Beyond Beef: The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture

By Jeremy Rifkin

Book Overview

A brilliant and devastating examination and indictment of the cattle culture that has come to shape and warp our world. Rifkin shows how the love affair with beef has led to increased hunger, disease, and environmental devastation. This persuasive book should be an urgent warning to everyone who cares about the fate of the earth.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525934200
• ISBN13: 9780525934202
• Release Date: February 1992
• Publisher: Dutton Adult
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 20.0" x 20.0" x 20.0"

Customer Reviews

cow is bad for us - a detailed argument

If you are patient, I highly recommend this long book (around 300 pages) that makes a simple dietary statement: eating beef (and sheep and pig) is bad for people and the planet. This is a sweeping historical and globalization story of how beef passed through human civilization, first as a mighty animal to be respected, then today being a commodity that creates poison in our bodies and on our land. Beef are a repository of too many chemicals that we ingest, too much water consumed (earth's second most valuable commodity), too much waste produced, and too much of our land leveled to make room for them. For a shorter exposition of the same theme, I recommend MAD COWBOY: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat.

As timely as ever regarding out of control corn and animal fat

Important book outlining the culture of animal consumption (beef), it's devastating effect of the environment and natural resources, as well as afflicting human health. Book sets stage for understanding what kinds of transformations are needed for humans to sustainably survive as population and appetites continue to grow voraciously. Imagine the land resources, food resources, and the improvement in quality of life possible if corn and beef were removed from the landscape.

Great book

There's not much to add to what's already been said. I just want to echo the praise... It's a formidable book - scholarly and persuasive; it's a fascinating history. It's also a very easy book to read, one you won't regret reading: it's eye-opening.

Beef facts you should know

It was in reading Beyond Beef : The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture by Jeremy Rifkin years ago that I had a better idea of what I was seeing around San Joaquin County in Northern California as I drove around the dairies that stood close to the San Joaquin River and reeked of ammonia and manure dust in the air on windy days that left ones car and lungs dusted with a fine film. The cattle and their massive manure piles , are less than 30 yards from the San Joaquin River. Now consider some basic facts. Cattle produce a large amount of urine as it is. Now take one cow and multiply it by 100, 200 even 500. Now visualize all that urine going into the ground, where when it rains it soaks deeper and in dispensed into the small leech veins in the ground that in turn hook up with larger areas that feed into ground water and the river. Then look at the massive manure piles that dots the area and hang a clean white piece of clothe on your car antenna as well as a tree branch or whatever in the back yard. Then after you have driven around check the antenna clothe. After its been breezy check the clothe in the back yard. Then if you have the micro filters on you home air conditioner recheck them as well. What you will discover is pollution that has literally changed the white clothe-filter to either a light brown or a dark brown. Now consider what this manure dust does to your lungs. If you are reading this review then you have access to a computer. Take the time to do some honest unbiased research online and see how much water and grain it takes to produce one pound of meat. Then see how much better it would be if the land was used to produce better food for humans. Find out what pollution factory farms that raise cattle, chickens, pork, lamb etc produce as well as how inhumane the animals are treated. Also find out what drugs they use on the animals, that are then killed for food on your table. Be honest and ask yourself the hard questions. And if you must for whatever reason eat beef, chickens etc please buy organically grown ones that are not fed drugs and even byproducts of other animals. I am a realist and realize that we live in a meat eating society. So all I can do is ask that you know what you are buying and how it was raised and what the product has done to the earths ecosystem.

Great Reasons to Say No to Beef!

This book was a great influence on me being a vegetarian. It helped me to look at beef in another way, and also to make me aware of the harm involved in cattle grazing. This book is educational, and also an eye-opener. Read it 10 times, and let your friends read it too!