Super dense material
From a very high level view of impacts on us, animal welfare, environment
Would like to finish this someday

Vaclav Smil is a walking contradiction. He’s reportedly Bill Gates favorite scientist. He’s a prolific author of books with densely packed data, that nobody ever reads. He’s personally an environmentalist who lives in a modest, heavily insulated home and limits his meat consumption, but who’s almost contemptuously dismissive of renewable energy and “sustainability” (in this book he notes that “sustainability” is poorly defined and, when claims are closely examined most “sustainable” practices aren’t). A believer in climate change but dismissive of climate models. And not afraid to admit when he was wrong (so far, on the speed of collapse of the Soviet Union and the speed of expansion of China).

This is my first Smil book, although there are a lot of them on the wish list. I expect it’s typical; lots of examination of actual data rather than claims by the interested parties, resulting in something that will make neither the National Cattleman’s Beef Association nor the American Vegetarian Association happy. Smil notes that meat is a protein rich food and is especially desirable for children (he allows it’s possible to raise healthy children on a vegetarian diet, but you have to be very careful about it – and Smil’s definition of “vegetarian” includes eggs, milk, and fish). It’s historically a “prestige” food, and is frequently subject to religious restrictions (there are religions that prohibit pork, beef, and meat in general. Nobody bans carrots as sinful). And meat consumption correlates with affluence – or at least escape from poverty.

After pages of data and careful analysis, Smil concludes that moderate meat consumption is environmentally acceptable (as mentioned, he eschews the term “sustainable”). I do think he’s overlooked some of the technological advances possible – especially genetic engineering. I also wish he had taken a lot of the data given in-line in text and displayed it in charts and tables. But on the whole, I think his analysis is accurate and thought provoking. (Among the interesting things: meat consumption in China is rising faster than anywhere else in the world, and despite the claims of methane generation by ruminants and feedlots, the production of soybeans and maize for cattle feed generates far more greenhouse gas – by two orders of magnitude). ( )

Vaclav Smil sets out to answer the question posed by his book’s title, "Should We Eat Meat?" He comes at the question as a scientist without a preconceived answer. He is not trying to justify a personal bias but to discover what the facts reveal. The result is an excruciatingly meticulous analysis of the research (as evidenced by the 33 pages of references). Smil inundates the reader with statistical data. This is not a casual read. However, anyone wanting a definitive answer to the question of whether humans are meant to eat meat should read this book. Smil looks in detail at the nutritional aspects of meat, the role of meat in human evolution, meat in modern societies, and what is involved in the production of meat and the environmental impact. Smil considers the positives and negatives of eating meat within each aspect of his study. Perhaps of most interest to the lay reader is the book’s last chapter where Smil outlines possible futures for the production of meat. Those who have a casual interest in the question posed by the book’s title should not attempt to tackle this study. This is a must read, though, for those who are seriously seeking an answer based on fact rather than emotion. ( )