We love animals, but our relationship with them is laced with self-doubt. We watch nature documentaries and cat videos, and pamper our pets. Yet we also know that most farm animals lead miserable lives and many wild animals are losing their homes. We reluctantly accept this as the price for human progress; no one wants a philosophical debate every time they buy a sandwich. The truth is that the way we treat animals is not only irrational and unethical - it's unsustainable.

Henry Mance sets out on a personal quest to see if there is a fairer way to share our planet with the other species who enrich our lives. He goes to work in an abattoir and on a pig farm, and meets chefs, hunters, activists, scientists and conservationists who want to redefine how we think about animals.

Even on a planet shaped by human activity, we can find the space to allow other sentient beings to thrive - to put our love for animals into practice. 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.