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Animal Machines
First published in 1964, Ruth Harrison's book Animal Machines had a profound and lasting impact on world agriculture, public opinion and the quality of life of millions of farmed animals. Concerned with welfare standards at a time when animal production was increasing in scale and mechanization, Ruth Harrison set about investigating the situation in a fair and even-handed way. Reporting her findings in this book, Harrison alerted the public to the undeniable suffering of calves living in veal crates and birds in battery cages. Written at the beginning of the intensive farming movement, which promised progress but in reality worsened conditions for domesticated animals, Animal Machines provides a fascinating insight into the system we are living with today and must continue with as the global population increases. Harrison's work brought about legal reforms, a greater understanding of farm conditions for animals and increased public awareness. Animal Machines is reprinted here in its entirety, accompanied by new chapters by world-renowned experts in animal welfare discussing the legacy and impact of Animal Machines 50 years on.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published March 5, 2013
About the author
Ruth Harrison
11 books2 followersRuth Harrison OBE was an English animal welfare activist and writer.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 21, 2021
It was strengthening in my conviction to try to be vegan.
9/21/21
And I am still, and for forever, vegan.
9/21/21
And I am still, and for forever, vegan.
August 13, 2021
Stop be stupid
October 7, 2008
The first demonstration my little brother ever went to was a protest at the Pickwick Theatre in Park Ridge against the showing of a hunting film. A score or two of us marched outside with handmade posters. So powerful was the vegetarian sentiment amongst young people in town that our infiltrated local Burger King had a vegetarian menu--Vegie Whoppers for 25 cents! The book circulated amongst us which probably had the greatest influence was Ruth Harrison's Animal Machines, a rather upsetting portrayal of the factory farming business.
January 19, 2026
Absolutely ahead of time! What Ruth described in the book of late 60's, unfortunately still applies and animal farming hasn't changed much on animal welfare. In case you are anyone from meat eater to vegan, working in animal production, or you are interested in sustainability, food quality, environment, and animal rights and welfare, ... Ruth will talk to you!
Must read!
Must read!
April 25, 2023
3.5 - As much a critique of food quality and safety as animal welfare. Ground breaking at the time.
March 2, 2015
Ruth Harrison (1920-2000), a Quaker and lifetime vegetarian, had felt a moral responsibility to help factory-farmed animals. A vital insight that developed from her work was the importance of a fully integrated approach to ‘animal welfare’ in which concerns such as environmental impact and human health are taken alongside each other. She observed that the incidences of degenerative diseases were rising at an alarming rate and recognised that human health and wellbeing were directly related to animal health and wellbeing. Her remarkable book is composed of facts, photographs and reporting on what she witnessed on visits to factory farms in England in the 60s. Comparisons are included with factory farms in America and Europe.
In her book Ruth pointed out the inconsistency of how one person being unkind to one animal is considered a cruelty but where a lot of people are unkind to a lot of animals, especially in the name of commerce, the cruelty is condoned and, once large sums of money are at stake, will be defended - by wilful hypocrisy and justification - to the last by otherwise intelligent people.
She further explained how some may find it easy to lull their consciences when only animals are concerned, but that the issues under discussion extend beyond conscience and impinge in the most practical manner on the physical well-being of the human race in so far as the food provided by these means is not only inferior but dangerous!
The conclusion Ruth formed was that “meat eating has become a hazard” as a direct result of factory-farming methods and their dependence on abnormal environments, unnatural feeding, genetic modification, antibiotics, hormones, tranquillizers and drugs.
A Second Edition of Animal Machines was launched in March, 2013 at Oxford University and includes a description of the reaction to Ruth’s book. It was serialized in a major British newspaper and caused an immediate expression of shock and outrage from the public who realised that they were supporting institutionalised cruelty through their grocery purchases and poisoning themselves with unsafe food at the same time.
In response to the furore, the government had set up the Bramble Committee to investigate “the welfare of animals kept under intensive livestock husbandry systems”. The creation and funding of animal welfare research in the UK resulted from the influence of this report and Ruth’s book.
Ruth had concluded that ‘most sickness could be prevented by the right feeding of the people.’
How far have we got to where? (less)
In her book Ruth pointed out the inconsistency of how one person being unkind to one animal is considered a cruelty but where a lot of people are unkind to a lot of animals, especially in the name of commerce, the cruelty is condoned and, once large sums of money are at stake, will be defended - by wilful hypocrisy and justification - to the last by otherwise intelligent people.
She further explained how some may find it easy to lull their consciences when only animals are concerned, but that the issues under discussion extend beyond conscience and impinge in the most practical manner on the physical well-being of the human race in so far as the food provided by these means is not only inferior but dangerous!
The conclusion Ruth formed was that “meat eating has become a hazard” as a direct result of factory-farming methods and their dependence on abnormal environments, unnatural feeding, genetic modification, antibiotics, hormones, tranquillizers and drugs.
A Second Edition of Animal Machines was launched in March, 2013 at Oxford University and includes a description of the reaction to Ruth’s book. It was serialized in a major British newspaper and caused an immediate expression of shock and outrage from the public who realised that they were supporting institutionalised cruelty through their grocery purchases and poisoning themselves with unsafe food at the same time.
In response to the furore, the government had set up the Bramble Committee to investigate “the welfare of animals kept under intensive livestock husbandry systems”. The creation and funding of animal welfare research in the UK resulted from the influence of this report and Ruth’s book.
Ruth had concluded that ‘most sickness could be prevented by the right feeding of the people.’
How far have we got to where? (less)
December 20, 2007
If you've read about the chemical alteration of food to create taste and aesthetic appeal or the mass (de)assembly of live animals in factory farms, then "Animal Machines" will take you back to the UK in the early 1960's where these newly found forms of mass production were created. It explains the animal cruelty of the newly founded factory farm, looks at the ways meats, cheeses, and eggs were chemically altered to look and taste better, the conditions that lead to the mass industrialization of animal agriculture, and the drive for profit over the lives of sentient beings. It's a history and a little dry at times, but fascinating as a historical document revealing where the current mass production food industry originated.
February 12, 2017
Prophetic. Fast read. Very useful for insight into how we got where we now are.
July 8, 2025
Animal welfare professor recommended it. I now see why! Very informative and still relevant today! Awesome
April 1, 2016
A reality about modern animal farming and the pioneer of animal welfare concept.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews