VegNews Magazine, March/April, 2008
"With a subject that hardly qualifies as a bedtime story, Farm Sanctuary co-founder Gene Baur succeeds in crafting a No Downer chronology of his life in the farmed animal rescue movement without being a depressing read. This feat alone makes the book a worthwhile addition to your library, though it offers much more. One gains an understanding of the history of how the movement began, watches it grow into a formidable political entity, and learns the biographies of a dozen or so of the Sanctuary’s “ambassadors” along the way. Much like a visit to the Farm, anyone who has been will understand that this genuinely Peaceable Kingdom is truly uplifting. Those who haven’t, well, once you read this book you’ll be planning a trip to Watkins Glen or Orland."
— Joseph Connelly, Publisher

Booklist - February 1, 2008 (Starred Review)
"Activist Baur, who co-founded Farm Sanctuary in 1986 to rescue abused farm animals, has written a stunning indictment of factory farming and the way most Americans obtain their food. By chronicling his journeys to stockyards and feedlots, he shows just how devastating the industry is for the animals and the people who depend on agribusiness. Baur exposes the sharp realities that make cheap food possible and explains why corporate farms obtain more cash from Congress than small, independent farmers. The conflict between organic versus humane practices is explored in a discussion of the case against Horizon dairies; cruel practices are revealed, such as how chickens are tortured as egg layers, then destroyed in huge garbage disposals, and the consequences of the industry’s dependence on growth enhancement drugs is analyzed. Baur’s report is not for the faint of heart, but it is critical reading for anyone willing to ask about the origin of their food, and readers are rewarded with tales of animals who have been saved, and the surprising things that have been learned about farm animals from close observation of their habits. A life-altering read."
— Colleen Mondor

Library Journal - January 15, 2008
"Baur, founder and president of Farm Sanctuary (www.farmsanctuary.org), recounts his experiences in becoming an animal advocate and offers a comprehensive account on the treatment of farm animals. Although Baur is a self-proclaimed vegan, his tone is not overly sanctimonious. He places blame for the current state of factory farming not on the farmers but on an industrial, capitalistic system that pushes for a more technologically advanced way to mechanize procedures at a cheaper rate. Baur is simply asking the reader to look at this process from the animals' points of view. As the head of a farm-animal protection organization with locations in New York and California providing shelter to farm animals, Baur is competent to opine on the sentience of these creatures. Each chapter ends with a profile of a Farm Sanctuary resident. With an ample listing of applicable resources, references, and notes, this book is recommended for both public and academic libraries."
—Diana Hartle, Univ. of Georgia Science Lib., Athens

Publishers Weekly - December 10, 2007
“In 1986, after rescuing a live sheep from a pile of dead animals in a stockyard, the author founded Farm Sanctuary, an organization that rescues discarded living animals from stockyards, slaughterhouses and factory farms; provides shelters for them; and advocates for humane animal treatment. In this impassioned book, Baur paints an appealing picture of these shelters and the animals that live there far from the brutality of industrial farming, which he describes in detail. Some of this inhumane treatment is not news—chickens packed into tiny cages—but accounts of living animals discarded like garbage because they are ill or weak surprise. Baur’s nonprofit promotes legal remedies to stop the inhumane conditions chronicled. He believes that the best way to demonstrate concern for industrially farmed animals is to adopt a vegan lifestyle, but doesn’t proselytize. Rather, he makes a strong case that meat eaters have an ethical responsibility to ensure that the animals they eat have not been abused. His well-argued book includes helpful lists of resources and organizations that deal with factory farming, animal welfare rights, humane food production and the environment."