Not As Nature Intended
By Rich Hardy
A story of the exploitation of animals for food, fashion and entertainment from the unique perspective of an undercover investigator.
Unbound Exclusives
About the book
Knowingly or not we all share our lives with animals. Many of us have pets, but our relationship with farmed, wild or captive animals - those used to put food on our plates, clothes on our backs or smiles on our faces - are more fleeting and less personal. We know little about their lives. But this book seeks to change that.
Most of the animals used by humans are incarcerated or mistreated away from public view, so the only way to tell their story is to go undercover. Working with a fake identity, a notebook and a covert camera concealed in a shirt button, I travelled to places few get to see or can even imagine. Theirs is a world of secrets.
While undertaking high-risk assignments for the nonprofits that work to protect animals, I was forced to live a double-life. It turns out to get to the truth you have to be prepared to tell a few lies. It was the only way I could infiltrate the international meat business, the fur trade and the travelling circus to help expose the methods and systems they use and inherently abuse.
But this is not just a collection of animal stories.
This is an account of the normal people that do bad things when the public isn't watching. How they justify committing unspeakable acts of cruelty or don't even acknowledge the suffering their actions cause.
It's also a story about why, as an animal-loving vegan, I learned to trap raccoons, blag my way into slaughterhouses, and much more, as a way to get on the inside of industries, cultural traditions and clandestine groups that usually won't share their secrets with outsiders.
Sometimes dangerous, often emotional but usually just surreal, this one-of-a-kind perspective examines what it’s like to live and work amongst your adversaries and what you can achieve if you feel strongly enough about something.
Of course, this is a book for animal lovers, but it also offers something for the curious minded. It’s for anyone who’s eaten a burger, watched animals perform, taken a carriage ride or worn fur and wondered ‘how did these animals live their lives’?
Hi Rich, just watched your interview with Ed Winters. Really impressed with your commitment and your lovely nature was obvious. Thanks for all you’ve done, massive admiration for you and the book extract i’ve just read here is brilliant. Hope you’re enjoying life now with your rescues and wish you every happiness. You truly deserve it.
That's super nice of you to drop me a line with those words. Thanks so much. And yes, very much enjoying life with the rescues. They make me laugh every day! Cheerio - Rich
Hello! I've also heard about your accomplishments and your newcoming book listening to Ed Winters' podcast. I'm awed by the fact that one person alone could do such tremendous work in investigating the cruel practices occuring all aroud the globe. You sacrificed a great portion of your life and put yourself at great risk to contribute to a very noble cause. Thank you on behalf of every soul you may have saved by your operations. I'm glad you decided to write your memoirs and I trust many people will find it thought-provoking and inspiring, leading to some shifts in our perception of animals and their place in our hierarchy. I hope you finally find your peace of mind and can enjoy more and more fruit of your hard work with each passing day. You, sir, did make a change.
Hello Ewelina, Really lovely of you to contact me with these kind words. I'm very grateful you took the time to write and also that you supported the book project! I hope you'll find it an interesting read. Thanks so much for getting in touch and for listening to Ed's podcast. There's lots to be learnt from listening to that series. In kindness, Rich
By the way, do you plan on having your book translated? I really wish it came out in Polish, so I could share it with my family and friends.
Hi Ewelina! That really would be great. I'm not sure at this stage, but I'll raise it with the team at Unbound at some point and see what potential there is for that. All the best. Rich