[2] The book was adapted and extended into a 2018 documentary film with the same name, directed by Christopher Dillon Quinn and co-narrated by Foer and Natalie Portman.

Foer's son is representative of the generations that are entering a world of industrialized farming, in which the decision to eat meat has many more implications than taste.

Essentially, Foer concludes that the detriments of factory farms outweigh the benefits of taste, which is why he chooses to raise his son a vegetarian.

In an attempt to shine light on the meaning of such marketing claims, Foer dedicates a whole chapter to definitions of words that connect humans and food.

[6][7][8] A Washington Post article describes Foer's book as providing a writing style that has "always divided his readers into love-him or hate-him camps.

A Los Angeles Times article states that Eating Animals contains "the kind of wisdom that... deserves a place at the table with our greatest philosophers.

"[10] In a Huffington Post article, Natalie Portman wrote that the book was so powerful that she went from a twenty-year vegetarian to a vegan activist.

[11] According to a piece by the New Yorker, the power of the book lies in its ability to discuss why humans can be so loving to their companion animals while simultaneously being completely indifferent to the ones they eat.

In a New York Magazine review, one vegetarian critic called the book "deeply irritating," as it "settles on the safest possible non-conclusion.

The site's critics consensus reads: "Eating Animals' thoughtful analysis and exploration of corporate farming is impressive, given the scope of the topic.