In Meat We Trust by Maureen Ogle

**This review is part of the Amazon Vine program**

This is a really hard book to review. It's certainly well researched and well done (over 100 pages of notes and bibliography). But it also lacks interest at times. Which considering the amount of time that was probably spent on it, is sad.

Meat We Trust follows the history of meat production. From its humble beginnings on regular farms, to the development of factory farms, the different methods that were used to increase production, and the evolution of American's taste for meat and what type of meat. How accessible meat is to everyone regardless of income and the different laws and rules in place to keep it that way. And the sanitary laws that also came into play, along with an alternative food movement that wants to impose more regulations for how food is labeled.

There were a lot of people who developed the meat industry into the way it is today. Pioneers with technology and men out for a profit. You get to see how Tyson built his empire, and all the acquisitions he made. There are some descriptions of people in the alternative food realm who produced organics well before they became popular. And there is some talk of Ralph Nader and the movements against giant food corporations that he instigated. So an ambitious "cast of characters" in all.

This book starts at the beginning and shows how factory farms came about. Which means you got to hear about all the technology and the numbers of pounds of meat people were consuming. Each decade has its own numbers and innovations and it all points to ever increasing consumption. However, all those numbers and descriptions make the book slow moving and tedious to read. I found some of it interesting but at times it felt like there was detail thrown in just to use some of the research. And I wasn't sure how the author felt about everything. In some parts she's derisive about the organic movement while at other times the tone is admiring. Same with the factory farms. It was kind of confusing.

This is a well researched book, but it's just not attention grabbing. I think those interested in history and food politics will find it a good read though.

In Meat We Trust
Copyright 2013
367 pages

Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang

**This review is part of the Amazon Vine Program**

I'm ashamed to say I'd never heard of Cixi before picking up this book. China's early history (at least before Mao) is not something I've delved into quite a bit. But having read the author's "Wild Swans" I decided to give this book a try. And I'm very glad I did.

Plucked out among many other girls as one of the royal concubines to the then emperor, Cixi was a normal Chinese girl. Well, normal insomuch as royal concubines are. Not even the Empress, she had to use force of will to climb up the ladder and become one of the most powerful figures in China's history. Ruling for the better part of a half century, a woman, in a land that oppressed the female gender, she had to be intelligent and cunning. According to this book, she was progressive and brought in a lot of modern improvements to China despite being wracked by rebellions, hostile foreign policies, and other hazards. And since she couldn't rule in outright name because she was female, she had to maneuver politics and emperors around to best direct her needs.

Cixi is a strong person, and that comes through in this book. Few women (or even men) can claim to do half of what she did in a lifetime. And she had to overcome a myriad of obstacles just because of her gender to rule. This book paints a pretty optimistic picture of her, but refers to the notion that she is not always portrayed this way. Having experienced this book about Cixi before anything else, I of course am disposed to lean towards the fact that she did the best she could in leading China, and when she made mistakes, she admitted them. So I admire her. And the author does mention several other people in this book as well, but to be honest, there's so many of them it's hard to keep track. It's obvious that Cixi is the main focus in this book, and that's just fine.

I learned a lot about China's history from this book. And about Cixi. It's amazing how many things can happen over the course of a few decades. There's even a good bit written about the Boxer Rebellion since it happened during Cixi's rule. But it wasn't dry as some historical books can be. It kept me riveted the whole time and even though it lagged a bit in parts in the latter half, I still found it hard to put the book down. It's the kind where you can probably go back, read it again, and discover new facts you may not have noticed the first time around. Really, the parts that made it lag were some of the politics, but the book can't be faulted for that as it's a book about a country's leader and politics go hand in hand with that. And from what I can tell it is well researched. Wild Swans was also well done and both books have had a lot of care put into them.

An excellent book and one I'd recommend to anyone interested in history or China. It's a powerful biography on a very interesting woman.

Empress Dowager Cixi
Copyright 2013
373 pages

Radical: My Journey out of Islamist Extremism by Maajid Nawaz

**This book was received as a Goodreads Giveaway**

More of a political book than a memoir, Radical was written by Nawaz to show how he was brought into the world of Islamist extremism, and why he decided to leave it and advocate for a more balanced view.  It shares a good deal of knowledge on Islamism and Muslims and does have a little bit of memoir that is used to explain Nawaz's own path. 

As a teenager, Nawaz experienced a lot of racism.  Between that and other factors, it was no surprise when the Islamist group Hizb ut'Tahrir was a draw.  Having an answer for everyone, Nawaz found somewhere to put his energy.  And in joining the group he made a decision that would later see him in an Egyptian prison.  But it was there that he began to question his views, and after being released, he kept discovering more views that meshed with his previous thinking.  Because of this, he wen ton to start Quilliam, a foundation that wants to reverse extremism and shed light on misconceptions of both the West and Muslims.

Nawaz's journey is fascinating.  He does a great job explaining his thoughts and actions and you can see why he made the choices he did.  And he admits his faults and why he feels guilty, taking blame for things instead of trying to blame someone else.  It's that aspect that makes this book read as authentic.  I also like that he shared how the organizations worked and how they targeted people to join.  It definitely helped me understand why extremists may think like they do, although it certainly doesn't explain the motivations for 100% of the people like that out there.  Regardless, it's easy to see why Nawaz's current role is that of a speaker on the subject.

Because this was in a memoir form we go from Nawaz's childhood to the present day and it covers his years as a teenager in a gang of sorts, to his time in prison, to creating his foundation.  I actually found the book to be a bit choppy and jumpy; so much time was spent on the first half and then it seemed like once he got out of the prison the book flew by too fast without as much detail.  But really, that's my only complaint on the book.  I don't normally go for political books as they operate in a realm that is not my expertise, but Nawaz made his subject matter presentable for anybody in this book.  I learned that Muslim and Islamist don't mean the same thing necessarily.  I learned how the Jihad is different from Hizb ut-Tahrir, and I think that that understanding is very important.  Too often everything is painted with a broad brush and people, regardless of individual feelings, get swept into it just because they fit a certain characteristic.  And that's part of the message Nawaz was trying to give.

I think this is a very valuable book for understanding extremism and feelings against the United States.  As I said, it doesn't encompass everyone, but it does explain the motivations for a lot of people, and it has a great lesson in trying to prevent extremism and violence.

Radical
Copyright 2013
270 pages