Eating animals
by Jonathan Safran Foer · first published 2009
77% recommend23% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Level-headed, non-preachy look at factory farming: animal cruelty, abattoir workers, and environmental and social costs. Suits meat-eaters and vegetarians wanting to rethink what they buy.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2010–2026Alexander of Macedon
Peter Green
Recommended by 1 · mentioned by 31 recommend · 3 mention1 recommend · 31 recommend
2009–2016Risk
Dan Gardner
Recommended by 3 · mentioned by 33 recommend · 3 mention3 recommend · 33 recommend
2009–2025Taiko
Eiji Yoshikawa
Recommended by 5 · mentioned by 55 recommend · 5 mention5 recommend · 55 recommend
2008–2021The Mystery method
Erik Von Markovik, Lovedrop
Recommended by 6 · mentioned by 116 recommend · 11 mention6 recommend · 116 recommend
2010–2025Demian
Hermann Hesse
Recommended by 11 · mentioned by 1611 recommend · 16 mention11 recommend · 1611 recommend
2007–2022Creativity
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Recommended by 7 · mentioned by 137 recommend · 13 mention7 recommend · 137 recommend
2010–2024King Rat
James Clavell
Recommended by 14 · mentioned by 1614 recommend · 16 mention14 recommend · 1614 recommend
2010–2023Linchpin
Seth Godin
Recommended by 14 · mentioned by 2714 recommend · 27 mention14 recommend · 2714 recommend
For everyone interested in this topic I strongly recommend "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer: http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Animals-Jonathan-Safran-Foer/dp... I became a vegetarian before reading this book, but reading it only made me more convinced that to stop eating…
on “Pork's Dirty Secret (2006)” ↗…stop farm animal cruelty? Investigate this industry and consider no longer buying factory farmed animal products. http://www.amazon.com/Food-Inc-Participant-Industrial-Poorer... http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Animals-Jonathan-Safran-Foer/dp...
on “Taping of Farm Cruelty Is Becoming the Crime” ↗…on our diet, it is a very interesting read. Besides, there are the obvious other health-related reasons to not eat factory-farmed meat, which most of our meat is. For that I can only recommend reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Saffran Foer. It was what pushed me over the line into becoming a vegetarian.
on “My month as a vegetarian” ↗Have you bothered to look into it? It's not like the information is impossible to find, even if they don't exactly advertise the icky parts of their business. 'Eating Animals' by Jonathan Safran Foer is a good place to start.
on “Chile’s salmon farms may use more antibiotics than any other meat industry” ↗I stopped eating meat at the start of this year after reading "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Saffran Foer. My primary concerns were ethical. I'm not necessarily morally opposed to eating meat, but I am opposed to the inhumane conditions of factory farming. I am shocked at how easy…
on “Vegan takeaway orders quadruple over past two years” ↗There is a lot here to respond to. A LOT. I could spend an hour typing out a monolithic response but that won’t be as good recommending some reading to you. “Eating Animals” by Jonathan Safran Foer is a great start, and “A Plea for the Animals” is a lovely follow up written by a neuroscientist/monk. I’d also like to extend the opportunity to talk to you about everything…
on ““Judas goats” were once key players in meatpacking plants” ↗…As I Knew Him by Anton Felix Schindler http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-As-I-Knew-Him/dp/0486292320 - Soul Of A New Machine (It's about hardware!) and Mountains Beyond Mountains, both by Tracy Kidder - Eating Animals by Jonathan Safron Foer
on “Ask HN: Interesting (Non software) books?” ↗…Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, by Julian Jaynes, is the best book I've read this year. It profoundly changed the way I look at things. I also found Sperm Wars to be very enlightening, ditto Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer.
on “Ask HN: Good books?” ↗Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer Exceptional book about the environmental, social and individual costs of industrial animal farming. Also somewhat philosophical about consuming animals and cruelty against them.…
on “Ask HN: Best book you read in 2010 and briefly why” ↗Let The Great World Spin - Colum McCann Freedom - Jonathan Franzen Eating Animals - Jonathan Safran-Foer Desperate Characters - Paula Fox
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books of 2010?” ↗I very strongly recommend the book "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer in relation to this topic. He covers the desensitization of abattoir workers, as well as documenting some of the cruelties (and just day-to-day work) that is involved throughout…
on “Taping of Farm Cruelty Is Becoming the Crime” ↗…moral context of the products we buy so we don't have to think about it, problem solved. I eat meat, but I am struggling with where I buy it, what I pay for it and how much I eat it. I recommend reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Saffran Foer, where he leaves the decision up to you but is providing you with interesting thought experiments (why not eat dog meat?) and information so you can make up your own mind. It…
on “The Price We Pay for Cheap Meat” ↗…for sys admins and the like). Other examples: paper napkins vs silk napkins; Stylographic pen vs bic pens. And so on. I haven't seen Samsara, but I've taken a note. Vegetarian here, too. I just read "Eating animals" (by JS Foer). That's a very good read, but as an European I must say it feels like it's written from a pretty U.S.-centric standpoint.
on “Pets vs. Cattle” ↗…not at all a mark of civilisation, but rather of barbarism towards animals. Animals which, might i add, consistently turn out to be more intelligent that we originally thought. Everybody should read Eating Animals by J.S. Foer, it's surprisingly level-headed and non-ranty, but even so, it's hard to ignore what goes on in the food industry.
on “The Science of Addictive Junk Food (2013)” ↗My perspective on this was shifted significantly by a college course focusing on the (un)sustainability of modern consumption. If you’re interested, check out Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. I still eat meat, and don’t really plan on stopping; but I am now less precious about pets and more respectful of livestock. edit: PDF of the book: https://bc.instructure.com/courses/1745066/files/115253047?m...
on “Researchers successfully potty-train cows” ↗