Genoways looks at particular cases in the meat packing industry, specific workers and Hormel-supplying plants, delving into the workers’ struggles, the corporate responses, and the broader effects of these companies. Perhaps only the subtitle of the book was a lie; Genoways makes no attempt at a universal survey of agriculture today, and the book would be worse if he did. His writing style is smooth, with a placating professional tone occasionally broken by liberal outrage. After also reading [b:Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon|26109029|Pit Bull The Battle over an American Icon|Bronwen Dickey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1445789865l/26109029._SY75_.jpg|46054417], I’m beginning to wonder if this tone is an unavoidable result of experience or exposure to Virginia Quarterly Review editorial staff.
The book was better than I thought it would be, from what I know about Genoways. An interesting read, but no masterwork.
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This book is divided into six parts, and in each part the author explores different aspects of industrial pork. The focus is mainly on the social aspects, but in order to fully explain how all of the pieces fit together, the reader learns quite a bit about the machinations surrounding getting pork products onto the shelves.

Topics covered include illnesses of pork factory workers brought on by faulty equipment and lax investigations, immigrant labor and how that trickled into local politics and housing, the difficulties of managing and conserving land and water when pork farms and factories are nearby, animal abuse in pork factories, and how supply and demand of pork products drives increased production and causes injuries, illnesses, and tainted food.

Farm, Factory, and the fate of our food

An insightful, troubling investigation of factory farming and the meat packing industry, more focused on poor labor conditions and food quality than animal welfare. ( )