Pompous, arrogant, and preaching. Still, I can barely stomach buying meat at the supermarket since reading this book. I'm still an omnivore (though our family has always been nearly-vegetarian) and will continue eating meat. But... I'm going to have to find local sources where I know how the animals lived and how they are killed. And, yes, there is no "kind" death. But this space isn't meant for discussion or debate. I recommend the book. If more people read this book there might be more people who make changes like we are making. (We were making them before, this has just added a timeliness to the efforts.)

By the end of the book I had to skim some of the descriptions of the abuses happening (skinning animals while they were still conscious, for example) *while auditors were present.* It was horrifying, the whole thing. It should be on everyone's reading lists.

I would give this 5 stars but I think the author's content and tone, while admirably direct and honest (he doesn't pretend he has no opinion), makes the book a bit weaker because anyone who is "pro-factory farming" (do those people exist? if someone knows about what factory farms are like could they ever still be "pro-" them?) would easily dismiss it for the obvious "biases."

Then again, muddling it up with NPR-style "even-handedness" would probably make it even weaker. Still, I can't quite give it 5-stars as I reserve that for only books I put at the very top of my favorites of all time list.