Project Animal Farm An Accidental Journey into the Secret World of Farming & the Truth About Our Food

Sonia Faruqi had it all--an Ivy League degree and a job on Wall Street. But when the banking industry collapsed, she found herself with extra time on her hands. The night she arrived at a small organic dairy farm would change her life for the better, although it didn't seem that way in the beginning. First, she had to come to grips with cows shocked into place, cannibal chickens, and "free range" turkeys that go nowhere. But there were bright lights as well. Happy, frolicking calves on a veal farm, and farmers who cared as much about the animals as their pocketbooks. What started as a two-week volunteer vacation, turned into a journey that reached into the deepest, darkest recesses of the animal agriculture industry. Surrounded by a colorful cast of characters, Faruqi's quest to discover the truth took her around the world, from egg warehouses in Canada to dairy feedlots in the U.S., pig facilities in Malaysia, chicken factories in Mexico, Mennonite pastures in Belize, and more. Lively, edgy, and balanced, sheds light on the international agribusiness, with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of farm animals here at home. Using her finance background to forecast the future of agriculture, Faruqi discusses the changes we need to make--using our forks and our votes.

"Everybody who is interested in food policy and animal welfare should read this book. will make you think long and hard about problems with intensive diary farms and egg production." Temple Grandin, author of 'Animals in Translation' and 'Animals Make us Human'

" is a wonderful read about Sonia Faruqi's global travels, what she discovers about the people who work on food farms, and what happens behind the scenes of various types of farms on which animals, and their products, are prepared for our plates and glasses--something many people want to deny. But what makes her book so special is what she discovered about herself. Sonia Faruqi is a courageous woman and a role model as she follows the emotional and ethical challenges of discovering how food animals are treated. Filled with deeply personal stories and facts about food production, is a game-changer." Marc Bekoff, author of 'The Emotional Lives of Animals and Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence'

"Faruqi's bold, critical, and ultimately hopeful quest for ideal animal agriculture reminds us that how we treat our fellow beings is a deeply moral matter." Tovar Cerulli, author of 'The Mindful Carnivore: A Vegetarian's Hunt for Sustenance'

"A searing exposé of the brutal treatment animals receive on their ways to our dinner plates. Well-documented. Not for the fainthearted, but a good wake-up call for those concerned with decent treatment of animals and healthy food on the table." Kirkus Reviews

"Every so often a book comes along that has the power to alter the course of history. Project Animal Farm is that potent. It is so inspiring, so moving, so deeply personal and yet also has such profound cultural implications, that it will change the lives of everyone who reads it. People will be talking about this book for decades." John Robbins, author of DIET FOR A NEW AMERICA and THE FOOD REVOLUTION

"Into an engaging account of the adventures of a young city dweller among the factory farmers, Sonia Faruqi manages to smuggle a body of useful--and disturbing--information about this most secretive of global enterprises." J. M. Coetzee, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

"Let Sonia Faruqi take you on her courageous personal journey of discovery. I thought I already knew everything there is to know about modern animal production, but I learned many new things from this very readable book, and you will, too." Peter Singer, philosopher and author of ANIMAL LIBERATION

"Brave, captivating, enlightening, and impossible to put down, this remarkable true story pries open hearts and minds and exposes the travesty of industrial farming like none other." Frances More Lappé, bestselling author of DIET FOR A SMALL PLANET

"A work of unrelenting passion, is a very compelling and informative read." Roger Harley, Farmer

"A poignant work of depth and clarity. An accessible and educational examination of our food system. Highly recommended." Gene Baur, President of Farm Sanctuary

" is amazing. Sonia travels the world, from Belize to Indonesia, to discover the hidden truths of the food business. She describes her findings with sparkling narrative and infectious passion. I will never look at food the same way again." Kabir Sehgal, author of COINED

"This is a book about the people who make their living putting food on our tables. In it, you'll see how some of them struggle to do it well, while others are willing to do it any way at all if it will help them get ahead. You'll be glad to have seen them all with Sonia Faruqi's eyes." Daniel Quinn, bestselling author of ISHMAEL

"Warning: This book might change your life!" Hal Herzog, author of SOME WE LOVE, SOME WE HATE, SOME WE EAT

"Compelling, fascinating, empowering and hopeful, will forever change the way you look at farm animals and will help you become a part of the dramatic and long overdue change the book demands." Rob Laidlaw, biologist and award-winning children's book author

"Sonia Faruqi offers an engaging, penetrating tour of the world's meat and dairy production. Her journey among the organic dairies, pork producers, and turkey farms of Canada is as personal as it is political. She offers readers an insightful glimpse of how she is challenged and changed as she travels from Indonesia to Dubai to Mexico with an eye toward uncovering hard truths and finding hopeful solutions." Katherine Gustafson, author of CHANGE COMES TO DINNER

"A perfect combination of excellent writing and in-depth understanding." Wayne Roberts, author of THE NO-NONSENSE GUIDE TO WORLD FOOD

" is an original and thought-provoking exploration of where our food comes from." John Mackey, Founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market

"An extraordinary triumph of narrative nonfiction.

"Written in the most vivid and engaging way, this remarkable book demands to be read by anyone who cares about where their food comes from." Philip Lymbery, CEO of Compassion in World Farming and author of FARMAGEDDON

"Sonia Faruqi shines a brave light on what, by many estimates, is the most pressing issue of our time.

"An engaging expedition that exposes both the animal suffering and the urgent public health threats posed by factory farms." Aysha Akhta, author of ANIMALS AND PUBLIC HEALTH

"An eyes-wide-open view of industrial animal farming and its effect on farm animals and consumers.

"Filled with deeply personal stories and facts about food production, is a game changer." Marc Bekoff, author of 'The Emotional Lives of Animals and Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence'

"Compassionate, engaging, and wise, Sonia Faruqi guides readers through a polarizing subject--the lives of farm animals--and takes us to places that challenge our ideas, shed light on complexities, and propel new thinking." Lorraine Johnson, author of CITY FARMER

" is amazing.  Written with sparkling narrative and infectious passion." Kabir Sehgal, author of COINED

"An engaging, penetrating tour.

"Following a whim, debut author Faruqi decided to take a break from the hectic pace of Wall Street and volunteer for two weeks on an organic dairy farm. That decision proved to be both eye-opening and life-changing. Even small, family-run operations often use the methods of factory farming. Faruqi contrasts this with a visit to a successful pastoral farm to demonstrate a humane alternative at only slight higher consumer prices. The author's expertise in finance provides an extra dimension to this well-documented report." Kirkus Reviews

"Following the lead of other sharp critiques of the food industry, such as David Kirby's (2010), Michael Pollan's (2006), and Jonathan Safran Foer's (2009), newbie author Faruqi does a commendable job spotlighting the ways animals are mistreated

"The author successfully brings to light less-than-optimal living conditions of farm animals. This title flourishes when highlighting the humanity and well-intentioned nature of farmers, even when they are utilizing horrific practices professionally. This intriguing and accessible debut may find a niche with readers of popular nonfiction in a society increasingly concerned with how our food is produced and where it comes from." Library Journal

"Farqui thoughtfully explores the way in which brutality and disregard of animal welfare is endemic in the industry on a global scale, and provides suggestions for realistic actions that readers can take to encourage change. The book begs a comparison to Upton Sinclair's ." Publishers Weekly (starred)

A revealing and engaging look at what really goes on behind barn doors, born out of a global undercover expedition fearlessly undertaken by a young woman primed to be one of the most groundbreaking voices in food.

Sonia Faruqi, an Ivy League graduate and investment banker, had no idea that the night she arrived at the doorstep of a dairy farm would mark the beginning of a journey that would ultimately wind all the way around the world. Instead of turning away from the animal cruelty she came to witness, Sonia made the most courageous decision of her life: a commitment to change things.

Driven by impulsive will and searing passion, Sonia left behind everything she knew and loved to search the planet for solutions to benefit animals, human health, and the environment. Over the course of living with farmers, hitchhiking with strangers, and risking her life, she developed surprising insights and solutions both about the food industry and herself.

Lively and heartfelt, Sonia takes readers on an unforgettable adventure from top-secret egg warehouses in Canada to dairy feedlots in the United States, from farm offices in Mexico to lush pastures in Belize, from flocks of village chickens in Indonesia to factory farms in Malaysia.

Revelatory in scope, Project Animal Farm illuminates a hidden world that plays a part in all of our lives.

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Born out of a global expedition fearlessly undertaken by a young woman, offers a riveting and revealing look at what truly happens behind farm doors.

Sonia Faruqi graduated from Dartmouth College with cum laude distinction and several honors and recognitions. She then worked at an investment bank on Wall Street, before changing her path to investigate animal farms around the world, toward the aim of improving animal lives and reforming our current system of food production. An unconventional author with an original approach, Sonia stands primed to become one of the most important voices in food today.