As someone who is already plant-based, this was hard to read (graphic depictions of animals) and definitely geared towards omnivores. This mostly takes an environmental viewpoint on veganism and is not quite as fact-based as I was looking for. I think actual vegan will benefit more from reading Peter Singer and ethicists on eating animals.

I really appreciated this book and thought it was a smart take on the topic of going vegan. Instead of "this should be the future," van Voorst says, "this IS the future." She is right. She makes a compelling case and I appreciated the research that went into the book. I've been "mostly vegan" for a while and this book may have pushed me toward "full vegan."

It felt like this book was written for folks who had already been vegan for a very long time, instead of inspiring others to see a different point of view and elevate themselves to a higher level. Although I respect their arguments, and agree with many of them, I did feel like certain comparisons and situations were overblown and at times offensive.

Interesting, well-written, full of fantastic information and easy to follow.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this dARC in exchange for my honest review.

*I thought I posted this 10 months ago. Soory

I was so excited for this book and so utterly disappointed. She lost me at pill meal replacements and robot pets as our future. This was one long and angry PETA inspired rant instead of an honest look at what humanity is capable of doing to combat climate change. Such an important message and this totally missed.

This was a thoughtful book. I have read several books on veganism/vegetarianism. While this did not really provide too much new information in terms of reasons to adopt this lifestyle, where it shines is in highlighting future alternatives to our current relationships with animals as food. I particularly enjoyed the interlude chapters.

An important nonfiction read that discusses the idea of a future where veganism is the norm and animal cruelty and exploitation is a thing of the past. As someone who has lived a plant based lifestyle for 15 years now, nothing this book delved into seemed really new to me. I still think it's an important read, but maybe some of the delivery was just lost in translation? A lot of the stories/evidence provided were simply anecdotal and I think I just expected something a little more eye-opening? But Van Voorst definitely does not come off as an aggressive/in your face/holier than thou vegan, so maybe this is just the perfect book for people thinking about approaching veganism and how to go about doing so.

I’ve been a vegetarian for 13 years. Full disclosure: I could not read this book. I got just a handful of pages in when I realized that reading what the author has to say will propel me to become a vegan—and in all honesty, I’m not ready to make that leap yet. I’ll come back to this book when I’m ready n

I was really excited to read this as I have been very interested in our food and how we eat and how the food industry operates and this was disappointing. It felt hectic and offensive and I did not enjoy it,

This book perhaps makes the best argument there is for a vegan diet that I have heard. While it is pretty concise, it is well researched and the information presented in an easy to process manner. I myself have given up eating beef a couple of years ago, but have found giving up other animal products completely difficult since I live in a carnivore family. I am always looking for innovative ways to incorporate more plant based foods into our diet, and I will continue to push that envelope, because, as this book states, our future depends on it. Parts of this book are both very sad and very inspiring all at once. I don’t think any one of us wants to think about the kind of suffering imparted on our animals friends, all in the name of making food to eat. It is nice to also see the other side, and have valid, scientific arguments made for why it isn’t necessary. Review posted to Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, Litsy, LibraryThing, and Amazon

I'd give it a 1.5 maybe. I was excited to read this book and it fell flat. Tbh I ended up skimming most of it because I was bored and annoyed. The author's writing style/tone didn't do anything for me. It felt thrown together and random, like it didn't know what it wanted to be. (Like, the weird "intermezzo" chapter, which I still don't understand why it was there, to part memoir where she's writing about "vegansexuals" and dating other vegans, but then some interesting historical context, and then random comparisons. Like, comparing being vegan to being a war vet? No thanks.)

I'm like 90% vegan and have been 100% pescetarian for a decade. I occasionally still will eat salmon and cheese, but very rarely. I don't buy new leather products. I try to only buy "cruelty free" cosmetics, etc. I don't use. plastic straws anymore. I bought a hybrid car a few years ago. So, I'm all for doing what we can to save the environment and minimize/eliminate harm to animals. That said, I was annoyed by this book, and if I am, I would imagine carnivores really would be. I don't think this book would necessarily persuade anyone to go plant-based. I'm not sure who the intended audience is.

Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC.

2.5

"Once Upon a Time We Ate Animals" is a book that looks at the history, ethics and cruelty of carnism (eating animals) and while there are some great moments and facts, the delivery overall leaves much to be desired. Maybe it is the cultural differences, maybe it's the translation but I found the delivery to be a bit offensive and messy (& I am not someone who eats meat). I am not sure it will be a great tool in swaying anyone to a more plant-based life. I really wanted to love this but I just couldn't.

Again, some of the facts and sections are lovely and impactful but it falls a bit short. Also, the weird dystopian chapter with a nod to Winston and Julia from 1984 REALLY needed to be cut out...

Thank you to netgalley & the publishers for the arc.

ONCE UPON A TIME WE ATE ANIMALS by Roanne van Voorst is a look at "The Future of Food" and it provides a unique perspective for those who are interested in the relationship between climate change and food consumption or availability. Van Voorst, an anthropologist associated with the University of Amsterdam, begins with data and statistics from around the world on changing sales of meat and animal products like milk. Then she continues with a profile of the Swedish former pig farmers Gustaf and and Caroline, describing "How Farmers Change the World." In subsequent chapters, van Voorst interviews others involved in this field, shares her own experiences, and seems to want to shock or titillate with headings like "From Patsy and Peeved to Sexy as F***." The last few sections titled "Want to Know More?" "Notes" and "Bibliography" comprise a little over ten percent of the book and are likely the most helpful for researchers, leading to additional sources. For example, van Voorst suggests titles such as the "classic" Eating Animals by Foer; other relevant titles in our collection include The Fate of Food by Little or Metabolical by Lustig. The focus on changing eating habits is likely to be a topic about which we will hear much more, especially when other scientists like Dr. Jane Goodall are crafting cookbooks and encouraging us to #EatMeatless.

Thank you, NetGalley, Roanne van Voorst, and HarperOne Books for the opportunity to read this book!

“It is perhaps the greatest paradox of being human, simply because of our humanity, we often behave inhumanely.”

ONCE UPON A TIME WE ATE ANIMALS
Once Upon a Time We Ate Animals by Roanne van Voorst will definitely inspire opinions. This book dives into the animal cruelty, health reasons, and environmental impacts of consuming animal products. She lays it all out about factory farms and the dilemma surrounding dairy farms. But asks the important question: What would the world look like if we no longer depended on animals products?

In the synopsis on Goodreads, this book is labeled as “hopeful and persuasive” and I desperately wanted that to be true. I am very conflicted about this book. I haven’t eaten meat in over a year and have cut my dairy intake by at least 80%. I am all for more environmental and animal-friendly options when it comes to food and other products. In fact, I spend a great deal of time looking into my everyday products to see what I can change for the better. So I thought I was going to be over the moon about this book.

Not really.

Yes, the author makes so many excellent points and I believe the good intentions are there. But the entire tone of this book is to ridicule and condescend those who consume any type of animal product. So much so, I found myself cringing through most of this book. There were some comparisons that are in pretty poor taste as well. There were also these strange future prediction stories on what future generations will think of us. Those felt more awkward and cringy than enlightening.

Every single person that I interact with on a daily basis eats meat. I also know some people that are very opinionated about the fact that I don’t eat meat and I HATE when I am treated with that disrespectful tone. So why in the world would I turn around and use that same tone in a vice versa situation? You will not get people to see your views when you are that condescending. I was hoping for inspiration and for tools to help me continue on my vegetarian lifestyle (hoping for a fully vegan lifestyle soon!). I did not get that. So I am rating this book 2 out of 5 stars.

Wow. No matter whether you think Veganism is for tree huggers or if it's something you've toyed with- this book lays out the realities of how animals end up as our food. You get the full story on the toll that takes on people who care for those animals, kill them, and on those of us who only see meat packaged in grocery stores. Even if you think you've seen and heard it all before this book is worth your time. We have to take action to save Earth and not eating animals is a good place to begin.

In Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma, he advises readers to "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." Over a decade later, author Roanne Van Voorst encourages readers of her book Once Upon a Time We Ate Animals to go a step further and only eat plants. This nonfiction book imagines a very-near future when humans will tell stories about how their ancestors used to eat animals.

Veganism is on the rise, in part because of the health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle, but also because it's better for the environment and better for the animals. And more and more people are coming to understand that.

But the mental shift from carnism to veganism is a tough one, and Van Voorst writes about how people don't want to change the way they've always done things. Yet, history shows that changing beliefs and customs is the norm in our society.

The author writes about how typical myths and stereotypes about vegans are being torn down, in part thanks to celebrities and social media influencers making veganism look cool. She also writes about relationships between plant-eaters and meat-eaters, and how we can all get along.

I must admit, I picked up this book because I thought it would be more general about the future of food. I was not expecting it to be a manifesto for the vegan diet. Nothing the author writes about is news to me. If you follow my blog, you know that I've read and reviewed (and cooked from!) several vegan and plant-based cookbooks. I've watched the documentaries. I know the statistics. But I definitely suffer from the "change is hard" mentality that Van Voorst writes about in this book. Yet, she proves that change is possible, even if it means it takes you three tries to get the vegan pancakes just right. (I actually already have a pretty good vegan pancake recipe...)

So if you're on the fence about going vegan, then this book might tip you over the edge. And if you're curious about ways to help the planet or help your own health, then I'd recommend this book.

Once Upon a Time We Ate Animals is published by HarperOne and will be available to purchase tomorrow (December 28, 2021). I received a free review copy.

Great Message – Delivery Needs Refinement

Once Upon A Time We Ate Animals is a book around how mass action needs to take place to save the world, and everyone should be vegan. There were very graphic descriptions of animal abuse. The book mainly covered animal cruelty, animal rights, and some weird stories about cyborgs, vegans who only love other vegans, and some fictional stories about the future.

“Whatever my own practice may be, I have no doubt that it is a part of the destiny of the human race, in its gradual improvement, to leave off eating animals.” – Henry David Thoreau

Let me start off by saying that I am pescatarian. However, if you want to change actions, you have to change hearts and minds. Angry messages just aren’t going to work.

I’m not sure who the target audience is in Once Upon a Time We Ate Animals. Is it vegans? Is it meat eaters? I conducted a non-scientific survey of meat-eaters, and they were all aware that the meat consumed came from animals that were slaughtered. So I am not sure what the author was hoping to achieve by proposing animal cruelty as a reason for becoming vegan.

As a piggish Western, why in the world did I become pescatarian? Very simple, science and advertising. One of the most popular commercials of all time was Jarrod from the Subway commercial. This average guy would eat Subway sandwiches every day, and he lost a ton of weight. He would hold up his old pair of pants. Well I saw a documentary where a 100 year old doctor was interviewed, and he was extremely articulate, full of energy, and clear. He was fit and trim, and he moved as if he was in his 20’s. He has a dairy farmer turned vegan. You see any celebrity in their 20’s can look great. I wanted to find the people who had the secret time machine where it looks like they haven’t aged a bit in decades.

There are three places in the world known to have longer life expectancy: Japan, Italy, and a small group of people in the West of The States. What do all three have in common? They eat very little meat. The small group in The States are 7-Day Adventists, and 40% of them are vegetarian.

Now, let’s talk about my favorite plastic surgeon, Dr. Anthony Youn. He was on the first season of Dr. 90210 and practices in Troy! He wrote an incredible book called, “The Age Fix.” There is a chapter called, “The Age Fix Diet.” In it, he talks about certain foods that fight aging: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and more. He has lists of foods that contain these nutrients so you can start feeling and looking better from the inside out.

Now, that’s why I’m pescatarian. Because I want to live the best possible life and I want to be older than Moses while I’m living the dream. There is literally no altruism involved (sad but true).

Convincing people to be noble is extremely hard to do. Informing people to do something good for themselves is much easier. However, the author was just so focused on the poor animals and didn’t focus enough on the science of how vegan and vegetarianism helps now. Additionally, massive change is great but usually not sustainable. In the book Atomic Habits, the author discussed how many people have these grandiose plans that are not practical. For New Year’s Resolutions, many people want to run a marathon who are couch potatoes. For a few weeks, they run 10 miles daily, but after three weeks, they are burnt out and sleep through their early morning alarms, never to return to the gym. Change, to be sustainable, has to be small. Instead of aiming for vegan out of the gate, how about you try Meatless Monday? Maybe cut down to red meat only once a week? Then, when you are comfortable, you can add in more meatless days until you realize that it really isn’t a big thing anymore.

Overall, I loved the author’s message. However, I thought that the overall delivery could have been more effective with a softer tone.

*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

2022 Reading Schedule
Jan Animal Farm
Feb Lord of the Flies
Mar The Da Vinci Code
Apr Of Mice and Men
May Memoirs of a Geisha
Jun Little Women
Jul The Lovely Bones
Aug Charlotte's Web
Sep Life of Pi
Oct Dracula
Nov Gone with the Wind
Dec The Secret Garden

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Part narrative, part informative, part propaganda. Now don’t take the last one as a slight. Any book arguing for something is going to contain some propaganda techniques. It’s part of persuasion. As a former vegetarian and current predominately plant based diet individual, this book was just fine. I wasn’t surprised by much, but enjoyed the way the author sprinkled facts in with their opinions. I was thankful for the section on animal testing, because quite frankly I think we should be discussing that more. Yes it was graphic at some points, but I think it’s important for people to understand where their meat comes from. It was also nice to get the perspective of a European. Overall, this was a decent book.

This was really informative and educational on the decision to not eat meat. The writing style wasn't for me, but I learned a lot from this book.

DNF @41%

I liked the concept for Once Upon A Time We Ate Animals, but I couldn't get past the writing. I'm not sure if the problem is just the writing of the author or the way it was translated, but the author comes across as passive-aggressive and demeaning towards the reader. I do think the author did achieve her purpose of finding compelling arguments to persuade the reader to stop using animal products, but again I'm unsure if reading a more educational book and having the author belittle you the whole time is the right way to create this change.