The book has a loosely chronological structure that tells the story of how Farm Sanctuary came to be, while outlining the many battles they have fought through the years to bring about better treatment for animals that are caught up in the factory farming system. The tone of the book is very similar to Mr. Baur's speaking style, which is insistent without being confrontational, and factual without losing an emotional edge.
Many of us in the animal rights movement are used to those who take a hyper-rational tone, spewing fact after fact, or making step by step philosophical arguments, because we want to avoid at any cost sounding like someone who has watched Bambi too many times. Thankfully, Mr. Baur does not fall into that trap, and throughout the book we are reminded that animals are living creatures that are enough like us that it is possible to form an empathetic bond with them.
I especially enjoyed the “Profile” sections at the end of each chapter. Just like each one of us that make up the teeming mass of humanity, the profiles remind us that every animal is an individual with its own life story that can be good or bad.
The epilogue was especially heartening, and I heard the echoes of Thoreau's famous essay on Civil Disobedience in two sentences which are too good not to repeat:
Eating meat is a habit we choose, not an unwritten law to be blindly obeyed. In the face of factory farming's harsh and violent spirit, every one of us has the
power to say no and in doing so show the world there is a kinder way.
If you haven't yet read this book, I highly recommend it, even if you are a seasoned activist it will help you remember why you're in this movement.
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