Combining medicine, social history, and personal experience, Dr. Aysha Akhtar, a leader in the field of animal ethics and neurology, shows how deeply the well-being of humans and animals are entwined. The book incorporates a colorful cast of characters interviewed by Akhtar, including a mobster, a serial killer, and an industrial chicken farmer, among others. There are a few parts that are hard to read (trigger warnings: childhood sexual abuse and animal abuse), but the book includes a good dose of humor and many tender moments that capture how animals can enrich our lives. Put all of this together and you have a powerfully smart and compassionate book that is well worth the journey.