Portrait of a Burger as a Young Calf: The Story of One Man, Two Cows, and the Feeding of a Nation

By Peter Lovenheim

Book Overview

Four years ago, journalist Peter Lovenheim was standing in a long line at McDonald's to buy a Happy Meal for his little daughter, which would come with a much-desired Teenie Beanie Baby--either a black-and-white cow named "Daisy" or an adorable red bull named "Snort." Finding it rather strange that young children were being offered cuddly toy cows one minute and eating the grilled remains of real ones the next, Lovenheim suddenly saw clearly the great disconnect between what we eat and our knowledge of where it comes from. Determined to understand the process by which living animals become food, Lovenheim did the only thing he could think of: He bought a calf--make that twin calves, number 7 and number 8--from the dairy farm where they were born and asked for permission to spend as much time as necessary hanging around and observing everything that happened in the lives of these farm animals. Portrait of a Burger as a Young Calf is the provocative true story of Peter Lovenheim's hands-on journey into the dairy and beef industries as he follows his calves from conception to possible consumption. In the process, he gets to know the good, hard-working people who raise our cattle and make milk products, beef, and veal available to consumers like you and me. He supplies us with a "fly on the wall" view of how these animals are used to put food on America's very abundant tables. Constantly vigilant about wanting to be an observer who never interferes, Lovenheim allows the reader to see every aspect of a cow's life, without passing judgment. Reading this book will forever change the way you think about food and the people and animals who provide it for us. From the Hardcover edition.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0609605917
• ISBN13: 9780609605912
• Release Date: July 2002
• Publisher: Crown
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.4" x 1.0" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Well Balanced, I laughed, I cried... It's a must read!

Being vegetarian for 7 years I have read many books relating to animal welfare etc.... This book was one of the most informative, and also fun and quirky books I have ever read. I gobbled this book up so fast and feel I have come away with a much better understanding of the dairy industry than I ever thought I could. This is NOT a downer of a book that drones on about the evils of agriculture! This book is real life, there are ups, and there are downs... read this book and inform yourself! Peter Lovenheim is inquisitive, thoughtful and presents his story in a detailed and unbiased way. He questions the world around him and gets answers... people could learn a lot from this book. im waiting for the sequel!

A rational, unbiased, informative, yet heart rendering saga...

This book is not for the faint of heart where animals are concerned, but it IS for those who want to know what life is like for an American calf, as told by someone who simply wondered about this hidden reality. The story is not biased toward animal rights or vegetarianism; rather, it is the factual and firsthand account of someone who chose to be informed rather than not. For those of us who dare to wonder about the food we eat, where it comes from, and who is affected by our decisions, this is a book that will open our eyes and hearts. It is a well told story in an easily readable style, and although it may not tell you about a world you want to belong in, it will tell you about a world we have chosen to create.

Thorough, scholarship, thought provoking, spiritual

When I started this book I imagined another informative expose reinforcing my concerns about the eating of beef. However, what I found was a thorough, thoughtful, and engaging study of the dairy and beef industries, in which the author went to painful lengths to give fair consideration to all sides on the issue.Lovenheim's book is not sensationalist muckracking. While I think his observations would reinforce many of the worries of those concerned about eating beef, or drinking milk induced by bovine growth hormone, the most striking part of this work is the otherwise overlooked consideration of cows as living creatures. I was struck by his descriptions of the cows' actual sense of community, their adaption and response (or seeming lack thereof) in the face of continual danger; that in fact they aren't quite the dumb animals we have been raised to believe they are. Lovenheim makes you consider that these animals are different than plants, and that you are making a conscious decision to take a living feeling creature and choosing to process it as a commodity entirely out of your own dietary choice and convenience.The author's sensitivity, compassion, and admiration for those engaged in the various aspects of the dairy and beef industries is admirable. He also gives ample consideration to the historical place of beef in our diets, frequently alluding to his own Jewish spiritual tradition.This is a substantive, worthwhile, and quite "readable" work. I highly recommend it; I was pleased to have picked it up, and felt I had both learned and acquired greater sensitivity as a result of completing it.

A book which helped me decide to give up meat

This book first caught my eye when it was featured on BookTV, what struck me the most was that the author was not a vegetarian. Although at first glance this book might appear as a story of the dirty meat industry, it is instead unbiased truth. Yes, the meat industry is dirty and farmers don't have it easy, but it allows one to not feel pressed to give up meat, but presents the facts, or the story which allows the reader to become informed and go from there. From this story which I could hardly ever put down, I realized that I could not eat a cow. Furthermore, it also showed me that there was a lot more about the food I eat than I realized, which led me to other books. I encourage anyone and everyone to read this book and to understand where their meat comes from, and how they should go from there.

Real Issues for Real Farmers

I enjoyed this book because of the insight it provides to the life of farmers who produce beef for consumption in the US. I read Diet for a New America, years ago, and thought that this book added an important dimension to the whole vegetarian, organic debate. The author makes us realize that to change our diet from meat based to vegetarian, will require a major shift for American Farmers. The author has done a wonderful job of showing the differences between large farm economics and the sometimes harsh realities of the small farmer's finances. I'd recommend the book to anyone.