I found The End of Animal Farming to be a fascinating read. While I was familiar with the practices of factory farming on a surface level, I found that this book definitely added to my knowledge and allowed me to further consider the merits of a meatless life style without seeming “preachy” or judgmental. Am I a vegan? No. Do I plan to adopt a vegan life style in the near future? No. However, I do believe that small steps can lead to big changes, and I can see how the proposed strategies in this book can change the factory farming industry. ( )

I have noticed three main reasons for people practicing a meatless lifestyle since becoming vegan about a year ago. Some embrace one reason, others two, and I am sure a few adhere to all three. My primary reason, and I believe it to be the most important reason of all, is that it is simply a healthier way to live. The second reason is a growing belief that raising animals is a major contributor to climate change. There also is genuine compassion for animals by many who are determined to stop animal cruelty. Jacy Reese argues articulately about ending animal farming. He touches on all of the reasons in his book, The End of Animal Farming: How Scientists, Entrepreneurs, and Activists are Building An Animal-Free Food System.

The 26-year-old graduate of the University of Texas at Austin may be perceived as a youthful idealist. He truly believes in the future of animal-free meat as a successful, sustainable reality. He thinks people will buy into this as a natural meat alternative. We certainly have a long way to go before this totally comes about.

On second thought though, perhaps it's closer than we think. Have you paid attention to the growing number of meat alternatives cropping up in the food industry? The food industry is already starting to listen. Over the past few months the food industry has already made some big leaps in offering new meatless options. We are on the cusp of major change, and Reese has produced a book that's timely.

Reese tells us one-hundred-billion animals now live on world farms. He sees this as an atrocity and wants to end it. He possesses admirable compassion for these animals and presents us with reason to go meatless. It would be nice to dine with this fine man. ( )

Reese makes an utterly optimistic case for the future of animal farming in this book. The future of a meatless society is one that he can almost taste. Philosophically speaking, Reese did not add anything new to the conversation. Where this book adds to the animal advocates library is in the breakdown of corporations and entrepreneurs who are struggling with the advocates to create a meatless society that can satisfy those less inclined to leave their meat behind. However, this is also where the book falls short. Without taking notes, company and entrepreneurs names get lost in the rattle. Some of the stories stick, but the overall content gets lost in monotony. With that said, this book makes a decent companion for Jonathan Safran Foer’s, Eating Animals. Because of the size of the book, it is not a large time commitment to read, and the reader will most assuredly come out with new information on the future of animal farming. ( )

It was a pleasant surprise to see a book on vegetarian / vegan issues that focused more on pragmatic strategies and the development of future alternatives than preaching to the "Thous Shalt Not" choir.

While I am not vegetarian or vegan, I am interested in the general morality behind the argument to end animal farming. I fully support the scientific breakthroughs being made towards cultured meat, as well as the expansion of plant-based foods. This book did an excellent job of explaining the various options in existence or being developed to reduce the use of animal farming. It also did not shy away from explaining the errors that advocates promoting the end of animal farming have made. Maintaining morality as a focal point led to a well-rounded review of the options, and an optimistic (though achievable) vision for the future. ( )