Meathooked : The History and Science of Our 2.5-Million-Year Obsession with Meat

Explores the world's meat cultures and traditions to share insights into why a craving for animal protein evolved in humans and why vegetarian lifestyles are so difficult to maintain despite health warnings.;Enter meat-eaters -- Big brains, small guts, and the politics of meat -- The good, the bad, and the heme iron -- The chemistry of love : umami, aromas, and fat -- Why would Abramovich taste good? -- Wagging the dog of demand -- Eating symbols -- The half-crazed, sour-visaged infidels, or Why vegetarianism failed in the past -- Why giving up meat may be harder for some of us -- Dog skewers, beef burgers, and other weird meats -- The pink revolution, or How Asia is getting hooked on meat, fast -- The future of our meat-based diets -- Epilogue: The nutrition transition, stage 5. A few years ago, Marta Zaraska's mother decided to go vegetarian after stumbling upon an article on the health risks of eating meat. Her resolve lasted about a fortnight before the juicy hams and the creamy pâtés began creeping back into her refrigerator. Prodded to explain her lapse, she replied, #x93;I like meat, I eat it, end of story." Many of us have had a similar experience. What makes us crave animal protein, and what makes it so hard to give up? And if all the studies are correct, and consuming meat is truly unhealthy for us, why didn't evolution turn us all into vegetarians in the first place? In Meathooked , Zaraska explores what she calls the #x93;meat puzzle": our love of meat, despite its harmful effects. Scientific journals overflow with reports of red meat raising the risk of certain cancers; each hamburger contributes as much to global warming as does driving a car 320 miles; and the horrors of industrial meat production are now well-known. None of these facts have prompted us to give up our hamburgers and steaks. On the contrary, meat consumption has only increased over the past decades. Taking the reader to India's unusual steakhouses, animal sacrifices at temples in Benin, and labs in Pennsylvania where meat is being grown in petri dishes, Zaraska examines the history and future of meat and meat-eating, showing that while our increasing consumption of meat can be attributed in part to the power of the meat industry and the policies of our governments, the main #x93;hooks" that keep us addicted to meat are much older: genes and culture. An original and thought-provoking exploration of carnivorousness, Meathooked explains one of the most enduring features of human civilization--and why meat-eating will continue to shape our bodies and our world into the foreseeable future One of the great science and health revelations of our time is the danger posed by meat-eating. Every day, it seems, we are warned about the harm producing and consuming meat can do to the environment and our bodies. Many of us have tried to limit how much meat we consume, and many of us have tried to give it up altogether. But it is not easy to resist the smoky, cured, barbequed, and fried delights that tempt us. What makes us crave animal protein, and what makes it so hard to give up? And if consuming meat is truly unhealthy for human beings, why didn't't evolution turn us all into vegetarians in the first place? In Meathooked , science writer Marta Zaraska explores what she calls the "meat puzzle": our love of meat, despite its harmful effects. Zaraska takes us on a witty tour of meat cultures around the word, stopping in India's unusual steakhouses, animal sacrifices at temples in Benin, and labs in the Netherlands that grow meat in petri dishes. From the power of evolution to the influence of the meat lobby, and from our genetic makeup to the traditions of our foremothers, she reveals the interplay of forces that keep us hooked on animal protein. A book for everyone from the diehard carnivore to the committed vegan, Meathooked illuminates one of the most enduring features of human civilization, ultimately shedding light on why meat-eating will continue to shape our bodies — and our world — into the foreseeable future.