The Omnivore’s Deception: What We Get Wrong about Meat, Animals, and Ourselves

by John Sanbonmatsu

Offers the most powerful case yet for ending our exploitation of animals for food

Millions of Americans see themselves as "conflicted omnivores," worrying about the ethical and environmental implications of their choice to eat animals. Yet their attempts to justify their choices only obscure the truth of the in John Sanbonmatsu’s view, killing and eating animals is unethical, regardless of whether they are "free range" or factory farmed. Shattering the conventional wisdom around the meat economy, he reframes the question of animal agriculture from one of "sustainability" to one of existential and moral purpose, presenting a powerful case for the total abolition of the animal economy. In a rejoinder to Michael Pollan and other critics who have told us that we can have our meat and our consciences, too, he shows why "humane meat" is always a contradiction in terms.

The Omnivore’s Deception provides a deeply observed philosophical meditation on the nature of our relationship with animals. Peeling back the myriad layers of myth, falsehoods, and bad faith that keep us eating meat, the book offers a novel perspective on our troubled relations with animals in the food economy. The problem with raising and killing animals for food isn't just that it's "bad for the environment,” but the wrong way to live a human life.

A tour de force of moral philosophy and cultural critique, The Omnivore's Deception will change the way we think about meat, animals, and human purpose.

Genres: Nonfiction, Vegan, Philosophy, Animals

360 pages, Hardcover

Published June 17, 2025

Reviews

[Corvus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into John Sanbonmatsu's new book The Omnivore's Deception: What We Get Wrong About, Meat, Animals, and Ourselves a little nervous. I had seen Sanbonmatsu talk and enjoyed it, but had only read one essay in the past. It was so jargony and academic that I feared that this book might be, too. Luckily, it is readable, though heavy in subject matter as is to be expected. Sanbonmatsu is passionate about these topics, the experiences and worth of animals including humans, and in conveying important information. I have some concerns with how he went about it at times which I will discuss, but overall found this book to be an important addition to the collective liberation canon. I will note that I no longer read or watch most graphic cruelty descriptions or footage (I have witnessed enough for many lifetimes.) There is not a torturous amount in this book, but I did skip paragraphs here and there that I thus cannot comment on as they are the only things I did not read.

Before reading this book, I knew quite a bit of the long dark shadow of Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. Many people who have ever been involved in the monumental task of trying to get people to have respect for farmed animals know of the damage that Pollan's feel good copout of a book caused. It gave people who thought they might care about other animals and climate change a way to think that they could change next to nothing and somehow end up helping animals and the planet by harming and killing them the nice way. On top of the widespread negative cultural effects it had, it's also full of absolute bullsh*t. It has been a long time since then, and a book confronting all of this has been long overdue.

It has been so long that I didn't realize just what I was getting into. Even in hindsight, I did not recall quite how diabolical Pollan's words were, how absolutely cruel his assessments. I did not know that his book is infuriatingly still considered mandatory reading for some courses as some sort of guideline for how to (use liberal capitalism to cause immense suffering and climate destruction for taste.) The cultural lore around Pollan's book made it stick even in my 19 year vegan mind as less horrifying than it was. Sanbonmatsu delves deep into the depths of the text, highlighting just how dangerous the "humane" slaughter movement has been. He shows quite clearly how neoliberal "welfarist" consumerism reduces other animals to the status of products, just like other forms of exploitation towards them. In a way, it becomes more frightening than the callous cruelty in undercover footage that may have gotten some people to pay attention to what happens to other animals before their body parts are packaged. It has taught these people that that cruelty is not cruelty at all. In fact, you should feel good about it. Messages like Pollan's went as far as to pretend people were doing animals a favor by sending them to slaughterhouses. I could go on and on, as you may guess this lit a fire inside me a bit, but I want to focus on this book rather than just one of its many subjects.

Sanbonmatsu uses Pollan's book as an anchor for a far larger scope and discussion of our relationships to harm of other animals. I appreciate that he was clear and direct in his language, calling a spade a spade, rather than allowing industry terms to proliferate. He does well to show how offensive and ridiculous many "humane" slaughter proponents are, using their own words and materials to do so. He shows how the drive for localvoreism caused hippie granola types to embrace the far right and move away from leftist consideration for both humans and other animals (if they were ever on the left, some hippies never were.) He discusses the "femivore" trend wherein women take up harming animals in the many ways men have more traditionally done so (hunting, slaughter, etc) and treat this turn towards patriarchy- complete with their own versions of machismo- as a form of womens liberation.

Sanbonmatsu discusses connections with various oppressions such as the abuse of slaughterhouse workers forced to do the most dangerous and traumatic tasks of killing animals for those who shield their eyes. He does a decent take down of utilitarianist ableism of philosophers like Peter Singer, which he discovered after initially being inspired by Singer's ethical arguments for other (nondisabled) animals. This was also something I was aware of and had read about before, but somehow, perhaps by grace of the universe, I had not heard of Singer's "Should the Baby Die?" until this. It's even more appalling than I had realized. I am grateful that I could not locate more than citations of posts tearing down the piece during a quick search, so hopefully it will die and no one else will have to read it. Sanbonmatsu also discusses ecofascism and the words of Holocaust survivors explaining their thoughts about the mistreatment of other animals. This was unfortunately one of the few times his mention of the Holocaust felt appropriate. The leads to my criticisms.

I am not someone who thinks one should never discuss intertwined oppression between humans and other animals. I believe all of these things are complex and interconnected in many ways. Many writers and organizers have done far better jobs than I can in a small space here, so I added a few recommendations at the end of this review. It took me a long time to flesh out the ways to discuss collective liberation that is inclusive of nonhuman animals that did not misrepresent or cheapen the struggles of any of the groups involved. It is not easy and I still make mistakes. I do think that Sanbonmatsu makes some mistakes in this book in this regard.

He frequently discusses (US chattel) slavery, Naziism and the (Shoah) Holocaust, and makes some other statements that made me cringe a bit. My issue is not that humans and other animals should never be discussed together. In fact, I and people of many marginalized groups discuss how we are intertwined in solidarity with other animals facing oppression. My problem is when people make direct comparisons that are not apt. For instance, discussion of the atrocities of animal agribusiness alongside genocide, with semi direct comparisons, cheapens and erases BOTH struggles. We are not trying to wipe out farmed animals (I know genocide is far more than that but for brevity's sake...) It's the opposite, they make up most of the birds and mammals on the entire planet because of what we have done to them. That is completely different from genocide. I suppose hunters and ranchers' attempts to wipe out predator species could have some connection, but still has its own horrors. Both are horrifying in unique ways.

All of these forces do involve the animalization/objectification/pest-ification of others (discussed in better detail in other books at the end) that can be a unifying factor, but that was not the author's focus.

We can discuss how the roots of oppression, hierarchy, capitalism, fascism, and so on are the connecting threads between these things without making these sort of comparisons. I do not think Sanbonmatsu actually means to be making 1:1 pairings. But, the way things are written, it reads like he does. I think he needed a bit more practice and feedback regarding the minefield that these discussions occupy before spending so much of the book doing so.

My other issue is the pop psychology sections of the book wherein Sanbonmatsu compares our relationships to other animals with psychopathy and sociopathy. These sections show that he is a philosophy professor, not a psychology one. Much of the info is inaccurate in the same ways journalists writing about science and health can be. Much of it is irrelevant. It is much more apt to discuss industrialized humans in relation to other animals from a sociological/group dynamics perspective. People are not showing traits of individual sociopathy any more than anyone else (as we all have traits of most mental illness in lesser amounts.) People behave these ways because it's what everyone is doing, it's cultural, normative, and accepted, etc. That fits far better into the central thesis regarding Pollan strengthening these dynamics with horrific results. I would also be remiss if I did not mention that Sanbonmatsu discusses his outdoor cats without realization of both the threat this caused to them and how that impacts other animal populations in the area, particularly birds and rodents. A short anecdote, so this is my short response.

Part of why these flaws really get to me is that I believe that they could stop some people from finishing the book. Many people don't finish most books that they start as it is. Sanbonmatsu's book absolutely shines in the end. This is where we get into his academic field of philosophy. The discussions of personhood and consciousness are by far some of the best I have ever read. These are topics that have been written about and discussed for centuries so that is saying a lot. I put so many flags in that section that I eventually marked the entire chapters. I hope that anyone who may find themselves put off by some of the flaws with this book will simply skip over those parts rather than put the book down entirely. There are some really important thoughts in here that I hope reach a wider audience.

This was also posted to my storygraph and blog.
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*Note: initially thought Sanbonmatsu was joining VINE book club this month, so I put this off. But, it is actually going to be at the end of August. I will update after that if anything seems important to add.
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Books that explore collective liberation including other than human animals (I am sure I am forgetting some):

Beasts of Burden and Disabled Ecologies by Sunaura Taylor

Oxen at the Intersection and Birds Eye Views by pattrice jones

Animal Resistance in the Global Capitalist Era Sarat Colling

How to Unite the Left on Animals John Tallent

Feminism in the Wild Ambika Kamath and Malina Packer

Transfarmation Leah Garces

Animaladies: Gender, Animals, and Madness

Aphroism  by Aph and Syl Ko

Racism as Zoological Witchcraft Aph Ko

Meet the Neighbors Brandon Keim

Fear of the Animal Planet  by Jason Hribal

Tongue-Tied: Breaking the Language Barrier to Animal Liberation  by Hanh Nguyen

Veganism in an Oppressive World  Vegan of Color Community

When Animals Speak  and Animal Languages by Eve Meijer

Neither Man nor Beast  and  The Sexual Politics of Meat  by Carol Adams

Terrorists or Freedom Fighters?: Reflections on the Liberation of Animals  Ed. Best and Nocella

Sistah Vegan and Brotha Vegan

Fat Gay Vegan  Sean O'Callaghan

There are a bunch more on  my to-read list , but I did not list them since I have not read them yet or just forgot to. Many of them came highly recommended, particularly works by Lori Gruen and Claire Jean Kim.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not convinced any single book will convince the world to go vegan, but this is one of the best cases made that I've encountered.

This is also a brutal read that I had to set aside several times. Sanbonmatsu doesn't mince words. In fact, the stereotypical vegan "overkill descriptions/visuals of violence" is present here, multiple times. I blurred over these parts.

The rest leaves me with a heavy heart. I don't want to know; I don't want to participate; and I don't deny reality. This is a thorough and gross account, with receipts, of humanity's general ill treatment of non-human animals from all fronts. Apologist arguments are broken down. Arguments in favour of veganism and against all else are made with persuasion and compelling examples. Consider that most of the worst viruses and diseases we've encountered are directly linked to how we associate with and treat other animals, mostly needlessly, especially as we engineer more equal but nonviolent equivalents to meat and dairy. Sanbonmatsu covers old ground but goes a step further than most, such as by pointing out how "apologists for the meat economy credit our killing and eating of animals only with the achievements of civilization, never with its failures."

Not all arguments are problem-free. In one case, the author equates "meatless Mondays" and flexitarianism with "pledging not to be racist on Tuesdays." These are not equatable. Most of us don't live in societies where racism is socially acceptable (well, the US might be heading in that direction ... bleh). These critical mistakes annoyed me; such sloppy reasoning is likely to become a be-all, end-all target for naysayers.

Sanbonmatsu, unlike most, cites his sources and draws on a vast array of examples, but there's also some questionable information here. There's a section on animal communication. But some of this has been debunked or hotly questioned, like the abilities of Alex the African Grey parrot actually being a product of operant conditioning, aka learning by associating actions with "good" rewards or "bad" results.

Overall, this is a compelling account that introduced me to a lot of new material and ideas. That's why I'm bumping it up to a five-star read. That said, while I'm already on board, I'm struggling, and I think many others will be in the same boat. I worry that people will feel attacked and get defensive. Come in with an open heart and take it as information. Remember that, ultimately, we're all a product of the restrictions society places on us. People will change when the system changes. We can only do what we can do as individuals. But if you have the power to change the system or come together in a critical mass (before it's too late ...) then all the power to you.

Thank you to NetGalley and NYU Press for the advance copy.

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am sure the author relied on scientific data to illustrate how industrial animal and fish farming is accelerating environmental destruction and climate change. However, I have some difficulty with the humanization of animals and especially little faith in a human race that could decide to take care of them when it is currently letting genocide happen with impunity.

Sono sicura che l'autore si sia basato su dati scientifici per illustrare quanto l'allevamento industriale di animali e pesci stia accelerando la distruzione dell'ambiente e il cambiamento climatico. Ho peró qualche difficoltà nell'umanizzazione degli animali e soprattutto poca fiducia in un genere umano che potrebbe decidere di occuparsene, quando lascia accadere attualmente ed impunemente genocidi.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

[John Yunker · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the title of this book reminds you of the bestseller The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, that is intentional.

For as author John Sanbonmatsu writes, Michael Pollan did a great disservice to animals when he said there was such as thing as “good meat:”

Pollan claimed to have found a narrow passage between the rock of the factory farm and the hard place of vegetarianism. The solution to our broken industrialized food system was to be sought in smaller-scale animal farming … [Pollan] positioned himself as the bearer of glad tidings for the millions of meat-loving consumers who, though concerned about the environment and vaguely uneasy over reports of animal cruelty, had no wish to overturn their dietary habits … We could have our meat and our consciences, too.
In other words, Pollan told anyone who may have been feeling uncomfortable about eating animals that they could still eat animals without guilt, provided they sought out local suppliers or “humane” alternatives. In doing so, Pollan created a new “deception” that the animal industry and its consumers have relied upon ever since.

For the vegan reader well versed in the animal rights movement, much of The Omnivore’s Deception: What We Get Wrong about Meat, Animals, and Ourselves may be familiar. You will encounter horrific statistics about the slaughter of pigs, cows and chickens. You will learn that the vegan movement stretches all the way back to the Greeks; vegetarians were once known as Pythagoreans (People have felt guilty about killing animals for thousands of years).

You will also learn that the word “meat” wasn’t originally exclusive to animals. Sanbonmatsu writes:

“Our ancient dependence on a wide variety of foodstuffs to satisfy the bulk of our nutritional needs explains why the word “meat” itself—from the Old English mete for “food”—for nearly a thousand years of common usages denoted any substantial foodstuff, not just the flesh of animals”
But the animal industries and their political enablers have done an effective job of making “meat” synonymous with animals. Plant-based alternatives are viewed so antagonistically that Missouri, in 2018, became the first state to make it illegal to sell plant-based food with meat-like words.

Why does an industry that sees its product on nearly every dinner plate act so defensively? Because the animal industry is built less on need than on illusion.

The truth is, as, Sanbonmatsu writes, humans do not need to eat animals to survive. So the animal industries continually tell us that one must eat animals for protein (false) that animals are happy to give their milk and eggs to humans (false) and that animals die “humane” deaths—the greatest falsehood of all.

But a lie cannot be effective if the consumer does not at some level crave it—perhaps the most important takeaway of this book. We not only consume meat but also the many lies surrounding it. It’s easier to not think about animals as individuals. It’s easier to not have to think about changing your meals, your holiday traditions, an entire worldview built on the belief that eating animals is necessary.

Sanbonmatsu says we are a society of self-deceivers, and he’s right. But fighting through these deceptions is no small feat. It takes courage to resist, to ask questions, to suggest plant-based alternatives, at work and at home. But if not now, when? How many billions of animals must suffer and die before we collectively awaken from our slumber? Judging by the political climate and mainstream media, one would think that carnviroism is here to stay. For instance, the high-end vegan restaurant Eleven Madison Park recently returned to serving meat.

Yet this book helps readers view this cultural backlash through a wider historical lens, offering up room for optimism.

As Sanbonatsu concludes, when we can finally treat animals—all animals—with respect and compassion, we won’t be stepping back into some idealized agrarian ideal. We will be stepping forward into a “more advanced civilization—a future society which, having chose to bury it whips, prods, and chains, to dismantle its slaughterhouses and to recall its trawlers, had won for itself the higher spiritual goods of compassion, mercy, and love.”

This book is more than an antidote to The Omnivore’s Dilemma, it is a bold step into the future.

NOTE: This review was first published on EcoLitBooks.com.

[Lisa Konet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I give a book a million stars? This would be it!

This book is very much needed as an awakening to people who eat any animal in any quantity for whatever reason. People/carnists need to wake the heck up for the impact they are causing to animals, global pollution, etc. I am sure there will be many offended people/carnists because of the blunt, descriptiions of animal violence in this book detailing the accounts of animal agriculture and its effects on the planet.

This is such an important and necessary read for people who eat meat and call themselves "animal lovers". Carnists who are also speciests saying they are "animal lovers" when it only applies to cats and dogs but not for rabbits, goats, cows, sheep, pigs, turtles, any fish, chickens, mice, racoons, etc. The specieism is real in animal agriculture!

Another thing animal eaters cannot grasp is that the meat and dairy industry are the same thing AND it is STILL ANIMAL AGRICULTURE!!

A could give a million stars to John Sanbonmatsu's sledge-hammer to carnist readers (who will be easily offended by this) as a wake-the-fuck-up notice. If other readers cannot tell, I am an ethical AF vegan, and I do not care if I get seething hate messages after I post my review of this excellent book. If you are offended, look inward on yourself.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

I pre-ordered this and will be sharing this with all the meat-eaters/"animal lovers" in my family and frends to open up their very closed eyes.

Thanks to Netgalley, John Sanbonmatsu, and NYU PRESS for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 6/17/2025

[Avid · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Omnivore's Deception: What We Get Wrong about Meat, Animals, and Ourselves" by John Sanbonmatsu is a critique of our relationship with animals and meat consumption, challenging conventional wisdom about the ethics of eating animals.

It offers a philosophical examination of our relationship with animals in the food industry. Sanbonmatsu argues that killing and eating animals is unethical, regardless of whether they are "free range" or factory farmed. The book reframes the discussion from "sustainability" to existential and moral purpose, advocating for the abolition of the animal economy. It critiques the concept of "humane meat," arguing that it's always a contradiction in terms. The author challenges the idea that there are more ethical ways of consuming meat.

As an omnivore, I found this book challenging to read, as it presented a compelling case for abstaining from meat consumption. However, at times, Sanbonmatsu's argument felt somewhat condescending or dismissive, which detracted from the overall impact of his persuasive reasoning. Despite that, the book challenges the typical mindset of an omnivore, poses thought-provoking questions and compels one to consider giving up meat consumption.

[Sarah Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

🍖 The Omnivore’s Deception: What We Get Wrong About Meat, Animals, and Ourselves by John Sanbonmatsu

A seismic challenge to the moral foundations of modern carnivory.

✨ In-Depth Review
🔥 Philosophical Firebrand: Sanbonmatsu doesn’t just question dietary choices—he incinerates the entire ideological framework supporting industrial animal consumption. The book positions meat-eating as the ultimate postmodern hypocrisy, where love for pets coexists with factory farm brutality.

🧩 Interdisciplinary Mastery: Marrying critical theory with animal ethics, the author traces how capitalism transforms living beings into commodities. Expect startling parallels between slaughterhouse logic and other systems of oppression.

💔 Emotional Archaeology: The most devastating sections excavate the psychological tricks we use to distance ourselves from suffering, from euphemistic language (“beef” vs. “cow”) to willful ignorance about farming practices.

🌱 Radical Alternatives: Beyond critique, the book sketches a provocative vision for post-carnist societies. These passages feel utopian yet urgent, like a philosopher’s version of a survival manual for the Anthropocene.

📚 Demanding but Rewarding: The academic density (heavy on Frankfurt School references) may frustrate some readers, but the intellectual payoff justifies the effort. Think of it as mental cross-training for ethical living.

⭐ Star Breakdown (0–5)
Conceptual Boldness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Research Depth: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5/5)
Accessibility: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Emotional Resonance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5/5)
Practical Impact: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Overall: 4.4/5 - A Molotov cocktail of ideas hurled at the dinner table of civilization—prepare for incendiary aftertastes.

🙏 Thank you to NetGalley and John Sanbonmatsu for the advance review copy. This isn’t mere nonfiction—it’s an existential intervention that will leave you side-eyeing every restaurant menu and supermarket aisle. Vegans will feel vindicated; carnivores may experience existential vertigo. Either way, your next meal won’t taste quite the same.

[Stella Patajac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very excited to read this book since I love reading about the topic of animal liberation. I initially thought this was going to be similar to Earthling Ed's books, but it turned out to be completely different. I mean this in a positive way because, even though I've been vegan for quite some time, and exposed to many facts and debates regarding veganism, animal agriculture, etc., this book provided a lot of information I wasn't aware of before. For example, I didn't know we have so much evidence of non-human animals having a sense of self, or what they do when they're bored!!! That part of The Omnivore's Deception offers an insight into so many fascinating traits the animals possess and, in my opinion, this should be taught in schools.
I also liked how the author depicted the history of veganism and really dissected works of other authors who wrote either against or in favor of veganism. I wasn't familiar with these before, but now I have new book recommendations to check out.

I'm not gonna lie, some parts were utterly depressing. I get sad whenever reading about our species' treatment of animals and this book was no exception. The author comparing it to slavery and the holocaust really put things into perspective and the arguments were well articulated.

I don't think this particular book would have turned me vegan if I wasn't one already, BUT I absolutely think it would've planted a seed. It definitely made me understand and appreciate all sentient life more and I hope I continue to act accordingly :)

Thank you NetGalley, John Sanbonmatsu and NYU Press for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Dayton Martindale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cry of pain, rage, frustration, and love, a polemic against the twin crises of capitalism and human supremacism. This book travels a lot of ground: the ecological damage of animal farming and fishing; the structural parallels between historical arguments for slavery and genocide and contemporary arguments for animal exploitation; the ontological difference between animals and plants. Unlike many such books, there is little on “factory farming”; instead Sanbonmatsu takes aim at the supposedly humane “family farms” championed by the likes of Michael Pollan and Barbara Kingsolver, including an absolutely devastating critique of a wave of memoirs by largely middle-class white women who left corporate America to start farming animals.

While Sanbonmatsu is an academic philosopher, he writes clearly and explains his arguments well. But while readers may be able to follow the meaning of his prose, I worry they won’t follow its heart; that his refusal to compromise, his anger and pointed critique, his commitment to taking animals seriously will be too much for the reader who is not yet converted. Yet then again, it is precisely these traits that should be admired: he says what needs to be said, rather than coddle or sugarcoat. It is a book whose time will come, and if you are not convinced that human supremacism is such a crisis, please read it with an open mind, sit with it, let me know what you think, and let it work on you over the months, years, and decades to come.

[Ula Tardigrade · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and well-argued critique of the "ethical meat" movement, popularized by Michael Pollan's famous book The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, or, as the author writes, “the idea that we can go on raising and killing other animals for food without harming animals, wrecking the planet’s ecology, or ruining our souls”.

Later he adds:

“Proponents of the new omnivorism, however, take their stand against capitalist modernity not by organizing against the rich and powerful, but by enacting violence against animals, helping cows and sheep and chickens to die on boutique organic farms to atone for the sins of factory farming”.

I respect Pollan and his efforts to change our diets, but, as a vegetarian, I agree with Sanbonmatsu. Unfortunately, I fear he is preaching to the choir. The strength of the new omnivorism lies in the fact that it can be accepted by people who don't care so much about animals - and I think that organic farms are a lesser evil. Abandoning meat altogether is probably too radical an idea to take root, no matter how much I wish it could happen.

Thanks to the publisher, NYU Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be a good addition to college curriculum, especially environmental studies courses. However, I’d love to see a condensed version, more easily digestible to the general public. , This book may need a follow up book on… “What now/next?” A guidebook on practical ways people can reduce meat consumption culturally and throughout the entire FDA and educational systems. Physicians, dairy farms, farms, etc. will keep pushing to have their industries supported. So what then? Farmers will need a new/different job. People need to be educated in schools, homes, tv, etc. on vegetarian sustainability- how to grow food, cook food, enjoy food and really understand what and how to properly replace their typical meat-laden meals with those of equal (or more) protein-rich vegan or vegetarian options. I would not rely on soy as a replacement, because it causes disruption in hormones. To make the shift to vegetarianism, people need directives on HOW to shift, with the infrastructure to support it. Doctors and educators are still telling people to drink dairy milk. Shameful. we are not raising calves, we are raising humans. Thank you for this piece or literature and insightful piece of work.

[Madelyn Bingjam · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes this book so powerful is its ability to peel back layers of long-accepted narratives—about food, health, and sustainability—and expose the deceptions hidden within them. The author doesn’t simply present facts but invites the reader into a broader reflection on our collective relationship with food, animals, and the planet. Every chapter feels like an invitation to expand our awareness, to confront uncomfortable truths, and to imagine a more just and sustainable way forward.
At a time when society is facing urgent crises—climate change, health epidemics, and the ethical implications of industrial farming—this book is necessary. It offers a mirror and a map. The mirror forces you to see the consequences of your consumption, and the map points toward a future where our choices align with our values. Overall, it made me think about my relationship with the world and animals in new ways.

[Joan O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skip The Omnivore’s Dilemma and read this book instead. Sure, The Omnivore’s Dilemma has thousands of good reviews — but thousands of people can be misled. History proves this. I was one of them, and the flawed thinking I absorbed reading Michael Pollan’s book had devastating consequences for countless other beings. That is my burden; it doesn’t have to be yours. Read The Omnivore’s Deception – it will change your life for the better.

[Lisa]

did not read, ordered on kindle and it showed up here

[Teo Babić · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely incredible book making the case for animal rights with unprecedented clarity and directness! Everyone interested in creating a better world HAS to read this!

[Kate Galli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening and heartbreaking

What a powerful testament to the horror humans inflict on animals and the urgency in why we must change our ways.

[Nathan Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely thought provoking. Very needed for this day and age considering all we do to animals

[Maichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to overstate the importance of this book, as Professor Sanbonmatsu has such profound insights into our relations with other animals, showing that the freedoms of humans and other animals are intertwined, while laying bare the lie of humane exploitation and killing.

The Omnivore's Deception is essential reading for anyone who cares about justice.