Slaughterhouse Blues: The Meat and Poultry Industry in North America

by Donald D. Stull, Michael J. Broadway, Eric Schlosser (Foreward)

SLAUGHTERHOUSE BLUES: THE MEAT AND POULTRY INDUSTRY IN NORTH AMERICA draws on more than 15 years of research by the authors, a cultural anthropologist and a social geographer, to present a detailed look at the meat and poultry industry in the United States and Canada. Following chapters on today's beef, poultry, and pork industries, SLAUGHTERHOUSE BLUES examines industry impacts on workers and on the communities that host its plants. The book details the authors' efforts to help communities plan for and mitigate the negative consequences of meat and poultry plants as well as community opposition to confined animal feeding operations. The book concludes by exploring alternatives to North America's model of industrialized meat production.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Anthropology, Food

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2003

Reviews

[William Crosby]

[Iowa mention]

[Darcia Helle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected a current, in-depth look at the meat industry, focusing on the environmental and sociological impact. I suppose this book is that - sort of. The opening spends a lot of time on the evolution of the meat industry. We also get a lot of information on the author's experience at a cow 'branding' event, which I could have done without. None of it added anything to the subject at hand.

There's some focus on labor, the slaughterhouse workers, and how damaging the job is to their health. There is some, though not much, information on the horrible treatment of the 'farm' animals.

The writing is kind of dry, and filled with statistics and comparison tables. This book seems to have been written - and should be marketed for - various college courses and students focusing on sociology.

[Sara Zoellick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read it just before Food Inc. came out. Pretty interesting.