Exit Farming: Starving the Systems That Farm You

by Sean Carlton

This publication contains sensitive themes. It questions the legitimacy of widely accepted societal systems and the values built on them. Some readers may find the arguments uncomfortable, offensive, or threatening to their worldview. That is expected. One star reviews help this book just as much as five star reviews. If you choose to react, whether in praise or rejection, understand that both responses serve the same purpose.
What if the way out wasn’t more—but less?

This book is about walking away. From jobs that slowly killed us. From hollow metrics. From lives designed around comfort, control, and debt. It’s about the work that matters. The kind you feel in your body at the end of the day. The kind that feeds you.

It’s not a manual. It’s not a manifesto. It’s a record. Of what it took to leave. Of what it cost to stay. Of the slow unlearning that comes with building a life by hand, on purpose.

For anyone who’s ever sat in a meeting and felt their soul rot. For anyone who’s wondered what would happen if they stopped pretending and started planting.

This is what happened when we did.

Genres: Nonfiction

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 18, 2025

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

first the caveat, I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
I was looking forward to this book, but about 2/3 of the way through I just had to give up. the book reads like a redundant rant by a newly reformed evangelical. I've worked with smokers who quit and then were suddenly obnoxious about how everyone is killing themselves with tobacco. in this book reads like that. the author has been in this alternative lifestyle for 2 years, which does not give enough time for perspective and maturity within the lifestyle.
the hard part is that I agree with much of what the author is saying, specifically with how the system is designed to suck the life out of us. However, the constant repetition of extreme phrasing just gets tiresome. according to the author, we are all simply dupes who don't realize the salvation that comes from dumping it all and eating fresh rabbits.

[Lyndsey Knicely · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh. This book reads like a manic episode. I couldn’t even finish it. It really started out strong and had my full attention with the “fuck the system” attitude. I really enjoyed the intended sentiments about letting go of the proverbial American dream. But oh my god the yapping. The metaphors. The repetitiveness. Corporate greed. Values. Wage slaves. We get it. I was waiting for him to move on to detailed lifestyle changes but bro is still big sad about being taken advantage of by the system.

What I didn’t like, was the aggressively preachy and self righteous attitude. In some parts it even sounded like he was still trying to convince and justify to himself that this was the right move.

Had they more than a few years experience with this new lifestyle, the aggressive/preachy advice (what little of it there was) could have been more well received.
Or - if this was more of a detailed “how-to” as opposed to an outlet to stroke his own ego.

Also, we get it, again, you raise rabbits for your own meat. Anything else?

What else do you do specifically so as to not rely on corporate entities and feed into their greed?

When you step in and fix your “real world problems”, what specifically are you doing?

What do you do when your supplier for rabbit pellets that your livelihood is dependent on, doesn’t deliver?

I need a drink after that.

Anyway, yeah, fuck the system.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was all about the why and very little about the how. As a result, it came across as preachy and repetitive.
This was a Goodreads giveaway.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway. I actually agree with most of what the author is saying. The biggest issue is the way it is delivered. The author comes across self righteous and like he is purposefully antagonizing the reader at certain points in this book.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and I appreciate the opportunity to read and review it.

I agree with much of the author's message and respect the solution he found. It is impressive what he and his wife have been able to accomplish with small acreage and obvious grit. The writing is a little hard to get through with a lot of repeating the same ideas in nearly identical phrases, sometimes dozens of times throughout and even within the same chapter. An editor would trim it down to pamphlet length (which would still be well worth reading). The newly found space would benefit from some of the lessons learned in the farming and setting up of the homestead. Specific stories would go a long way to drive home the philosophical thesis. Also, the use of cuss words was a little excessive.

Again, I think the core ideas here are solid. I would recommend this book to anyone trying to figure out how to get off of the economic treadmill.