Portrait of a Burger as a Young Calf

An “important” book with a “lofty [goal] to observe up close . . . every single aspect of . . . animals’ lives, “conception to consumption’” (The New York Times Book Review).

After getting a Teenie Beanie Baby with his daughter’s Happy Meal at McDonald’s, journalist Peter Lovenheim was struck by the realization that his child would be cuddling a stuffed cow while cheerfully chowing down on a hamburger. Prompted by the profound disconnect he saw between what we eat and where it comes from, Lovenheim did the next logical thing: he bought two young calves.

Following the lives of his animals from birth to slaughter, Lovenheim chronicles the daily operations of a contemporary dairy farm, providing details on everything from the artificial insemination of cows to the technology behind feeding and milk production. He gets to know the hard-working people behind the scenes of the agriculture industry. He even contemplates the inner lives of cows with the kind of curiosity that engenders affection for the animals he will ultimately bring to the slaughterhouse—or will he? 

Filled with insights about animal behavior and the ethics of raising livestock only to put food on America’s already abundant tables, Portrait of a Burger as a Young Calf will change the way you think about food and the animals that provide it to us.

“Lots of people—including those who actually work with farm animals—are going to like this book.” —Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures

“A graphic portrait of those whose labor and lives feed a nation and world.” —Booklist

“An absorbing first-hand account.” —Publishers Weekly