Every Twelve Seconds: Industrialized Slaughter and the Politics of Sight

Everyone should read this book... Everyone

It starts out a bit dry and technical, but stay with it-- this true account of one man's experience in a typical large-scale (~2500 per day) cattle slaughterhouse and "processing" facility is insightful on many levels. It gives a very detailed account of exactly how these operations work, but for me what was the most eye-opening insights were those related to how complex the conflicts of interest are, and how they in turn make it impossible for either the USDA or the slaughterhouse workers to adequately monitor the quality of the "product" and the way the animals are treated. In addition, he infused his perspective with compassion for the people who work there, in addition to compassion for the animals. The way the reality of what is happening there has to be concealed even from the people who work there (by designing the building with lots of concealing walls, turns, etc) underscores how much that ignorance is required in order for people to do their jobs. The mental "compartmentalizing" of what they are doing reminds me of the same coping technique used by people working in the Nazi concentration camps. People do things they would never normally do when they mentally compartmentalize it and remove their focus from the suffering of the person or animal in front of them. It made it even more clear to me that the market for animal products must vanish in order for this insidious factory farming machine to come to a stop. And this books helps the reader take the step of SEEING and KNOWING that is essential in order for pity, mercy and compassion to follow. May pity, mercy, and compassion truly follow for everyone who reads this book.

That many states in the US have passed laws forbidding any form of entry into slaughter complexes, that is with the objective of reporting on the conditions is a splendid indictment of the excesses of capitalism.I note that capitalism is the most efficient economic system, but the moral and abuses of this are widespread and not controlled.

Couldn't put this book down. I've always loved everything from the Yale Agrarian series but this book was incredibly illuminating - I don't have the courage to go directly into a slaughterhouse, but reading this book helped me understand how awful this industry is. An insightful read for vegans and meat eaters alike.

Every meat eater should read this book .