Meat Makes People Powerful: A Global History of the Modern Era

Meat has had a significant impact on the environment, with Americans being among the most avid meat-eaters in the world. Labor historian Wilson Warren provides a global history of meat to understand how it entered the daily diet, at what costs and benefits to society. His comprehensive research covers the economic theory of food, the discovery of protein, the Japanese eugenics debate, and the environmental impact of livestock. Meat Makes People Powerful reveals how national governments regulated and oversaw meat production, helping transform vegetarian cultures into major meat consumers.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 278 pages
Publication date: 30 March 2018
Publisher: University of Iowa Press

Meat, more than any other food, has had a profound impact on our environment, from large-scale cattle farming to water pollution. Historically, Americans have been among the world's most avid meat-eaters, but long before that, meat was not a staple in most civilizations' diets. Labor historian Wilson Warren, who has studied the meat industry for over a decade, offers this comprehensive global history of meat to help us understand how it entered our daily diets and the costs and benefits it has brought to society.

Spanning from the nineteenth century to current and future trends, Warren takes us on a journey through the economic theory of food, the discovery of protein, the Japanese eugenics debate around meat, and the environmental impact of livestock. Through his extensive and multifaceted research, he provides readers with a political, economic, social, and cultural understanding of meat consumption over the last two centuries, with a special focus on East Asia.

In Meat Makes People Powerful, Warren reveals how national governments regulated and oversaw meat production, transforming virtually vegetarian cultures into major meat consumers at record speed. As more and more Americans become aware of the sources of the meat they consume, Warren's compelling study will help them better understand the industry and make more informed personal choices. Providing an international perspective that will appeal to scholars and nutritionists alike, this timely examination will forever change the way we see the food on our plates.

Weight: 376g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781609385552