The Ego System: The Awakening

by René Zografos

Can we afford to stand by as our planet collapses?

In the past 50 years, humanity has wiped out 70% of the world’s wild animals. Our oceans are being emptied, wildlife habitats destroyed, and ecosystems pushed to the brink, all to satisfy an insatiable hunger for meat and animal products.
In The Ego The Awakening, award-winning journalist René Zografos reveals the devastating consequences of the meat industry on the environment, animal welfare, and our health. With eye-opening insights into factory farming, wildlife crimes, and political inaction, this book challenges us to rethink our choices and their impact on the planet.

Discover Factory farming fuels climate change, deforestation, and biodiversity loss.Animal suffering is hidden by an industry designed to obscure the truth.Plant-based living can lead to a sustainable future and improved personal health.This is more than a wake-up call. It’s a call to action, offering practical steps to create a better world. Zografos blends compelling facts, personal reflections, and a sense of urgency to empower readers to make meaningful changes.


What readers are
“Should be on the curriculum in every school.”
“A brilliant book – a must-read.”
“One of the best books of the decade – incredibly good.”


Proceeds from this book support animal welfare, ensuring that every purchase makes a difference.


It’s not too late to save our planet. The time to act is now. Will you be part of the solution?

368 pages, Paperback

Published February 27, 2025

About the author

René Zografos is an award winning author, journalist, and photographer from Oslo in Norway. After dropping out of school when he was 16, he later went back to study what he loves most: writing and photography. René started out as a journalist in the largest magazine in Norway, and has since then worked for national, and international newspapers and magazines. Since a major book publisher accepted his first written book script, for children, he has released eight books in the Norwegian marked, many of them turned to be bestsellers. The animal pictures children's book Guess What Animal was his first book release on the international marked. He is also an award winning songwriter, and is always working on new songs. He is currently writing a book for the American/International marked, and the release will be sometime in 2015. (It was released august 3th.)

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was in high school many years ago I read Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle." It was about the conditions in the Chicago Stock yards at the early part of the 20th Century. Sinclair once said of his book: "I wanted to hit the reader in his heart but hit their stomachs instead", or words to that effect. His intent was to shed light on the living and working conditions of stock yard workers but his graphic descriptions of the slaughter houses sickened readers. Nothing much was said about the cattle that were slaughtered.
Rene Zografos has taken muckraking literature to an entirely new level with this book. He makes a very convincing case for veganism and organic farming not only for our health but also for the sake of saving planet Earth. His theme is that the planet is shockingly close to the tipping point in the environment and the ability to provide enough food and water to sustain an ever increasing human population. He also describes in agonizing detail the horrific conditions under which animals are kept and slaughtered for food. His solution is for humans to go to a meat free diet. Zografos cites many sources in his argument that vegan and vegetarian diets can reverse the damage and may offer the only hope for humankind.
While I don't know how easy it would be to attain the lofty goals Zografos outlines here, as a former environmental compliance administrator, I have been concerned for years about the overuse of natural resources and the abuse of land and water environments. How much more food can we reasonably produce given the limitations of available acreage and water? How much time do we have left before we reach the tipping point? These and other questions have eluded answers for decades. Certainly adopting a vegan diet is a step in the right direction and reading this book may well be the spark that triggers the change. It certainly gave me food for thought.

[Richard Derus · Rating 2 out of 5]

PEARL RULE #007 (51%)

Real Rating: 2.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Can we afford to stand by as our planet collapses?

In the past 50 years, humanity has wiped out 70% of the world’s wild animals. Our oceans are being emptied, wildlife habitats destroyed, and ecosystems pushed to the brink, all to satisfy an insatiable hunger for meat and animal products.

In The Ego: The Awakening, award-winning journalist René Zografos reveals the devastating consequences of the meat industry on the environment, animal welfare, and our health. With eye-opening insights into factory farming, wildlife crimes, and political inaction, this book challenges us to rethink our choices and their impact on the planet.

Discover how factory farming fuels climate change, deforestation, and biodiversity loss.Animal suffering is hidden by an industry designed to obscure the truth.Plant-based living can lead to a sustainable future and improved personal health.This is more than a wake-up call. It’s a call to action, offering practical steps to create a better world. Zografos blends compelling facts, personal reflections, and a sense of urgency to empower readers to make meaningful changes.

Proceeds from this book support animal welfare, ensuring that every purchase makes a difference.
It’s not too late to save our planet. The time to act is now. Will you be part of the solution?

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: More citations, less verbiage.

However much I agree with you, rigorous adherence to standards is even more urgent than ever when you're arguing against the Orthodoxy.

[Marion · Rating 3 out of 5]

René Zografos' *The Ego System: The Awakening* offers a compelling critique of the meat industry's devastating effects on the environment. In this eye-opening book, Zografos connects the exploitation of animals with the broader consequences of environmental degradation, highlighting how the industry's practices contribute to deforestation, climate change, and the depletion of natural resources. Zografos encourages readers to rethink their relationship with food and the planet. The book is both informative and thought-provoking, urging individuals to consider the ethical and environmental costs of their dietary choices. It may seem o be a bit heavy a times, but it is a must-read for anyone interested in sustainability and conscious living. Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC for review.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Ego System by Rene Zografos is a well researched and written. With that said, it is also very slanted to the ideas and skewed beliefs of the author. He is vegan and wants the whole world to adopt this lifestyle. I respect his decisions, but I do not agree with him completely. I guess that my lifestyle may not be the best because I am an omnivore. What I cannot understand is, if a person does not eat meat, why do they want what they do eat to taste and look like meat? Vegan burgers, vegan chicken, etc. That is the paradox for me. I originally marked this book as DNF, but I had to skim through it to see if anything appealed to me. So I finished the book and I still cannot agree with the author.

[Destiny Imperati · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review ✨️

♡An eye-opening read♡

Ego System tells the truth and exposes all of the indecinties of the meat industry and what's wrong with our planet. This story was very powerful and was truly a heartbreaking one to read. I, for one, after reading this, is going to do some much needed steps to be more cautious about the food I'm eating.

Overall, this was very well written and filled with so many details. The author did a wonderful job delivering this message to all of the readers who will pick up this book. It really is a must-read!

Thanks so much to the author, The Book Whisperer, and Netgalley for the ARC!

[Chad Clement · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wake Up Call We Can’t Ignore

The Ego System: The Awakening is one of those books that quietly grabs you and then refuses to let go. René Zografos lays out hard truths about the meat industry, environmental collapse, and animal suffering in a way that feels honest, clear, and deeply human. The facts are sobering, but the tone never feels preachy. Instead, it invites reflection and responsibility. What makes this book stand out is its sense of hope. It does not just expose the problem. It offers practical steps toward change and reminds us that our daily choices truly matter.

[Jordan Duran · Rating 3 out of 5]

René Zografos' *The Ego System: The Awakening* exposes the meat industry's impact on the planet, blending facts and emotional appeals to inspire change. While compelling, its scientific terms and focus on one solution may challenge some readers. A must-read for anyone exploring vegan or sustainable lifestyles. Rated 3/5 stars for its impactful message but exhausting detail.
I received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Michael Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book on ecology with a vegan point of view. The author covers subjects all around the world with her point of view. I recommendd this book for ecology readers.