Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism, 10th Anniversary Edition

by Melanie Joy PhD, Yuval Noah Harari (Foreword by)

Overview

An Introduction to Carnism.

“An important and groundbreaking contribution to the struggle for the welfare of animals.” — Yuval Harari, New York Times best-selling author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

“An absorbing examination of why humans feel affection and compassion for certain animals but are callous to the suffering of others.” — Publishers Weekly

Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows offers an absorbing look at what social psychologist Melanie Joy calls carnism, the belief system that conditions us to eat certain animals when we would never dream of eating others. Carnism causes extensive animal suffering and global injustice, and it drives us to act against our own interests and the interests of others without fully realizing what we are doing. Becoming aware of what carnism is and how it functions is vital to personal empowerment and social transformation, as it enables us to make our food choices more freely—because without awareness, there is no free choice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781590035016
Publisher:	Red Wheel/Weiser
Publication date:	08/01/2020
Edition description:	Enlarged/Expanded, 10th Anniversary Edition
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	233,668
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Melanie Joy, PhD, is a psychologist, international speaker, longtime vegan, and social justice advocate. She is the award-winning author of six books, including Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows; Beyond Beliefs; The Vegan Matrix; and Getting Relationships Right. Joy has taught courses on privilege and oppression at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, for over a decade, and she is the eighth recipient of the Ahimsa Award―previously given to the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela―for her work on global nonviolence. Her work has been featured in major media outlets around the world, and she is the founding president of Beyond Carnism. You can learn more about her at carnism.org.
 

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Foreword to the Tenth Anniversary Edition xi

1 To Love or to Eat? 1

2 Carnism: "It's Just the Way Things Are" 12

3 The Way Things Really Are 25

4 Collateral Damage: The Other Casualties of Carnism 63

5 The Mythology of Eating Animals: Justifying Carnism 85

6 Through the Carnistic Looking Glass: Internalized Carnism 105

7 Bearing Witness: From Carnism to Compassion 125

Afterword 141

Book Group Discussion Guide 151

Endnotes 156

Resources 177

Selected Bibliography 178

Index 193

Editorial Reviews

Melanie Joy’s book is an important and groundbreaking contribution to the struggle for the welfare of animals. It helps us step outside the box of ‘carnism’ so that we are better positioned to think critically and be a part of the solution, helping to create a more compassionate and sustainable world.”
—Yuval Harari, New York Times bestselling author of Sapiens

“An absorbing examination of why humans feel affection and compassion for certain animals but are callous to the suffering of others.” 
—Publishers Weekly

“There’s plenty of information in this book, and insight and argument. But the true achievement of Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows is that it reminds us of what we already know. With eloquence and humility, Melanie Joy appeals to the values that all of us already have and have always had. She reminds us of who we are.”
—Jonathan Safran Foer, award winning author of Everything Is Illuminated, Eating Animals, and We Are the Weather

“This is a must-read book for everyone who is horrified by the idea of eating dogs but eats pigs, cows, and chickens. Melanie Joy examines the psychological props that make it possible for us to adore some animals and eat others—and kicks them all aside. Why We Love Dogs is written in a clear and lively style, and I’m delighted to see it out in a new edition with a foreword by Yuval Harari.”
—Peter Singer, professor of bioethics at Princeton University and author of Animal Liberation

“Melanie Joy is a thought leader whose work is potentially world changing. A few years from now, ‘carnism’ will be a household term, and how we think about eating animals will be fundamentally altered.”
—Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, India’s longest serving member of Parliament and chairperson of People for Animals, India

“Few books have done more to change the way I think than Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows. This is a framework for thinking about how dominant ideologies disguise, protect, and conserve themselves. It will help you see not just the ideology that governs our relationship with animals, but the presence of ideologies that want to remain hidden all over modern society.”
—Ezra Klein, host of the “The Ezra Klein Show” and author of Why We’re Polarized

“Melanie Joy is one of the great thinkers of our time. Her excellent Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows . . . makes a powerful, novel argument for eating plant-based. Her reasoning transcends just health and is a must-read for anyone who wants to make thoughtful food choices.”
—Dan Buettner, National Geographic Fellow and New York Times bestselling author of The Blue Zones

“Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows is groundbreaking. Melanie Joy brilliantly explains why people resist information that would help them make more healthful food choices—and how they can overcome this.”
—Michael Greger, MD, New York Times bestselling author of How Not to Die and founder of nutritionfacts.org

“Why read Melanie Joy? Because her concept of carnism makes us see things differently. Because she addresses readers with empathy. And because she belongs to a new and exciting generation of committed intellectuals. All of these reasons are good. But there is another one that surpasses them all. You have to read Melanie Joy because what she tells us is important.”
—Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist monk, photographer, author, and humanitarian

“Melanie Joy’s work took me from getting it to living it—all in the time it took me to finish her groundbreaking book.” 
—Josh Tetrick, founder and CEO of Eat Just, Inc. 

“Melanie Joy is a seer: she sees how and why we humans do what we do and she provides passage through our unconscious behavior so that we can make more thoughtful choices. She is infinitely respectful of the reader, and so we walk away feeling wiser and empowered to be changemakers.”
—Kathy Freston, New York Times bestselling author of Quantum Wellness, Veganist, and The Lean

“Why We Love Dogs helped me understand the issue of eating animals from a new, unique, and empowering perspective. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to make more compassionate, rational, and healthful food choices.”
—Daniel Negreanu, six-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner and member of the Poker Hall of Fame

From the Publisher

Melanie Joy is one of the great thinkers of our time. Her excellent Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows . . . makes a powerful,
novel argument for eating plant-based. Her reasoning transcends just health and is a must-read for anyone who wants to make thoughtful
food choices.

Dan Buettner

Melanie Joy’s book is an important and groundbreaking contribution to the struggle for the welfare of animals. It helps us step outside the box of ‘carnism’ so that we are better positioned to think critically and be a part of the solution, helping to create a more compassionate and
sustainable world.

Yuval Harari

Melanie Joy’s work took me from getting it to living it—all in the time it took me to finish her groundbreaking book.

Josh Tetrick

This is a must-read book for everyone who is horrified by the idea of eating dogs but eats pigs, cows, and chickens. Melanie Joy examines the psychological props that make it possible for us to adore some animals and eat others—and kicks them all aside. Why We Love Dogs is written in a clear and lively style, and I’m delighted to see it out in a new edition with a foreword by Yuval Harari.

Peter Singer

Why read Melanie Joy? Because her concept of carnism makes us see things differently. Because she addresses readers with empathy. And
because she belongs to a new and exciting generation of committed intellectuals. All of these reasons are good. But there is another one
that surpasses them all. You have to read Melanie Joy because what she tells us is important.

Matthieu Ricard

Melanie Joy is a thought leader whose work is potentially world changing. A few years from now, ‘carnism’ will be a household term,
and how we think about eating animals will be fundamentally altered.

Maneka Sanjay Gandhi

Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows is groundbreaking. Melanie Joy brilliantly explains why people resist information that would help them













make more healthful food choices—and how they can overcome this.

Michael Greger

There’s plenty of information in this book, and insight and argument. But the true achievement of Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows
is that it reminds us of what we already know. With eloquence and humility, Melanie Joy appeals to the values that all of us already have and have always had. She reminds us of who we are.

Jonathan Safran Foer

Melanie Joy is a seer: she sees how and why we humans do what we do and she provides passage through our unconscious behavior so that
we can make more thoughtful choices. She is infinitely respectful of the reader, and so we walk away feeling wiser and empowered to be
changemakers.

Kathy Freston

Why We Love Dogs helped me understand the issue of eating animals from a new, unique, and empowering perspective. I highly recommend
this book for anyone who wants to make more compassionate, rational, and healthful food choices.

Daniel Negreanu

Few books have done more to change the way I think than Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows. This is a framework for thinking
about how dominant ideologies disguise, protect, and conserve themselves. It will help you see not just the ideology that governs our relationship
with animals, but the presence of ideologies that want to remain hidden all over modern society.

Ezra Klein

"An altogether remarkable book that could transform the way society feels about eating animals."

Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

"This eyeopening book makes us question what we really mean when we say we love animals. Anyone who has ever loved a dog or a cat or a hamster or a bird will find abundant food for thought here."
 

John Robbins

"One of the most thought-provoking books in decades. The realization that we've been conditioned throughout our entire lives to think and act a certain way toward animals, and that we've been so disconnected from ourselves and our fellow beings, gives us a chance to make our choices freely."

Heather Mills