Sometimes they fall down and they try to stand up again. When the cow's hanging down from the rail and is still yelling... I think they are still alive when they do that. Everybody could tell these cows were alive." (Pg. 42) Another said, "They'd say, 'That's just muscle reaction, nerves. It's not alive.' I'd say, 'Then why's the damned hog trying to BITE me?'" (Pg. 71)
Another worker said, "People go into [John] Morrell expecting respect and good working conditions. They come out with carpal tunnel, tendinitis, alcoholism, you name it, because they're put under incredible pressure and they're expected to perform under intolerable conditions... It used to be fun. Now it's a s__t job." (Pg. 94) Another added, "[I] Got hung up in the hoist shackling live hogs, trying to keep the product moving. That's their big concern. When it comes to people, they don't give a s__t." (Pg. 99)
She states, "I asked Mike why the union hadn't brought the humane violations to the USDA's attention. Neither he nor the other local union officials were aware that the USDA had any enforcement authority regarding the humane treatment of livestock, or that there even was a Humane Slaughter Act." (Pg. 104-105) She asks, "Would a plant that had allowed its employees to become injured and maimed really care about the suffering of animals or compliance with the law?" (Pg. 118-119)
A union official told her, "Nobody knows who's responsible for correcting animal abuse at the plant. The USDA does zilch. Especially in the hog kill, where you have hogs going through at eleven hundred an hour, the abuse is totally out of control. The union's here to try to help the workers. But nobody thinks about the suffering the ANIMALS go through." (Pg. 133) Another worker says, "I've seen a lot of times the USDA should have stopped the line. And they never do." (Pg. 217)
She concludes, "turnover rates in many plants soar... Disabled workers... find it impossible to ever work again. Drained of their usefulness to the slaughterhouse, they're cast aside, reminders of a system that places nearly as little value on human life as it does on animal life." (Pg. 275)
Deeply disturbing, this stark investigative report is essential reading for anyone interested in animal welfare or animal rights.
Gail Eisnitz is an investigative reporter, who began investigating the meat and poultry industry after receiving a tip. She ultimately interviewed dozens of workers in the industry, and in 1997 produced this shattering report on animal abuse; the changes within the industry from consolidation, deregulation, and pressure to increase "line speed"; and how this affects the workers.
She reports, "Alvaro said that even after workers were grazed by falling cattle, they were afraid to speak up. I asked him why. He snapped his fingers and pointed over his shoulder with a thumb, hitchhiker style. 'Fire. Right away. On the spot... Or moved to a different, much worse job, to get them to quit.'" (Pg. 41)
About the cattle still kicking after being hung up, a worker said, "They pick up their heads, and their eyes look around. Sometimes they fall down and they try to stand up again. When the cow's hanging down from the rail and is still yelling... I think they are still alive when they do that. Everybody could tell these cows were alive." (Pg. 42) Another said, "They'd say, 'That's just muscle reaction, nerves. It's not alive.' I'd say, 'Then why's the damned hog trying to BITE me?'" (Pg. 71)
Another worker said, "People go into [John] Morrell expecting respect and good working conditions. They come out with carpal tunnel, tendinitis, alcoholism, you name it, because they're put under incredible pressure and they're expected to perform under intolerable conditions... It used to be fun. Now it's a s__t job." (Pg. 94) Another added, "[I] Got hung up in the hoist shackling live hogs, trying to keep the product moving. That's their big concern. When it comes to people, they don't give a s__t." (Pg. 99)
She states, "I asked Mike why the union hadn't brought the humane violations to the USDA's attention. Neither he nor the other local union officials were aware that the USDA had any enforcement authority regarding the humane treatment of livestock, or that there even was a Humane Slaughter Act." (Pg. 104-105) She asks, "Would a plant that had allowed its employees to become injured and maimed really care about the suffering of animals or compliance with the law?" (Pg. 118-119)
A union official told her, "Nobody knows who's responsible for correcting animal abuse at the plant. The USDA does zilch. Especially in the hog kill, where you have hogs going through at eleven hundred an hour, the abuse is totally out of control. The union's here to try to help the workers. But nobody thinks about the suffering the ANIMALS go through." (Pg. 133) Another worker says, "I've seen a lot of times the USDA should have stopped the line. And they never do." (Pg. 217)
She concludes, "turnover rates in many plants soar... Disabled workers... find it impossible to ever work again. Drained of their usefulness to the slaughterhouse, they're cast aside, reminders of a system that places nearly as little value on human life as it does on animal life." (Pg. 275)
Deeply disturbing, this stark investigative report is essential reading for anyone interested in animal welfare or animal rights.
October 16, 2017
A captivating, eye-opening, and jaw-dropping read, all at once. I was aware of slaughterhouse horrors before picking this book up, but I never knew just how bad things really were, in the meat and dairy industry. Slaughterhouses and factory farming plants truly define Hell. This book was published over a decade ago, yet much of what she writes of still holds true today (although things are slowly changing as the public becomes more and more aware). The Afterword did give me some hope. Appalling how much of this country runs on greed, and how much the wool is pulled over consumers' eyes.
I, like most people, grew up eating meat and dairy and thought nothing of it. But, my SO, mother, and I had started making a shift toward more plant-based eating a few months before I heard of this book, and this just pushed me further into incorporating more plant based and vegan foods into my diet, than ever before. My body can no longer tolerate more than small amounts of dairy, and I eat very little meat nowadays, and only if there's very limited vegetarian choices available (at certain restaurants, social events, etc).
My heart truly hurt for the poor animals who live miserable existences, only to die such a violent death. No living being deserves to suffer the way they do. My God, some of the things that workers described brought me close to tears. And the filth, grime, and diseases that run rampant is enough to turn anyone off meat. I was also one of those who thought all workers in these factory farms were monsters, but very few of them actually take any pleasure in what they do. Many of them act this way because of supervisor's orders, and poor oversight from government agencies. Workers constantly facing the threat of losing their job if they don't keep the line moving, having a high rate of bodily injury, denied bathroom breaks, cast aside once they're of no more use to the industry, just like the animals.
Much kudos to Ms. Eisnitz for her perseverance and determination in exposing the truth, and even putting her own health on the line. We need more people like her, who aren't just content to sit around and wait for things to happen, but to make change happen. This book is so well-written that it almost reads like a novel, and keeps you turning the pages. She also speaks much of her own experiences during this time.
Recommend this book for anyone who eats, period. But especially those who frequently eat meat, cares about where their food comes from, who loves animals, and those who support worker rights. If you really must eat meat, do your research make sure you know where it comes from. Don't just blindly trust the USDA and FDA to do what's right...for animal welfare, for the environment, and most importantly, for your own health. Always remember, cheap meat comes with a heavy price to pay.
I, like most people, grew up eating meat and dairy and thought nothing of it. But, my SO, mother, and I had started making a shift toward more plant-based eating a few months before I heard of this book, and this just pushed me further into incorporating more plant based and vegan foods into my diet, than ever before. My body can no longer tolerate more than small amounts of dairy, and I eat very little meat nowadays, and only if there's very limited vegetarian choices available (at certain restaurants, social events, etc).
My heart truly hurt for the poor animals who live miserable existences, only to die such a violent death. No living being deserves to suffer the way they do. My God, some of the things that workers described brought me close to tears. And the filth, grime, and diseases that run rampant is enough to turn anyone off meat. I was also one of those who thought all workers in these factory farms were monsters, but very few of them actually take any pleasure in what they do. Many of them act this way because of supervisor's orders, and poor oversight from government agencies. Workers constantly facing the threat of losing their job if they don't keep the line moving, having a high rate of bodily injury, denied bathroom breaks, cast aside once they're of no more use to the industry, just like the animals.
Much kudos to Ms. Eisnitz for her perseverance and determination in exposing the truth, and even putting her own health on the line. We need more people like her, who aren't just content to sit around and wait for things to happen, but to make change happen. This book is so well-written that it almost reads like a novel, and keeps you turning the pages. She also speaks much of her own experiences during this time.
Recommend this book for anyone who eats, period. But especially those who frequently eat meat, cares about where their food comes from, who loves animals, and those who support worker rights. If you really must eat meat, do your research make sure you know where it comes from. Don't just blindly trust the USDA and FDA to do what's right...for animal welfare, for the environment, and most importantly, for your own health. Always remember, cheap meat comes with a heavy price to pay.
May 3, 2018
Harrowing, yet a necessary read. I often feel like the meat industry is comparable to slavery. Right now, in the world I live in, it’s deemed ok for humans to treat these animals with absolute disrespect towards their lives...but in years to come...this will turn around completely as more people open their eyes and have their perceptions and beliefs challenged. The media, and the meat industry, will eventually have to follow suit. I’d love to see this happen in my life time but I doubt I will get to 😔 All I know is that my own feelings toward what I class as “food” have been flipped on it’s head and I’m happy it has! I don’t want to contribute to this anymore by consuming meat or dairy. I wonder how differently we’d eat if a) we saw the truth as depicted in this book, and b) we had to hunt, catch and kill own own food. The truth is, we would eat hardly any meat or fish (or none at all) and survive off of the land!
February 6, 2024
I'm taking down my meat consumption. I'm a big guy who likes meat. Chicken, beef, pork, you name it. But whatever your stance on meat is, it is almost impossible to advocate for eating MORE meat after reading this book.
Eisnitz makes a number of compelling arguments about the treatment of animals and the treatment of workers. But what about you? The people in charge of the meat industry are horribly corrupt and are indifferent to whether you live or die after consuming their product.
For almost 200 years, beef production has been the most American of industries. And their regard for the health of Americans is nonexistent. I suppose that makes it the most American of industries, still. The amount of material that is hazardous to your health is repulsive and almost unavoidable if you shop at your local grocery store.
The only redeeming part of this story is that it was written in 1998, so there is a chance that some new regulation has been introduced, though I highly doubt it.
Eisnitz makes a number of compelling arguments about the treatment of animals and the treatment of workers. But what about you? The people in charge of the meat industry are horribly corrupt and are indifferent to whether you live or die after consuming their product.
For almost 200 years, beef production has been the most American of industries. And their regard for the health of Americans is nonexistent. I suppose that makes it the most American of industries, still. The amount of material that is hazardous to your health is repulsive and almost unavoidable if you shop at your local grocery store.
The only redeeming part of this story is that it was written in 1998, so there is a chance that some new regulation has been introduced, though I highly doubt it.
March 27, 2009
I read an earlier version of this book, back in 2004 I think. I believe it is one of the most important books that anyone will ever read and something everyone should read. Every person I have ever loaned it to has come back with the same feelings. It is a disgusting, disturbing industry. I couldn't eat chicken for 2 weeks after reading this book and still cry when I see a pig truck pass me on the highway. I am not a vegetarian (though I will NEVER eat veal), and never will be, but I feel that this book shows why everyone SHOULD be a vegetarian - at least until our meat industry is held to higher standards and is much less corrupt. We were made stewards by God and that does include a utilitarian side and use of animals. It does not, however, mean that we can be cruel to animals for our own benefit. i recommend Dominion by Matthew Sulley for that topic...
January 16, 2008
i gave this title a lower rating only because the narrative is sensational and it isn't as skillfully written as it could have been. that said, there are not many books written about this subject, so the investigative work that eisnitz has done is immensely valuable. it is a fast-paced, gory read that will likely leave you feeling indignant and insulted by yet another instance of a federal agency witholding information from the public and surreptitiously covering up mistakes. another thing that makes this book unique is that for the first time, actual slaughterhouse workers are interviewed and speak publicly about the policy abuses, inhumane treatment of animals, and unsafe working conditions.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews