The Shameless Carnivore: A Manifesto for Meat Lovers

At the outset, I had mixed emotions about meat eating. Not only have I questioned the merits of meat-eating, but also the agro-industrial complex that produces our USDA Prime. I was happy to see that Gold has the same questions as I do and addresses them in this book. A crucial and highly pivotal moment of the book occurs when Gold shares a story about his brother, a devout Buddhist, living on a monastery. Gold goes to the root of ancient wisdom and give the reader a lot to chew on. Mr. Gold is a funny writer, but the book goes beyond hoopla to critically examine what has happened to our meat supply as a result our of uncontrollable carnivorism and most importantly, how a reverence for life and the animals we eat will result in better lives for all involved.

Being from New Orleans also, I derived a certain amount of satisfaction from the Scott's accurate depictions of some of my favorite haunts. Although Port of Call did not make the final publication, there's certainly an honorable mention in the blog. And he was right on the money with Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (it's true that all a good-quality steak really needs is salt, pepper and butter) and Brightsen's. If I were to mix media and compare Scott to other food writers/personalities, I'd say that he's the unholy love-child of Alton Brown and Anthony Bourdain. His gastronomic adventures are fast approaching Anthony's without the benefit of having traveled to Cambodia and Sub-saharan Africa, and his educational lessons are peppered with funny anecdotes that keep the reader's interest. What keeps Scott's stories fresh and vibrant is his lack of professional experience in the kitchen. Setting out to cook something you've prepared a hundred times in the past isn't nearly as interesting as experimenting and living with the results -- excellent, or merely mediocre. Of notable worth is the tale of the guinea pig dinner and the open letter to PETA. When Scott calls them out for the hypocrites they are, it makes you realize that the time of the carnivores is at hand. Meat is NOT murder, and it sure is tasty!

As an avid chili fan, I need meat, and I love food writing- anything from the perfect prose of A.J. Liebling to Michael Pollan's (often unrealistic) findings, to Barry Glassner's sensible advice. This addition to the food-lit canon is funny, informative, and adventurous. Such a fun time reading this, and I think we need a book that celebrates the guilt-free glutton. There's way too many brilliant meat dishes out there. Americans over-intellectualize their food, when they should be out enjoying the possibilities!

Mr. Gold written a thoroughly entertaining, informative, interesting, and fun book. Quite zealous about meat in general and most food from meat in particular, Scott takes us through a journey of the strange and wonderful meats he east, both delicious (most) and disgusting (few). His accounts of 31 animals in 31 days, the Testicle Festival in Montana, slaughtering a cow and eating each edible part of the cow are all fun to read and informative. He walks the line between being fun and humorous and investigating the philosophical and scientific issues surrounding carnivorism. I recommend this book for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike as all can learn a thing or two about the cuts of beef, the Tibetan take on eating meat, and the heath issues of eating meat. It made me hungry and want to try some more non-traditional foods!