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Summary: Enlightening, Frightening and Incredibly Well-written
Review: Although I didn't think this book or its subject matter appealed to me, I acquiesed and took it from my friend upon her insistence. Well, the truth is, I haven't been able to put it down. It's fascinating and horrifying and will change your life forever. It may also inspire you to some type of activism... it certainly has me thinking and asking a lot of questions.
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Summary: The truth is out there and it's not pretty-go vegan instead!
Review: As a transitioning raw vegan, Howard Lyman's "Mad Cowboy" struck a powerful chord within me. I choose to be a raw vegan not only for the obvious health benefits (a low-fat, low-sodium, zero-cholesterol diet rich in antioxidants, nutrients, and fiber can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and obesity), but for the moral ones as well: I decided that if I couldn't catch it, kill it, and clean it myself, then I didn't deserve to eat it. As it turns out, that was the wisest choice I could have made.
Lyman, a fourth-generation Montana rancher, opens his book with the gruesome process of rendering, in which the blood, bones, offal, and organs of slaughtered animals, euthanized cats and dogs, roadkill and fecal wastes are ground, dried, and added to cosmetics, pet food, and feed for cattle, essentially turning herbivores into carnivorous cannibals. Lyman was a guest on a fateful Oprah show in 1996 when he spoke out about the risk of Mad Cow Disease appearing in America due to the process of feeding rendered downer cows to cattle. Oprah claimed that she would never eat another hamburger again, and beef stocks plummeted in the millions of dollars. Oprah and Howard were involved in a lawsuit by Texas cattle ranchers for damages for suffering and slander (later dismissed).
Lyman eloquently describes the rich, fertile soil of his family's organic dairy farm when he was a boy, and subsequently chronicles the destruction of the farm, the land, and his health as he uses powerful, toxic pesticides, antibiotics and fertilizers to boost productivity. Eventually, he is diagnosed with cancer and told that he will never walk again. Instead, during recovery from the removal of a tumor on his spinal cord, Howard vows to return the farm to its once-pristine state, and in the process becomes politically involved in Washington, D.C. Still suffering from ill health, Howard became vegan (strict vegetarian), and was amazed at his weight loss, reversal of migraines, and newfound energy.
"Mad Cowboy" is essentially an opera in two acts: the first part of the book explores the toxic, seedy underbelly of factory farming (cattle, poultry, dairy), the lack of effective watchdog organizations (according to Lyman, the FDA is actually involved in perpetrating the cover-ups of research into frequently-used drugs such as Monsanto's carcinogenic rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone), which is banned in Canada and the European Union), the draining of precious water and the destruction of vast tracts of land (frequently government- and taxpayer-subsidized) lost to cattle ranching, a detailed timeline of the horrific government denial of Mad Cow Disease in Great Britain (it is estimated that 200,000 Britons could die annually from CJD beginning in 2015 due to the disease's long incubation period), and the potential for a similar tragedy unfolding in the United States due to insufficient inspections of downer cows and the continued feeding of blood and bonemeal to cattle.
The last section clearly and logically explains why human beings are not carnivores by nature. Evolution has created carnivores with a short digestive system to facilitate the speedy removal of decaying flesh. Carnivores also have acidic saliva, and do not possess molars for grinding their food, or ptyalin for predigesting grain, which humans have. Humans have a digestive system that is twelve times the length of their body, and stomach acid that is only 5% as acidic as that of a true carnivore. "Do we have blood lust? Well, does the idea of tearing a chicken or cow apart with your hands and teeth and sucking its warm blood appeal to you? People eat their meat packaged and disguised precisely because of the reality of eating flesh disgusts most of us. Maybe there's a reason for that." Well said, Howard.
This book is not for the faint of heart (or stomach!), but for those who seek the truth about the old adage "you are what you eat," this book will open your eyes to the dangers of ingesting animal flesh and byproducts and the toxic hormones, chemicals and unwanted byproducts such as saturated fat and cholesterol that come with the territory. (Includes detailed footnotes and bibliography)
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Summary: This Book Opened My Eyes and Changed My Life
Review: Before reading "Mad Cowboy," I was a confirmed meat eater, although I did want to cut back on or eliminate more and more meat from my diet for health reasons. The book confirmed the wisdom in doing that, but it also opened my eyes to the cruelty done to animals and the destruction done to the planet all for the sake of my taste buds. Now I'm committed to doing my part to alter that by becoming a vegan.Do yourself and the planet a good turn: Spread the word about how important it is to read this book and take its warnings to heart. Bless you, Howard Lyman!
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Summary: Straight From The Cattle's Mouth! Or, No Udder Nonsense!
Review: From a former real cowboy and rancher you can take this book to the bank! For anyone who eats meat or drinks milk, this book will tell you why you shouldn't! It is indeed straight from the cattles mouth and udder and why I paid attention and you should too! Simply put, these highly human adulterated, drugged meats, and pus-filled milk are unhealthy for humans directly and indirectly, because the cattle they come from are also very unhealthy to both you and the enviroment! We really are competing with these trampling bovines for the control of the planet and our water supply! They are not an efficient food supply to rely on. Growing organic vegetables and grain multiplies the planet's efficiency for self-sustinence where cattle has the opposite effect! The author mentions a vegetarian alternative, though I don't agree with all his recommendations, such as using Canola oil (olive oil is still the safest), and certain soy derivatives (which are fractured foods) they are still a much better alternative than eating drug and grain-laced beef with their omega-6 altering fats and the unproven rBGH growth hormone milk. The real reason the drug companies won't remove this guinea-pig drug is also told in the book. It's all a sad tale about -- money! He also makes a interesting case about why we have gotten fatter on supposedly low-fat diets. The simple fact of the matter is, according to the author is that most of us have not really tried the low-fat diets of McDougalls, Ornish, or Pritkin, and most of us get EXCESS calories to begin with! This is common sense and he points it out to us. It is interesting to note that the author (a life-long meat and diary eater) states he is the only healthy one of all his friends who never changed their meat\dairy diets and now nearly all have heart disease or cancer, a few of which have already died and that he is the only healthy one since switching to a meatless diet.
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Summary: Great book
Review: I am a new vegetarian and someone told me I should read this book. It is a quick read and I could not believe the information. I am concerned that still in today's america we have this going on. I do not know how anyone that reads this book would ever eat meat again. I became a vegetarian for health reasons and after reading this book I know that I have made the right decision. For anyone who would like to stop eating meat I recommend this book. If I can do it anyone can. I live in Montana and my husband is a hunter. By giving up my coffee habit I realized having that wired up feeling all day clouded my concentration. Did you know one cup of joe raises your blood pressure by 14%! Fortunately for me I was able to find a wonderful tasting replacement made from soyabeans. You brew like coffee and it even helps lower my cholesterol. I found it online at www.S o y c o f f e e.c o m. Gaining this understanding will effect every move you make from this point on and will bring with it the necessity to share it.
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Summary: Read this and tell your friends to read this
Review: I thought I had read everything about the cattle industry but this book by an ex-cattle rancher was very eye opening. Rather than explain the gruesomeness of slaughter houses which is what I expected, this author wrote about the cows about when they were alive. I was horrified to find out what cows are actually fed. Although, because of mad cow they are no longer allowed to feed dead cows to cows, these animals are still being fed horse, pigs, chicken carcasses, euphanized dogs and cats, roadkill and - I still can't believe this - chicken and other animal manure. Also, there are no restrictions on the amount of pesticides used on grain grown for animals, so they are very liberally sprayed - and this all goes into our meat and our milk. It's quite horrifying. There is a lot of other info about how the cattle industry is destroying our environment, info about the bovine growth hormone (I actually started to cry when I heard about what that does to the dairy cows) - the strain of producing all that extra milk sucks all the calcium and fat off them and they become sterile, and a lot about the politics and the clout that Monsanto has with the FDA. It's scary. The state of Vermont was actually sued by Monstanto for wanting to label dairy that had BGH in it - and Monsanto WON.
This book was very well written, easy to read, and believable because this man was actually in the business. We were already vegetarian but ate organic dairy. Now we're vegan.
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Summary: Not so mad cowboy
Review: I truly believe that everyone should be informed, particularly with regards to what they are placing in their mouths, and this is an excellent, easy-to-read personal account that does just that. Howard Lyman, a fourth generation cattle rancher, blows some of the common misconceptions and agribusiness propaganda right out the window in this straight forward and, at times, humorous expose that comes, so to speak, straight from the horses mouth.
Lyman doesn't waste any time in getting right to the gritty, gruesome details behind the highly politicized business of food production. Within the opening pages, he informs us that cattle, chickens, and pigs are fed "protein concentrates" consisting of euthanized pets, ground up diseased farm animals, fecal matter, and roadkill. Not only are fodder animals being fed this vomit-inducing mixture, but our pets are as well. Yummy!
Lyman spends a good amount of time discussing the impact that the aforementioned practice could have on America's potential to see "Mad Cow Disease" effecting people in the not-so-distant future, which has been a steadily increasing problem in Britain. He points out several studies that debunk the myth that spongiform encephalopathy cannot jump species barriers.
In addition to the Mad Cow and Downed Cow issues, Lyman brings up the issue of rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) used to increase milk production in cows and the possible effects this could have on human health. To combat the mastitis that develops from the use of rBGH, cows are given antibiotics that are then passed to the dairy consumer in various milk products. With the increased use of antibiotics comes increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
In addition to the gross-out factor involved in the early pages of the book, Lyman points out several benefits of adopting a plant-based diet. The risk factors for diabetes, hypertension, coronary disease, and a plethora of other ailments can be reduced drastically by adopting a plant-based lifestyle as weight tends to decrease. Furthermore, abstaining from flesh-feasting can be helpful to the environment. Lyman spends several pages of his book discussing overgrazing and it's environmental impact. Rainforests are being depleted, in part, due to the need for land for cattle to graze, as are riparian woodlands. Native species are going extinct because of the human desire for burgers and steaks. Flooding and erosion have become a problem because of overgrazing and lack of natural vegetation. The list goes on and on.
Howard Lyman is a rancher/cowboy/meat-eater turned vegan, and this important text is his personal reasoning for making that momentous decision. It may not "convert" some people to veganism or vegetarianism, but it will definitely make you think, which is more than can be said for several books lining bookstore shelves today, and it is certainly a step in the right direction. Though I think this book could have used a little bit more detail in some areas, it is definitely a highly recommended and compelling read. Though this may not have made Lyman popular with many agribusiness officials and proponents, this was a book that needed to be written, and it is a book that needs to be read.
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Summary: I own 3 copies
Review: I've been a vegetarian for less than a year and this is the knowledge that has made me a lifer. Since it's such an easy and even fun book to read I bought three copies to keep in circulation amongst my friends and colleagues. Lyman doesn't preach he just lays down the facts about the industry in a way in which the information screams for itself. It made me realize how hypocritical it really is to call oneself environmentally conscience and still eat meat. Also, with the surgeon general about to declare obesity as the number one preventable death in America (currently it's cigarette smoking) Lyman's info on personal health couldn't be more timely. If ignorance is your bliss, don't read this book! But if you're one who takes responsibility for your actions and the consequences of them and you're interested in exploring the repercussions of something you do at least three times a day... read this book and share it with those around you!
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Summary: Shocking!
Review: I've been a vegetarian for quite a while now and I'm so thankful that I am. Although I live in Canada and the farming standards are different, it's still appalling to think of what goes on on the farm.
This is an amazing book!! It must have taken a lot of courage to write this book. If you're even thinking about changing your diet, read this!! It was disgusting to read about the standard practices for farming. Cows are injected with so many hormones and antibiotics and I wonder how it can be safe to eat anything that was made from meat. The author discusses, in depth, the Mad Cow disease in Britian and how it was concealed from the public for so long. I really wonder how anyone can eat meat. Now, I don't even think I'll be eating any dairy products. This isn't an 'animal rights' books... it's meant to educate the general public. I think everyone at some point, should read this book.
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Summary: Highly Recommended reading
Review: THIS BOOK ALMOST MADE ME TROW UP WEN I READ THAT DEAD DOGS AND CATS ARE GRINDED AND FEED TO COWS!!!! I WAS ALREADY CUTING LOSE FROM MEAT BUT AFTER READING THE BOOK I DIDN'T NEED MORE ! MY FRIEND (A HARDCORE MEAT EATER) IS NOT EATING MEAT ANY MORE AFTER READING NOT EVEN HALF OF THAT BOOK! JUST LIKE THAT! THAT IS HOW NASTY THAT SH....T IS. (THE MEAT).
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