The Way We Eat – Why Our Food Choices Matter by Jim Mason and Peter Singer
I generally have two concerns with any book about food ethics. First and foremost, that the authors are inadvertently “preaching to the choir”; that is, unless you are already interested or concerned about where your food comes from, you’re unlikely to read such a book in the first place, thus the knowledge shared from reading such a tome is not reaching the people who need it most. Secondly, it’s important to know the author’s personal stance on the issues, because no matter how unbiased they might try to be, generally their own opinions show through.
Which is why Peter Singer and Jim Mason want us all to be vegans.
The Way We Eat examines the eating habits of three different families, and traces their food choices back to their point of origin. Singer and Mason visit with a family that eats the Standard American Diet (SAD); another who are split between a predominantly vegetarian diet focussed on organic foods and a small amount of sustainably-raised meat; and finally a family who are completely vegan.