Combining the ethical clarity of Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals with the disquieting vision of Alan Weissman’s bestseller The World Without Us, a thought-provoking, entertaining exploration of a future where animal consumption is a thing of the past.

Though increasing numbers of people know that eating meat is detrimental to our planet’s health, many still can’t be convinced to give up eating meat. But how can we change behavior when common arguments and information aren’t working?

Acclaimed anthropologist Roanne Van Voorst changes the dialogue. In Once Upon a Time We Ate Animals, she shifts the focus from the present looking forward to the future looking back—imagining a world in which most no longer use animals for food, clothing, or other items. By shifting the viewpoint, she offers a clear and compelling vision of what it means to live in a world without meat.

A massive shift is already taking place—everything van Voorst covers in this book has already been invented and is being used today by individuals and small organizations worldwide.

Hopeful and persuasive, Once Upon a Time We Ate Animals offers a tantalizing vision of what is not only possible but perhaps inevitable.

How will this transformation unfold, and what will our world look like on the other side?

The Psychology of Carnism: Uncover the hidden ideology that shapes why good people eat animals and how millions are beginning to break free from a system that conflicts with their deepest values.
The Future of Food: Discover the cutting-edge innovations, from Beyond Meat to lab-grown alternatives, that are already making a world without animal agriculture possible.
From Farmer to Vegan: Read the powerful, first-hand accounts of pig, dairy, and cattle farmers who have transitioned away from animal agriculture toward a more sustainable and compassionate life.
The Protein Revolution: An anthropologist’s look at how our laws, relationships, and social norms will evolve as we embrace a new way of eating.