Part of the reason I disliked this book may be that it was just not the book for me at this time as a reader. Part of it may be that much of the arguments Friend makes are things I have seen in other books such as Fast Food Nation and Supersize Me. I will admit that I skimmed parts of the book due to the repetition. It is not that I disagree with the arguments; it's just that I have seen a lot of the stuff before, so I did not really need to see it again. The memoir parts, to be honest, had a little bit on the "Pollyanna" tone. I think she makes a valid point: that you can be a carnivore and be compassionate about the meat you eat; more importantly, be very aware of where your food comes from and try to choose more compassionate and healthy alternatives. But a lot of the message is repetitive throughout the book (yea, I got it the first time). The recommendations at the end, while noble, are fairly unrealistic to the average person. I mean, how many folks do you know can afford to buy a whole hog or steer, let alone have a place to store all the butchered meat? I think the idea of buying your meat directly from a sustainable farmer is a good one, but as I said, not necessarily realistic, which, noble as it is, is where things fall apart for this book. And while Friend says people should just not choose to not do anything, there are no realistic alternatives, or they would take way too much work. I know I would not be able to buy even a quarter of a steer (an option in some places), let alone have the place to store all the meat. As much as I dislike factory produced meat, personally at least, I do not have too many options to go the more natural route the author suggests. The whole thing is a bit too much on the idealistic side, which is a pity because there are some good points in the book. Overall, not a book I would recommend. ( )

After reading “The Omnivore's Dilemma,” and watching "Food Matters," this book was a refreshing dose of moderation and presented a balanced approach to positively changing our meat eating society. I would not call this book "anti-vegetarian" as some reviewers have. Friend shares her views and points, and presents readers with "real world" ideas and "normal people" mechanisms to move the industry in the direction that she presents as important. Friend is well educated on all sides of the issues she presents, not only with facts and figures, but with a deep understanding and experience. Friend shares her own struggles and successes and passions, and moves readers to find their own zeal for change while offering options, ideas, and sources to do so. She suggests starting with a personal goal list. I’ve started moving toward my goals, and hope you will too! Highly recommended book! Check out Friend's farm blog at http://www.hitbyafarm.com/farm-tales.html. ( )

While I didn't learn anything new from this book, it helped to remind me why I choose my food carefully. Catherine Friend describes in horrific detail the treatment of animals in "food factories", in the context of her own journey towards eating more conscientiously. She is too eager, especially after the appalling statistics she quotes, to reassure readers that they shouldn't feel too bad if they don't always make the best food choices, but I can understand that she wants to present an accessible goal.

A good mid-point book for folks who want to make changes to their diet, but aren't willing to become vegetarians. I'm not morally opposed to eating meat - but I do think that animals should live in decent conditions before their slaughter. The author calls this happy meat. ( )

I love Catherine Friend's homey, familiar writing style, especially in an information-packed subject area such as sustainable farming and eating—it sings. ( )