“ Righteous Porkchop is a searing, and utterly convincing, indictment of modern meat production. The book also brims with hope and charts a practical (and even beautiful) path out of the jungle.” —Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food   “[A] necessary book—part memoir, part exposé…its reasoned case for healthy and humane farming practices has the sweet savor of truth.” — O The Oprah Magazine   A crusading environmental activist, vegetarian, and lawyer who has worked with Robert Kennedy, Jr. on environment issues, Nicolette Hahn Niman blows the lid off the shocking practices in the pork, meat, and poultry industries in Righteous Porkchop , a Fast Food Nation for the hog trade. Subtitled, “Finding a Life and Good Food Beyond the Factory Farm,” Righteous Porkchop is at once an eye-opening grand tour of Hahn Niman’s battles with the industrial farming conglomerates, a guide to avoiding unhealthy meats, and a very personal story of  one woman’s reawakening. For the past several centuries, the watchword of American industry has been standardization. Everything must be uniform and orderly, parts interchangeable. This urge to trim production costs eventually invaded agriculture, even animal husbandry. The result was chicken and hog farms where animals never saw the light of day and grew fat on drug- and hormone-laden feed. Lately, many writers have cautioned that huge industrial farms create as many problems as they solve. There are issues of animal disease, waste disposal, and inferior meat, let alone concerns of animal welfare advocates. Niman outlines all of these matters, documenting them carefully. She cites some recent studies that indicate that hidden costs of industrial farming actually make meat more expensive when environmental cleanup costs are factored into the equation. Attorney Niman chronicles her personal mission to enlighten the world of industrial agriculture, an odyssey that culminated in her marriage to one of the nation’s most noted sustainable ranchers. --Mark Knoblauch “Righteous Porkchop is a searing, and utterly convincing, indictment of modern meat production. The book also brims with hope and charts a practical (and even beautiful) path out of the jungle.” - Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food “A thoughtful and affecting memoir... Righteous Porkchop firmly establishes Hahn Niman as a major national voice for efforts to reform industrial animal production.” - Marion Nestle, professor, New York University and author, Food Politics and What to Eat “A portrait of animal farming, from the small-scale to the mega-scale, that’s as notable for its clarity as it is for its vision. Required reading for anyone who eats.” - Dan Barber, chef and co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns “When Nicolette Hahn Niman became a cattle rancher, she discovered that when animals are given a life worth living, they can be raised for food in an ethical and sustainable manner.” - Temple Grandin, professor, Colorado State University and author of Animals in Translation “Nicolette Hahn Niman is the smiling face of conscientious eating―righteous, but never self-righteous. With warmth and an engaging plainspokeness, she persuasively makes the case that activism bears results, that humane farmers are happier farmers, and that ‘compassionate carnivore’ is not an oxymoron.” - David Kamp, author of The United States of Arugula “Righteous Porkchop is a compelling call for overhauling the way we produce food from one the nation’s most credible advocates. It’s also a great read. I highly recommend it.” - Matthew Scully, author of Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals and the Call to Mercy “The story that Nicolette Hahn Niman tells in this book is full of heroes and villains (of the two footed kind). Food lovers can only hope that America takes her message to heart and votes at the check-out counter.” - Peter Kaminsky, author of Pig Perfect: Encounters with Remarkable Swine “Finally, a book that can help everyday Americans understand what’s at stake as a result of our factory animal systems. A great, common sense, and steady read.” - Michel Nischan, Chef, Dressing Room; President, Wholesome Wave Foundation “This necessary book―part memoir, part exposé―may briefly put you off your feed, but its reasoned case for healthy and humane farming practices has the sweet savor of truth.” - O magazine “The fact is, most of us are hypocrites when it comes to food.... Fortunately for people like us there’s Nicolette Hahn Niman, a generally sane and sympathetic character, pushing us gently but firmly in a direction we know we should already be heading.” - San Francisco Chronicle A thoughtful and affecting memoir . . . Righteous Porkchop firmly establishes Hahn Niman as a major national voice for efforts to reform industrial animal production. -- Mar