*A GUARDIAN 'BOOKS OF 2021' PICK*

We all love animals， but does that make their lives happier？ With factory farms， climate change and deforestation， this might be the worst time in history to be an animal。 In an age of extinction and pandemics， our relationship with the other species on our planet has become unsustainable。 What would happen if we extended the love we show to our pets to other sentient beings？ What if we took animals' experiences seriously - how would we eat， think and live differently？

Henry Mance sets out on a personal quest to see if there is a fairer way to live alongside other species。 He goes to work in an abattoir and on a farm to investigate the reality of eating meat and dairy。 He explores our dilemmas around hunting wild animals， over-fishing the seas， visiting zoos， saving wild spaces and owning pets。 He meets the chefs， farmers， activists， philosophers， scientists and tech visionaries who are redefining how we think about animals。

Even on a planet shaped by human activity， he discovers， we can find space to allow other sentient beings to thrive。 This is not a book about what animals can do for us， but what we can do for animals。 Thoughtful， provocative and witty， it is ultimately a story of discovery and hope - and of a future that might just become a reality。