Review: The Face On Your Plate

That's right folks.  I actually read a non-fiction book that's not a cookbook!  Granted, it is food-related.  But I'm still very proud of myself.  Over the past few months, I've become a little obsessed with veganism.  Not obsessed to the point of making a committed life change - just curious and experimental, more or less.  Hence when a vegan friend got wind of my curiosity, I was presented with The Face on Your Plate by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson.  

The first thing I noticed about this book (well, after the heartbreakingly adorable cover picture of a calf on a plate) was that though well written, it is in parts poorly edited.  In particular, there's quite a bit of statistical redundancy in the first few chapters, which describe the impact of factory farming on the environment and the horrific ways in which the animals on these farms are treated.  I'm not about to flip through the book to find a quote, but there are literally instances where a statistic is given at the top of a page, and then repeated, for no new purpose, near the bottom.  There's also the odd grammar error in the same chapters, and a few typos.   I understand what a huge undertaking it is to write a novel, and certainly don't blame Masson.  These are errors that an editor should have picked up on, however, as they make the book seem unprofessional.

That said, I actually really enjoyed this book.  I like reading non-fiction arguments that are written with passion, as opposed to those that are more academic or theoretical.  Masson comes off as being extremely passionate on all three of his 'sub-topics':  why veganism helps the  environment, animal cruelty in factory farms, and the ways in which a vegan diet benefits one's health.  A lot of people might dismiss such a book as radical or extreme, and laugh at "hippie attention seekers" like Masson who insist on making life difficult for himself and others with his self-imposed dietary restrictions.  In my opinion, however, the way people look at food has got to change somehow.  I saw a news report the other day that predicted the generation of today's children will be the first in recorded history to regress in terms of life expectancy, all because of obesity-related diseases.  Obviously, the mainstream North American diet is killing us, and that if nothing else should make people wake up and smell the organic free-trade coffee.  Of course there are other ways of leading a healthy lifestyle that don't involve giving up meat, dairy, and eggs; I only mean to suggest that perhaps our food-related social stigmas are a little misplaced.

On a personal note, I can honestly say that I've never really liked meat anyway (and I absolutely abhor cooking it).  I'll generally eat it if it's served to me, but my favourite part of any meal is always the carb and/or veggie based side(s) - or, of course, the wine.  In our house dinner usually involves vegetables, grains, and/or tofu.  If we want to make a bit more of an effort we (ok ok ok - usually Steve) will make homemade pizza or pasta, but nearly always top it with vegetables, spices, and cheese only.  Really the only thing preventing me from taking the plunge into vegetarianism is my love of fish.  The thought of giving up sushi and grilled salmon is not pleasant, but I'm sure I could do it if I really wanted to.

Veganism, on the other hand, is a whole other can of worms.  I love the idea of it, but trying to live without eggs, butter and cheese (especially cheese) would be incredibly difficult.  I've tried the soy-based version, and it's definitely not the same.  Plus there's the whole inconvenience bit- how could you ever go out to a restaurant with friends or to  Christmas dinner with the family?  I tried to do the vegan thing for a week a couple months ago, but then I got together with a friend, then my parents invited us over for dinner, then...well, let's just say didn't work out.

This post is already way too long.  I think what I'm trying to say is I really enjoyed this book, and am certainly convinced of most of its principles.  I do recognize it's unethical to kill animals for food.  I also recognize the strain factory farms put on the environment.  I'm more than happy to eat vegetarian or even vegan at home, where there's no danger of inconveniencing anyone.  For a lot of reasons, I hope these diets continue to become more mainstream in the future.

The photo of Masson with his pet pigs is from the New York Times.