Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat {Book Review}

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a veterinarian; or a writer. I grew up to be neither, although I do love to write (and pursue it as a hobby) and I have two dogs and two cats. My husband and I agree that we probably spoil our “babies” way too much. Perhaps it’s because we’re childfree. Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight About Animals, might have some other theories.

When I first heard about Herzog’s book, I was intrigued. Anyone who has watched Food, Inc. knows that our food system treats animals horribly. Yet my husband feels something is missing if dinner doesn’t have meat in it. And while I could probably go vegetarian, I really doubt I could go vegan. So I try to buy food that’s been humanely raised and eat as little meat as my husband will let me get away with.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I received the book. I was a little worried that it might be a bit too academic, given Herzog’s background in psychology and anthrozoology. Luckily I found it very accessible.

Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat covers a lot of ground, as you can see from the various chapters:

• ANTHROZOOLOGY: The New Science of Human-Animal Interactions
• THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING CUTE: Why We Think What We Think About Creatures That Don’t Think Like Us
• PET-O-PHILIA: Why Do Humans (and Only Humans) Love Pets?
• FRIENDS, FOES, AND FASHION STATEMENTS: The Human-Dog Relationship
• “PROM QUEEN KILLS FIRST DEER ON SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY”: Gender and the Human-Animal Relationship
• IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER: The Comparative Cruelty of Cockfights and Happy Meals
• DELICIOUS, DANGEROUS, DISGUSTING, AND DEAD: The Human-Meat Relationship
• THE MORAL STATUS OF MICE: The Use of Animals in Science
• THE CATS IN OUR HOUSES, THE COWS ON OUR PLATES: Are We All Hypocrites?
• THE CARNIVOROUS YAHOO WITHIN OURSELVES: Dealing with Moral Inconsistency