Interview with Author Stuart Waldner
Stuart Waldner is an activist and an author who invites readers to take the red pill as they Escape the Meatrix.
Escape the Meatrix, Waldner’s debut nonfiction book, was written after he transitioned to a plant-based diet in 2008. His health improved, he felt better, and the more he learned about the statistical connections between our dietary choices and the worldwide climate crises we face, the more he felt an urgency to wake people up—for our health and for the planet.
Waldner spent nearly two decades exploring Earth’s greatest wonders and connecting with sacred sites around the globe. When he’s not advocating for the health of people and our planet, he spends time playing with his dogs, cooking plant-based foods, running, and restoring is 128-year-old Victorian home.
HELLO STUART WALDNER, WELCOME TO WORLDAUTHORS.ORG! TELL US WHAT DRIVES YOU TO WRITE? YOUR MOTIVATION AND THE PURPOSE OF YOUR BOOK(S)?
We’re experiencing a five-alarm fire. From climate change, to emerging infectious diseases, to biodiversity loss, mass extinction rates, environmental degradation, our declining health, to the horrible return on investment of animal agriculture, the signs are all around us. The amazing thing I learned while researching my book is that all of the above and more is connected to the food on our plates and the choices, we make in the grocery aisle. As I read countless studies on health, nutrition, climate change, animal agriculture, emerging infectious diseases and more, I realized I could no longer sit on the sidelines, that I needed to do my part to help mitigate the damage I was seeing all over the planet and in the lives of people I care deeply about. That call to action led me to write my book, a book I hope people will find is a compassionate, science-based, call-it-like-I-see-it kind of book. A book I hope will help others make more informed decisions.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GET OUT OF YOUR BOOKS? HOW WILL THEY FEEL OR BE DIFFERENT AFTER READING IT?
I hope people will feel inspired, empowered, and realize they have a choice after reading my book. I hope the science in my book will motivate my readers to choose the red pill and escape the Meatrix because it’s so much better for our health, the health of the planet, and the wellbeing of the animals.
WHAT BOOKS DID YOU READ AS A KID/YOUNG ADULT? WHAT ARE YOU READING TODAY? HOW HAVE OTHER AUTHORS INSPIRED YOUR WRITING?
I grew up in a small town in Kentucky and I fondly remember in the summer months the book mobile would come through our neighborhood and park right in front of our house. I recall checking out and reading books like The Hardy Boys series, and Charlotte’s Web. As a teenager I remember reading Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, among other works by American writers, like Kurt Vonnegut.
WHAT IS ONE THING IN YOUR BOOK THAT WILL SURPRISE READERS? (NO SPOILERS THOUGH!)
The science in my book doesn’t get discussed much by mainstream media so I think the facts will surprise a lot of people. Overall, I think the most surprising thing is the huge impact our food choices have, and how our future will be determined by what we eat today.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NEXT? MORE BOOKS?
My book launched on October 11, 2022, so I’m focusing all my energy now on promoting it. I greatly appreciate you giving me the opportunity to talk about it and help me get the word out.
Find out more at website stuartwaldner.com and Instagram – @stuartwaldner