Grilled

Turning Adversaries into Allies to Change the Chicken Industry

By: Leah Garcés

Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow

Bloomsbury presents Grilled by Leah Garcés, read by Laurel Lefkow.

An animal activist's journey to the "other side" Joanna Lumley

This is the story of what happens when we cross enemy lines to look for solutions.

Leah Garcés has dedicated her career to fighting for the rights of the animals that end up on our plates. As the former US Executive Director of Compassion in World Farming and the current President of the non-profit group Mercy for Animals, she has led the fight against the sprawling chicken industry that raises billions of birds in cruel conditions – all to satisfy our appetite for meat.

Grilled is Leah's story of working alongside the food and farming industry for animal welfare and ethical food. Instead of fighting and protesting and shaming – approaches that simply haven't worked previously – Garcés has instead tried to find common ground with producers. She has worked alongside owners of the megafarms, befriending them, having frank conversations with them, and ultimately encouraging change through dialogue and discussion. Leah is helping to directly improve the lives of millions of farm animals, and pushing alternatives such as plant-based substitutes and lab-grown meats to the top of the agenda, with some of the mega-farm conglomerates joining forces with her to explore these avenues.

When she started her journey, Leah Garcés did not have much empathy to spare for the contract chicken farmer –until she actually met one and tried to understand the difficulties they faced. This is the story of giving in to discomfort for the sake of progress. It's a story of the power of human connection, and what happens when we practice empathy toward our enemies.©2019 Leah Garcés (P)2019 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Critic reviews

An animal activist’s journey to the 'other side' - the chicken industry - proves that making friends out of foes is one of the bravest, hardest, and most effective ways to create change. (Joanna Lumley, OBE, actress, author and activist)

As an animal-welfare activist, Leah Garces could have gone her entire career without speaking to a meat executive or a livestock farmer. Instead, she chose to seek them out, and the conversations she had not only changed her life — they altered the course of an industry. At a moment when every disagreement feels like a death-match and every opponent has to be an enemy, her searching, honest memoir shows us that a different path is possible. (Maryn McKenna, TED speaker and author of Big Chicken and Superbug)

This is a book about the power we all have to transform the world when we approach our enemies with an open mind and a compassionate heart. Its message could not be more timely or relevant! (John Mackey, CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods Market)

A crucial road map for any activist trying to make real change in the world. (AJ Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author)

This book will change the way you see chicken––and our entire food system. Garcés's determination to reform one of the world's largest industries is nothing short of astounding. She is a force! (Rose Marcario, CEO and President of Patagonia)

In this book and in life, Leah Garcés, a fellow vegan, transcends the dogma and single issue thinking that too often constrains the animal protection community. Her writing and her work combine a fighting spirit with a will to unite and move unlikely allies like farmers, farm workers, and even corporations. I’m proud to call her a friend and an ally in the movement for a truly regenerative and sustainable future where all animal lives are respected and allowed to live and thrive. The world needs to read Grilled and heed its important message! (David Bronner, CEO of Dr. Bronner's)

Grilled is absorbing, intriguing, and moving. It will open your eyes and heart to the plight of animals at the center of the American food system. (Melanie Joy, author of Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows)

Amazing book with a really good perspective

I think what I love about this book is that she honestly talks about her development of a “bringing in” kind of activism - from farmers to executives the truth is that change can really come from working together rather than demonizing the other side.

Wonderful read

I really enjoyed Leah’s take on the movement and the future. I appreciated her thoughtful remarks about the how a clean food system doesn’t have to exclude the farmers or the companies that currently work in it. I hope her vision of 2050 comes true.

Profound challenging stories that bring hope.

From animal farming cruel practices and unfair production labor conditions, comes hope from brave people who challenges the status quo seeking a brighter and healthier future for our food and environment. This book gives me hope a real sustainable and regenerative world can be seen in the near future.

Gives me hope for the future

This book unveils the chicken industry and it is as bad or worse than I anticipated, but that is not where the books leaves you. I do not consider myself an optimist (ha) but this read gave me incredible hope for the future for animals, farmers, farm workers, consumers, meat eaters, non-meat eaters, the planet, even possibly my individual bank account (investment opportunities). There are amazing solutions in the works; America got everyone into the factory farming mess but we can get ourselves out.

Lastly and not least, I’m so inspired by the way the author is able work with others who are seemingly “the enemy” for the common good. She provides an inspiring example that is so needed in current times on a large scale, but that can be used in small everyday interactions. More people need to know about Leah Garcés and hear what she has to say!

Unmissable, timely and fascinating

In turns deeply disturbing and wildly inspiring, this book actually had me in tears at more than a few points. Released just prior to the pandemic, I see this having even more relevance than it did just a few short months ago. Don't miss this phenomenal story and fascinating inside information - no matter what you choose to put on your plate, what walk of life you're in, this book is a must-read.