Not As Nature Intended: An Undercover Journey Into The Secret World Of Animal Exploitation

by Rich Hardy

Relying on a hidden camera, a bluff and a little bit of luck, award-winning investigative journalist Rich Hardy finds imaginative waysto meet the people and industries responsible for the lives and deaths of the billions of animals used to feed, clothe and entertain us.

What he discovers will shock, but it may just inspire you to re-evaluate your relationship with all animals and what role you let them play in your life.

Sometimes dangerous, often emotional and occasionally surreal, this one-of-a-kind perspective examines what it’s like to live and work amongst your adversaries and what you can achieve if you feel strongly enough about something.

Genres: Vegan, Nonfiction, Animals

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 23, 2020

Reviews

[Siiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rich Hardy is definitely my new hero. I thought I knew already enough how the animals were exploited, but I was wrong. Not only it had shocking moments, but also parts where it just made me cry. It took me a while to finish it, usually one chapter at a time. Not because of the content, but because of the heaviness and the sad truth Rich describes. Highly recommending.

[Skyesmum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled with this book, it's hard hitting and incredibly graphic.

[Jen Tidman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading about Rich Hardy's endeavours as an activist against animal agriculture, fur farms, circuses and more is a hugely moving experience. This is a hugely important read for anyone who is not already vegan and cruelty-free, but for those that are, this is probably likely to be more upsetting than educating.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating book. Although harrowing in places, it’s been a real eye opener. It highlights many of the ways that animals/birds can suffer for their meat, fur or for our entertainment. Industries and some people within them have got away with shocking and cruel practices for too long. It was really interesting to discover how Rich went undercover during his many operations. His bravery and commitment jumped off the page and I have a great respect for what he has achieved. This book didn’t come across as at all ‘preachy’ or ‘lecturing’ to the reader, instead it was a very informative and fascinating read, although upsetting in places. I’m still a meat eater, but feel much more informed about trying to buy ethically. I was lucky enough to be able to read this via the Pigeonhole App, a Stave a day over ten days. I can highly recommend this book and I think everyone should read it.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you ever read a book or consume a piece of media that fundamentally changes your perception of the world? There’s only a handful of books I can truly say have ever done that, and even less films have ever done that. Not As Nature Intended is one of those books that’s been added to that world altering list. It was purely by chance that I came across this book - A friend of mine reposted one of Rich Hardy’s gut wrenching pictures to their Instagram story. I clicked on Rich’s account and my mind was opened and before I knew it I hard ordered the book.

Not As Nature Intended is a book that explores the sinister underworld of animal exploitation. Rich Hardy has spent 20 years undercover shining a light on all the horrifying ways which animals are exploited for human pleasure and profit. The book predominantly covers factory farming of rabbits, pigs, chickens, minks, quails, and cows but also looks at how neglected horses are sold off to become burgers and how reindeers end up being hunted and farmed for food. It doesn’t stop there as the book also spend time shining a light on how raccoons are hunted by the fur industry alongside looking at animal circuses that use lions and tigers. I’m pretty sure I’ve forgotten some other examples, but the sheer scale of what humans are doing to animals is mind boggling.

I think everyone at this point will be familiar with battery chickens and the tragic conditions these chickens live in. Little did I know just the extent that this exploitation extends to so many other animals, I’m actually really embarrassed that I was so ignorant of the scale of animal abuse. But that’s also the point - These industries don’t want you to know what they’re doing. They want to stay hidden away from the public eye. They know if the public knew more about where their food came from, they would speak up and force industries to change. This is why the work that people like Rich are doing is vital to all animals - If we don’t know we can’t change. It’s easy to assume that the cheerful picture of chickens on an egg carton is actually how those chickens live, or how pictures of cows grazing in a field on cartons of milk is actually how they live. The reality is nearly always so much more sinister. The book contains so many harrowing tales of animal abuse that I often had to put the book down and reflect on the horror I just read.

On paper, Rich’s approach to exposing a lot of this cruelty is pretty straightforward. Pretend to be someone who works in the industry or someone who’s trying to get started in the industry and then reach out to these farms. A good cover story is vital not just to persuade people you’re genuine, but also for your own safety. A lot of these people are deeply suspicious of outsiders, which makes sense. If you’re responsible for causing untold suffering to animals and that’s how you make your income, then you would be worried of that being exposed and threatening your livelihood. What became clear to me reading the book though is that sometimes all it takes is for one person in the industry to vouch for you for others to let you in. Once you’re in, you switch on your hidden camera and start recording - I’m sure it’s not that easy in reality, but Rich does make it sounds pretty straightforward. There’s a few examples where he gets into a sticky situation and has to think quick on his feet to not be exposed or hurt, but largely he seems to get in and out without detection - A testament to his ability.

I deeply wish this book was boring and forgettable, or the writings of some crazy conspiracy theorist. Unfortunately it isn’t and that’s what makes this book so painful to read. So many of the tales Rich shares are deeply traumatising to read, I can’t even imagine the horrors that he has seen first hand. Reading these stories were stomach churning enough, having seen things like this first hand for 20 years must do a depressing amount of damage to one’s mental health. How someone can see all of this and not be diagnosed with some form of PTSD I have no idea. The fur trappers methods for killing animals in particular haunt my mind, along with the sheer mind numbing boredom the minks have to endure. I can’t even visualise what 20000 chickens would look like in a giant shed, or what that would smell like…

Despite all of this, Rich is surprisingly upbeat about the future - Veganism and plant based diets are on the rise. More and more animal welfare organisations are popping up and working to expose animal cruelty - Humanity may be moving in the right direction. This is a great thing, but there’s so much more to do to make a difference to animal welfare. This is one of those books that should be on everybody’s reading list, and should be top of the list as a gift to any friend or family member who has been considering adopting a plant based diet.

[Leander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rich Hardy took to the heroic mission of exposing the farming industries of its horror within a span of twenty years. Equipped with hidden cameras and shrewd cover stories, he faced his adversaries head-on and provided us with invaluable insights into ways of animal exploitation that still have not found their way to mainstream media.
It is a very emotional and upsetting read, that is for sure. But it is also proof that there is a lot of work ahead of us before we can go to bed without having to think about all of the atrocities animals have to experience every single day. Be it the thousands of sheep and cattle that are exported from Australia to Bahrain on steaming-hot metal boats, be it the reindeer that are executed in large numbers in the northern parts of Sweden and Finland just for human consumption in gourmet restaurants in central Europe or the countless wild animals that are lured into traps that keep them stuck to one place with a broken leg just to await a brutal death by fur trappers. The list goes on and on.
But still, there is hope. It takes people like Hardy to have a significant impact on local governments. On various occasions his work has led to changes in legislature regarding animal welfare. Now that he has retired from his work as an undercover journalist, it is on us, the readers of this valuable book, to spread its message as far as we can. So that one day quail can use their wings to fly again instead of being locked up in tiny cages, pigs can live peacefully instead of biting at each other’s tails and ears out of pure frustration and horses don’t have to suffer the horrors of the racing and rodeo industries ever again.
There’s a lot of work to do, best get started right away.

[Kirstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely heartbreakingly brilliant book. The investigations are told in a calm, matter of fact, non sensationalist manner.

All the stories are heart-breaking, I’m grateful for no pictures, rich hardy is such a brave and compassionate person, to witness such cruelties first hand knowing his hands were tied (at that moment) must have been so hard. The raccoon and fox made me cry, I’ve since seen a photo of both when I watched a YouTube presentation video and can’t stop thinking about them.

I’m broken just reading about these atrocious but ‘normal’ practices and I’m a new vegan (best move I’ve ever made). The more I read (and watch) the more I hope I can share with non vegan friends and family and try to make people see that this has to stop. This book should be read by everyone, especially the non vegetarians and non vegans, the people that say they hate animal cruelty but refuse to actually face up to the very real horrors that animals are forced to endure before making it to their plates.

Thank you for such a thought- provoking, essential and well written book.

[JoJo Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich Hardy details some of his undercover investigations into intensive farming, circus animals, the fur trade, the horse trade - if it involves potential mistreatment or cruelty to animals for human consumption, he has investigated and has made a difference by reporting on these many, hidden industries.

This must read for anyone who consumes any animal product as we need to change our attitude to animals and everyone can make a change, whether it is signing petitions, joining marches, avoiding industry that supports intensive farming (probably all takeaway food), having meat-free days, eating higher welfare meat or even becoming vegetarian or vegan.

This makes for uncomfortable reading and I think anyone who consumes meat should read it, to ensure they understand what they could be supporting through their consumer choices.

[Isobel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really difficult read. Some of the stories recounted by Mr. Hardy sound almost made up, they are so cruel. I cannot imagine how difficult it was for him to be in those situations and not intervene directly. I hope he is comforted knowing that his sacrifices were not in vain.

I am already mostly vegan, and have been for some years. I feel veganism on the internet has been boiled down to a few facts and figures spouted by influencers, and I wanted to read more first-hand accounts from animal activists on the front lines. I am so glad that I did, because it taught me things that I didn't even realise were going on in the world. For instance, the quail farming industry, or the fur-trappers in America.

It also raises the point that animal farming isn't just about the animals. Often workers in factory farms are undocumented, or people that have no other choice because the industry has wiped out their community. These people are open to just as much abuse as the animals. One particularly heart-breaking story was about an elderly woman in South America was displaced twice because the land she lived on was being turned into a soy-bean farm. And most of the soy was being shipped to Europe to feed the animals there. What a humanitarian and climate disaster.

I would highly recommend this book. It is eye-opening, just facts presented in an objective manner (as much as possible, I had to put the book down in some sections because the writing was so emotive it felt like I was there, watching a fox being stomped to death for its' fur).

[Nicola Mackenzie-Smaller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with The Pigeonhole. A stave a day broke this book up into manageable chunks - Reading it in one go would have been overwhelming I think.
Rich spent twenty years undercover, investigating and covertly filming the treatment of animals who are farmed or trapped for food or clothing. Some (actually all) of the things he encountered are horrifically cruel, from tiny scared quail trapped in tiny cages, to reindeer herded for their meat, via terrifying chicken sheds in the USA and awful trapping of animals for fur.
This is a brave book, which forces us to reevaluate our relationship with the food we eat. Not for the faint-hearted maybe, but a Reminder that animal products on our plates come at a price.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not at all the book I expected to be reading and.definitely not one I would have chosen off the shelf, but I was hooked.

The book contains the memoirs of an undercover investigative reporter who tirelessly worked to expose and uncover businesses, industries and anyone who was causing animal suffering.

If you like a success story then you'll love this but be warned that it is pretty graphic!
This is great as the author rightly gets the reader to feel empathy and a need to re-evaluate our own choices.

I am not a vegan, nor have I been considering it before. But having read this book, I really do think that I will be thinking more about what I'm buying and eating in the future.

[Gina Schwartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself looking forward to the additional staves of this book from day to day.

Even though the topic is difficult to deal with the accounts are very well written and highlight a fact that we all should know but try not to think about. This book puts it right in your face. This is a no spoilers review so I won't quote any specific passages but there are a few that have definitely stuck in my mind.

Thank you Mr. Hardy for your bravery and courage in trying to research this book - you definitely had a few close scrapes. This is a must read for any animal lover. We can all make a change that will eventually change our world.

[Bookwormbadger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to Netgalley and Unbound for my copy of this book. Although at times it was very hard to read some of the harrowing, deeply disturbing stories of truly appalling animal cruelty and abuse, I'm glad to have had the opportunity to read this important book. I've been vegetarian for 29 years, vegan most days, and hope this book will persuade more people to give up eating meat. Rich Hardy is a very brave and compassionate man who has done incredible, vital work. Everyone should read this book.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're an animal rights activist, believe in animal rights, vegan or on the verge of vegan - read this book. There's no way it won't cement your beliefs or be the final nudge you need. Heartfelt, heartbreaking and filled with the attention and respect we should be giving to all animals. Highly recommend.

[Jayne Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly distressing read, but it is important to acknowledge and face up to the reality of how appalling our treatment and exploitation of animals is.
This brilliant book highlights just a few industries and makes you realise that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Human attitudes and behaviours need to change now to stop so much unnecessary suffering.

[Laura Loasby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book. I found it deeply harrowing and it took me a while to get through as needed to pace myself. Rich Hardy has spent 20 yrs putting himself in the firing line, both physically and mentally, to obtain footage and expose the global exploitation of animals. It's the least we can do to read his work and educate ourselves to make informed compassionate choices

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always this review also appears on my blog at: https://livemanylives.wordpress.com/

It seems strange to be giving a positive review to a book that made me feel physically sick while reading it. Sometimes though you have to do difficult things, as Rich Hardy has done, and read difficult things, like this collection of disturbing stories from his work as an activist and campaigner on behalf of animals. Ignorance might in this case be bliss for the human but it certainly isn’t for the chickens, rabbits, elephants, lions and all the other animals that Hardy uncovers in a range of states of torture and maltreatment.

I suppose that this might not be selling the book to many people but I would plead with you to read it all the same. This is an important book for us all to understand, it tells us so much about where we have got to as a species by exposing our everyday destructive relationship with other animals. It expresses our greed, our capacity for cruelty, our disconnection from the rest of nature, our broken systems of both food and economics, but it also gives us an opportunity to face up to all these things and do something about it. An opportunity to save our fellow creatures from the misery we inflict and perhaps also in doing so to save ourselves.

That might sound over the top but is it really? What damage are we doing to ourselves physically and mentally by treating other living things with such grotesque violence? It is striking that in all the industries that Hardy investigates there is a desire for secrecy. The facilities are hidden away out of the sight and mind of the public. They are tightly controlled in an attempt to keep what happens inside out of the public domain. If the consumer followed an animal’s journey to their plate or their wardrobe they might not want to buy that meal or item of clothing after all and we can’t be having that.

If we are going to live in a way that requires us to use animals, whether that be to work for us, entertain us or feed us, then the very least that we can do is be aware of how those animals are treated and ensure that it is in a way that recognises and respects their inherent value as fellow sentient beings. Not As Nature Intended is a good starting point for understanding what the situation is now and, as with all good writing, it is also an opportunity and invitation to reflect on how animals support our own lifestyles and whether that is appropriate and respectful.

It is not right for us to simply hand over responsibility for the way the things that we consume are produced. We have to understand how our own actions impact not just the animals, but also the land, the rivers and seas, the air, the flora and other people around the world, and then consider whether it is right for us to carry on in that action or not. So read Rich Hardy’s book, understand how animals are treated in order to meet the demands of the consumer, and think about how animals are currently supporting your own lifestyle. Is that role really necessary and if it is what actions can you take to make sure that it honours the animal involved?

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most impressive part of this book is the author himself - to be an investigative journalist takes bravado and well, just plain guts, but to do it for over twenty years in an industry that does not take kindly to exposure is incredible.

The book is broken up into chapters, each chapter being another experience the author had while undercover investigating. The sheer ability for him to be able to morph into anyone at any time in order to infiltrate various animal exploitation industries is fascinating.

The stories cross boarders and cultures, as this is a worldwide problem... we start with animal circuses in Europe and end with the round up and slaughter of reindeer in Lapland. At times almost impossible to read, the stories recall truly horrific animal suffering and abuse. An important read for anyone to better understand our world and the industries that drive it.

“We thrive with animals in our lives, but it must never be at their expense.”

[Paul Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that just has to be read. Rich Hardy writes like he talks - with intelligence and calmness. I guess these qualities he needed in order to complete the investigations.

It is books like this that puts our relationship with animals into perspective. Why do some people hurt animals whilst some people care for them? Why is there such an indifference between companion animals and those that people chose to eat and wear? I do not see the difference, so maybe the aim of this book is to close that gap.

Powerful, compelling, horrific and a page turner! Bravo Rich for all your hard work, and willingness to go to places many of us would dare not go in our darkest nightmares.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
Not as Nature Intended
Rich Hardy
This is a fascinating look at the unknown and unseen horrors that happen across the world in the meat/animal trade. Hardy has masterfully written a book recounting his 20+ years of trying to make a change in the way animals are treated when they have only been born for a specific purpose. He also takes a look and tries to document and change how an animal is used once their life in a circus or other industry is complete. This book is well written but difficult to read in parts due to the graphic nature of some of the stories. I would recommend this book to anyone of middle school age and higher.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The views given are my own.

[Gabriella Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was without a doubt an emotional read. It is an overwhelming eye opener to those blissfully unaware to what is going on to animals being exploited world wide. I think this book would be an excellent gift for vegans and especially non vegans.

My aunt once said how upset and shocked she would get when she would see a video with animal abuse in it because she considered herself to be an animal lover, yet still ate meat and wore leather and wool. It’s time for people to really know what happens behind closed doors to get their meat, clothing, and entertainment. Knowledge is power and only we as consumers can make a difference. It’s time to stand up for the animals! Buy this book and educate yourself!

[Charlie Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first chapter recounted Rich's memories of going undercover to document rabbits who were being exploited for their meat. As I live with two rescue rabbits myself, I found this especially harrowing. Despite this, I could not tear my eyes away from these pages. It didn't take long to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys memoirs, or who cares about the world and the people (animals) who live on it.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you’re already interested in animal rights or this is a completely new area to you, you will get something out of this moving book. Rich tells stories that need to be heard in a way that makes you want to keep reading, even while some of the content may be hard-hitting. He’s done an amazing job and the book is a must-read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with Pigeonhole, thankyou! Disturbing but not sensationalist, the matter of fact tone is even wryly humorous at times in Rich Hardy’s viral expose of the livestock and fur industry. I’ll certainly be thinking more carefully about my consumer choices.

[Samantha Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly eye opening expose of animal exploitation. A harrowing read at times. The atrocities animals experience by humans for their own gain is sickening. Everyone should read this! Even the coldest of hearts would fail to not to feel for these poor animals. Rich Hardy truly is a hero.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book profoundly moved me, and its author even more. Behind every story, you can be sure there is tremendous research and emotions: a powerful combination. I wish everyone could read this and I am looking forward versions in other languages so I can get some friends to read it too.

[Angie Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard hitting, but boy does it make you think, Personally I think it's a book everyone should read!!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly eye opening. So inspiring to hear of the investigations by this brave author. Amazing work.

[Vegan Domination · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a true eye opener. Never before have I seen such amazing accounts of animal investigations. This is a MUST READ for anyone and everyone.

[Ray Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had this book for a while and admittedly been anxious to read it. Whilst I’m knowledgable of the realities of animals lives in the food system, I remained in the dark when it came to animals used for fashion and entertainment, and if I’m being honest, I was apprehensive to read about it. I’m so glad I finally read this book, I couldn’t put it down.

We follow Rich on a dangerous mission to document the realities of animals lives, whether farmed, hunted, or living in servitude, as he goes undercover with a hidden camera to capture the moments none of us wish to believe happen, alongside humans whose livelihoods and / or hobbies revolve around these industries.

It is a beautifully written memoir that will stay with me forever. Rich’s writing style is easy to digest - even the hard moments that brought a tear to my eye, are written in a way that made me want to keep reading, rather than put the book down and wipe the moment from my memory.

It is a brilliant firsthand account of the many activities and products we purchase that rely on animal exploitation, of the worst kind. The animals in this book will remain with me always, and whilst I’m grateful there were no pictures, I can’t help but view Rich’s Instagram account (tagged above) to pay my respects to the poor souls mentioned within the pages of this superbly written book.

A genuinely worthwhile and essential read for anyone that has ever bought or participated in something animal based. It will leave you feeling empowered to help the animals we exploit so awfully across the globe, now more than ever… or at least, I hope it will.