Veganism Books

All I can say is "WOW". So many things about vegan living was explained in this book! Although I do not fully agree with all the tenants of veganism. I do agree that eating packaged meats from animals raised in cruel conditions is not the smartest thing nor the most humane.

Having raised and having killed animals for food, I also know how to work with animals in order to not have "fear" energy be in their flesh that is eaten. I have sat with birthing animals and coddled their young, with gentleness and love. All the while talking to them about how I appreciate their willingness to grow up and sacrifice themselves for my survival. Its another perspective in the way of life!

Don't get me wrong...I fully understand and believe that we are killing ourselves due to the manner in which we raise and eat foodstuffs. I do not think we need to go to extremes to express our humanity.

In ancient times offerings and supplication was given before the hunt, and before the harvest. Vegans offer nothing about the way in which we have been harvesting grains, vegetables, and legumes. In a sense saying that animals have more consciousness than the plant.

We have to eat. If we eat, we should chose to eat foodstuffs humanely grown, gathered, slaughtered (if we chose meat). I personally feel organic is the best way, and the author does as well. As concerned caring humans we should also keep in mind that all things on the planet have spirit. whether animal/plant/or stone. Respect for all of life to me should be a consideration. It is not just about humane thinking. It is a spiritual way of thinking.

Now, saying that...

The book does an excellent job in informing the general populous with information that would not be generally known about the ways in which those who do farming handle their livestock, and the scientific world as well. Unfortunately, making it look like all farmers do the same kind of thing.

I find that this book informs in ways that others do not. The author is well-researched, informed, and should be read by everyone whether they agree to the philosophical beliefs or not.

This book is incredibly informative!! It also has some great recipes in the back...my favorite thus far are the "Farmhouse Stew" & "The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!!!!!" Definately a "must have" for beginning this healthy lifestyle!!

I have been a vegetarian for 10 years but said many times that I would never become vegan. I didn't see why I should, it just seemed too extreme when being vegetarian was beneficial enough to animals, right? A friend recommended this book to me, and after reading just a few chapters I was enlightened. I had no idea the dairy industry was just as cruel as the meat industry, or that the meat industry even gets its low-grade chicken and beef from the dairy farms. I immediately transitioned into vegan, and it's not something that I regret. I can't look at eggs the same way!

Aside from the background information on the various animal industries, the information included in this book is priceless. It covers everything from how veganism started to "hidden" animal by-products, to living compassionately even when you have unwanted pests (rodents and insects!). This is the #1 source you'll want if anyone ever gives you a hard time about being vegan!

Note that you shouldn't read this if you're dead set in your ways and don't want to know the grim truth about the meat and dairy industries.

This is my Favorite Vegan book of all time. It talks about everything to concerns all the way to benefits of Veganism. They even added a small cookbook for beginners. This book motivated me to be Vegan (Have been for 9 months)! Worth the money!

I have been a vegetarian for 10 years and then I started eating meat when I was pregnant because I listened to people instead of educating myself.

I gained massive weight. I didn't feel good and I started having serious bouts of depression. You are what you eat!!

This book helped me make the easy transformation of becoming a vegan! I now understood that we are eating stressed out animals that are treated poorly before they die.

Since becoming a vegan I no longer take anti-depressants, I have boundless energy and I am truly happy! If you want to be a happy and healthy person go vegan and purchace this book! It will guide you into a wonderful lifestyle.

Simple and to the point. A great resource for new vegans or those who are interested in becoming vegan. Eloquently written.

"Being Vegan" is a great introduction to Veganism and goes into detail on why certain items are or are not Vegan. It includes a few recipes to try out also.

If you are looking for a more nutritional book, I'd recommend you buy her "Vegan Source book" also.

This book taught me so many new things about being a vegan that I had no idea about. It was really informative since I just became vegan about 2 months ago. Great help.

I loved this book! I thought it was very well written and had some very good commonsensical advice. While I'm not an
animal rights person (more an "animal welfare and good/responsible
care") most of the rest of the philosphy/ethics makes good sence after reading the book. Ms. Stepaniak provides practical answers to many issues that might come up when someone decides to adopt a Vegan lifestyle. She also spells out the Vegan philosophy in clear terms. Anyone entering a Vegan lifestyle, considering a Vegan lifestyle or has a loved one who is Vegan should read this book.

The best book yet that I found about living the vegan lifestyle. Because there is more to being a vegan than the food.

This is a comprehensive overview of the issues that a person who is considering living a Vegan lifestyle must think about. The information is not presented through the use of scare tactics but with facts and philosophical debates and queries.The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Living (The Complete Idiot's Guide)

I was vegetarian for 3 months and woke one morning with an epiphany- I should go vegan. I researched many issues online, such as the AR reasons to go completely vegan and dietary needs. This book filled in the gaps.
I disagree with the reviewer who mentioned that this book should list specific ethical reasons for veganism. Most people transitioning, aside from the "Skinny Bitch" phenomenon, are doing so because they know the horrors of factory farms. There is a small discussion on wool, but I felt even that was superfluous. I also disagree with the notion of the tone being haughty. This book is not about persuasion, but simply an instruction manual of sorts. There is nothing wrong with it seeming authoritarian when the "complete idiot" is looking for a firm resource.
There are some questionable chapters, as previously mentioned, but the value of the other sections out weighs the misinformation. The authors probably believe these things in their hearts, and it is up to the reader to decide whether or not to vaccinate or eat raw or what have you. I have found many vegan and vegetarian books to have strange ideas or "facts" that weren't cited, which is one reason why I went vege only 2 years ago. The authors have listed other sources, so the reader can research and get straight facts or make up their minds.
I found this book to be excellent. I've cooked several of the recipes, which were delicious and easy enough for a so-so cook to create. I often refer back to the guide, even a year later. If you're even considering living vegan this book is invaluable.

Overall, this book is a pretty good beginning resource for the new vegan, or for those like I am, in the process of experimenting with and transitioning to veganism. It covers common types of vegan staples (such as tofu, tempeh, soy cheeses, milk substitutes, and legumes), hidden animal ingredients to look for (such as carmine red and "natural flavorings"), good ideas for all of the daily meals, non-food-related vegan issues (such as wardrobe, household cleaners, and candles), rebuttals of common myths about veganism, the myriad of health benefits associated with a vegan diet, how to handle eating out, and how to cope with the non-vegans in one's midst. And the book doesn't seem really preachy, holier than thou, or guilt-tripping. The authors stress that such a big sea change in both diet and lifestyle can't happen overnight, and should take place at one's own pace. It's also great how they acknowledge that it's probably impossible to be 100% vegan, no matter how seriously one takes the commitment. There will probably still be some foods, clothing, and household products with unknown non-vegan ingredients that slip through the cracks. The most important thing is to do the best one can.

As wonderful of a resource as the book otherwise is, though, I wished there had been a chapter covering the ethical reasons behind going vegan, not just the health benefits. Granted, the issue of factory farming was covered in depth in 'The Idiot's Guide to Vegetarianism' and they might not wanted to have significant overlap between these two similar books in the series, but it can never hurt to repeat and reword such important information, particularly since it seems to be the main reason most people go vegan. And while they did say that higher prices mean the food is higher quality (one always does get what one pays for), buying only or mostly organic isn't always an automatic guarantor of getting the best food available. Not everyone can afford the grocery bills that go along with buying the more expensive organic versions of normal foods, and there isn't always a huge difference between organic and regular. A number of the recipes (and they are great recipes) thus call for ingredients that are going to be rather expensive and/or hard (if not downright impossible, depending upon where one lives) to find. In spite of what the ultra-health-conscious crowd might say, I really don't think it's going to be jeopardizing my health if I use white flour and wheat grains instead of making a total switch to whole grains only. One can easily be a successful vegan without having a pantry and fridge stocked full of organic foods and hard-to-find products like oat flour and amaranth.

My other major issue with the book was the anti-vaccination section in the chapter on raising vegan kids and having a healthy vegan pregnancy. I kind of think that saving a life takes precedence over all else, even if it means having to violate one's ordinary beliefs and lifestyle. Better a baby get non-vegan vaccines and thus be able to live a full healthy life as a vegan than be at risk for being killed, maimed, or disabled by a scary disease like measles, polio, rubella, whooping cough, or diphtheria. A lot of the "information" in this section was just plain false, like claiming that vaccines cause autism (that ridiculous claim has been debunked by all of the reputable medical and scientific sources), that vaccines cause more harm than good and aren't usually effective (was this section written by the anti-vaccine radicals at Mothering magazine or something?!), that there are a lot of bad side effects (not mentioning that that's only true in a small minority of cases!), and that some vaccines contain mercury (only the flu vaccine still contains mercury, and only trace amounts). Reading blatantly false propaganda like this really raises my blood pressure, and it had no place in an otherwise very sound and researched book!

In spite of some questionable portions, I would recommend the book to someone who's just become a vegan or who is interested in becoming one, but only to be used as a supplement with other vegan-related books that cover some of these issues in more depth.

`The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Living' by Beverly Lynn Bennett and Ray Sammartano, `Vegan Freak' by Bob Torres and Jenna Torres, and `Vegan Planet' by Robin Robertson are three books my godson purchases, believing they were oriented primarily toward what most of us would consider a vegetarian diet adopted for simple health reasons. The primary objective of this review is to warn those who may be interested in these books for the same purpose. And, to make a strong distinction between the first two and the third.
The vegan lifestyle, at its heart, is far more than a dietary regimen. It is a combination of a system of spiritual values, culinary choices for health, and economic values allied with `green' doctrines of helping to preserve resources. Surprisingly, the first is by far the most important of these three, especially to those like the authors of the `Vegan Freak' book. One need read only a few pages of this book to realize veganism may in some senses be considered a Hindu sect, as it shares many of the same values of this religion, including many approaches to animal products which are as extremely anti-scientific as the rejection of some scientific theories by those who espouse creationism. As someone who has some reasonably sound background in Christian and Jewish doctrines, I can say with some certainty that vegan values are NOT shared by either Christian, Jewish, or Muslim value systems. In fact, the Judeo-Christian scriptures are often cited as justifications for using animal products. I will also venture the thought that the vegan doctrines are not consistent with secular ethical theory. By the definition assumed by every ethical value system, including those based on Judaism and Christianity, moral principles are those principals related specifically to behavior toward other humans. Thus, the vegan apologists are truly stretching the meaning of `ethical' or `moral' in order to add cachet to their preaching, which it does not deserve. That doesn't mean these values are baseless. It just means they need some justification which is independent of moral theories.
Now that is not to say many vegan values are not shared by the non-vegan population at large. Most civilized people, and even cultures which may be considered pre-civilized savages, place a value on `humane' treatment of animals. Thus, we have dedicated a fair amount of resources to SPCA organizations and other animal rescue organizations. It is also due more to ignorance than to inhumanity that we indulge in animal products which are raised in an inhumane manner. And, the rationale that these animals would never have lived if it were not for our raising them specifically for food is scant excuse.
As sound as the basic vegan value system is, to some peoples' minds, it seems to cross some line from humane principles to surprising extremes when it raises its ban against literally every animal product, no matter how remotely removed from cruel commercial animal husbandry. Two of the most extreme examples are bans against vaccines because they are incubated in eggs and many beers and wines, because they are clarified using animal products. Less extreme, but similarly questionable are the prohibitions against milk and eggs, especially if one makes the effort to purchase products raised according to humane husbandry techniques. Here, one encounters many of the health concerns of vegans, and for many people, milk and eggs have health problems. But not for everyone. And, eggs and milk products are the basis of some of the most nutritious and delicious food products.
`Vegan Freaks', as one may assume from the title, is the most extremely doctrinaire of the three books. As with the `freaks' of the 60's and later, they revel in their differentness, making that a fourth leg of their vegan lifestyle. `...Vegan Living' is less strident, but, it is no less doctrinally `pure'. It is somewhat easier to read, as it does not have the attitude of poking a stick in the eyes of non-vegans. Both are excellent starting points and both have very good bibliographies for obtaining additional information. But, neither contains any major sections on recipes! And this is where a purchaser may be most surprised, believing that these are `cookbooks'.
`Vegan Planet' is substantially different, as it is a cookbook from start to finish. In fact, it is not even doctrinally pure vegan, as it joyfully includes bread recipes which use yeast! As I write this, I realize that it has been a very long time since I took high school biology, and I'm no longer sure whether yeasts are related to the animal protozoans or the `vegetable' fungi. Except for this somewhat gray area, the book is otherwise true vegan, except that it never leaves the kitchen in order to climb on its soapbox and preach its gospel of avoiding animal products in every form.
In the end, if you have health concerns which bring you to the vegan diet, `Vegan Planet' is certainly the book you want. It will give you hundreds of recipes which simulate dishes traditionally cooked with milk, plus lots of great recipes for the staple vegan protein replacements such as beans, pulses, and grains. The other two books may only be of value if you are interested in the vegan value system. And, although these books mention the raw `cooking' style, neither deals with it in any depth. For that, I suggest `RAW, The UnCook Book' by Juliano.

As a vegetarian going vegan, the table of contents promised to answer a lot of my questions, such as will I be able to keep my weight and what is a good vegan diet for physical excercise.
To my disappointment, many of the headlines covered only chit-chatty chapters on the subjects, revealing the authors' lack of authority on the basic nutrition.
What's even worse is, I found the general tone quite self rightious, which in my oppinion is a very poor way of advocating vegan living.

Before I read this book, I couldn't really say why I was a vegan. I mean, I could rattle off various problems I had with the suffering that animals endured, the health and environmental benefits, etc. Torres's book provided the theoretical support for my personal veganism. It was a revelation. I had never really considered veganism as a way to reject the capitalism-induced hierarchy that plagues society today. I never really understood what it meant to be vegan. In fact, I wasn't entirely vegan. I wavered quite a bit, knowing somewhere, deep down, that eating animal products was wrong. Making a Killing synthesized it all for me.

The writing is direct and informative. Torres draws from a wide variety of sources. And while the writing is still a bit unpolished, all writing is a work in progress. That said, Torres ties together well the various social justice movements and provides a critical analysis of the animal rights movement today.

For me, this book changed my perspective on animal rights and what it means to be a vegan.

As committed as I thought I was to the animal rights movement and specifically veganism, I learned much about the how's and why's of the current trends and how to improve the outlook for all the world's sentient beings, indeed, Gaia herself from reading Bob Torre's wonderfully insightful book.

Torres helped me clarify my position and provided me with cogent reasoning to offer up when facing opposition. Torres provided me with support and confirmed that I and my fellow revolutionaries have what it takes to make it happen, to get to the point where animals are no longer viewed as something separate from us, a commodity we have no right to use for our greedy and avaricious ends, all written in language that gets to the root of the situation.

I walk away with "the revolution will not be televised. You cannot buy the revolution" but you can buy Making a Killing and get the revolution started......

This book sensationalizes a vegan lifestyle. He writes this book to justify his vegan lifestyle.

It's an armchair animal rights book. The author does not work actively with wildlife or with farm animals.

The author ignores what farmers do to protect their crops from wild life. The author ignores what farmers do to protect their crops against insects and disease.

The book suffers from a myopic view of animal rights.

Don't eat living animals or animal-by-products and be pro-animal regardless of the circumstances. This stance is all most cult-like, rather than useful to the typical person who has friends that consume meat. The extreme stances taken by the author makes this book a difficult read.

I would definitely not suggest this book to any of my friends. There are far better choices available that cover animals rights from folks actively engaged in helping out animals. Check out "Redemption" by Nathan Winogard. I can recommend that book to my friends who consume meat.

The author is making a killing selling these books -- making money off of the oppressed. Animals in this case. Maybe the author should re-read Marx and donate money from the sale of these books to animal right foundations. Or better yet. Maybe the author should get his hands dirty and actively help protect the animals he writes about.

Making A Killing is a comprehensive overview of the animal rights movement and how it relates to other liberation movements, including civil rights movements such as worker's rights and women's rights. Bob Torres clearly explains why animals must be included in a broader liberation movement, delivering startling insights into the reality of domination, power, and hierarchy across races, genders, and species. The smart analysis draws on Marxism, anarchism, and socioeconomic theory - this book is not a light read by any means! But there is no doubt that Making A Killing will have a far-reaching effect on animal rights in theory and practice. This book is a must-read for vegans and animal rights enthusiasts, and human rights advocates would do well to take notes from this astute social justice piece as well. The message is clear: compassion, freedom, and rights must be universal for any liberation movement to succeed.

As a committed listener to the "VeganFreak Radio Podcast" and vegan myself, ever since Bob Torres, the author of Making a Killing a political economy of animal right , made it obvious to the listeners of his and his wifes' Podcast that he was working on a book I become eager to purchase and read his only solo documentation of animal rights. Being a professor, Torres shows a sense of very well researched and expanded upon ideas within the book all revolving around the main reason for the book, animal rights. He takes everything from the most commercialized concepts to the smaller ideas behind closed doors and expands upon their deeper sociological meanings to help provide insight to the reader on all sides of the mostly horrible animal agriculture in this country, and all over the world for the most part. His highly articulated commitment to the welfare of animals comes across boldly within every section of this book, commenting on many of the well known activists articles of literature and explaining their importance to the reader. Describing the animals, viewed from a pure profit stand-point, as being exploited and simple commodities, not the living beings that they are. These "commodities" being parallel to a companion animal, being a dog or a cat most commonly. Overall this book opens ones eyes about the truths of the horrific animal agriculture, and slaps articulated and rich words on top of the commonly looked past ideas behind all aspects of the world of animal rights. From both a political stand point and sociological stand point this book presses important issues that should be realized by all americans who care about the welfare of living beings on earth, and have an interest in anarchist ideas related to animal rights.

Dan Vishny has written a very humorous book on being a vegan but their our some serious side effects. Ted Smigielski, the Polish nutritionist and caterer of Ed's Hot Lunch, has seen some of the serious side effects of those who have followed the Vishny plan. He has witnessed the formation of a "Chicken chest", a pectoral region with no muscle at all. This condition is not only unflattering but also unhealthy as those inflicted have little strength in the area.

I had always thought about how great it would be to become either vegetarian or vegan. But when a dripping slab of meat was put in front of me, I thought "I could never really do that"...then I ate the entire thing. At the end of the meal, it was back to, "you know, I should really go vegan".

So the title of this book got me curious and I picked up a copy. I was sucked in from the first chapter. I learned as much as I was entertained. Now, I am a vegan. I feel better, I look better, and most important, I wasn't badgered into it. This book helped me make the decision myself. I hope this is not the last we hear from Dan Vishny.

In the genre of unapologetic, self-deprecating, very humorous books about veganism, You Don't Have To Be a Treehugger To Be a Vegan stands out at the top. The reputation vegans have for being radical and humorless is dashed by this book, since it's a guaranteed laugh. This is the vegan advocacy book to give your friend who thinks we're all a bunch of strange, boring, modern hippies.

This book answers all vegan questions and then some, with great statistics, fun chapter headings ("What About Happy Hour?" "Fruit Loops® Don't Grow on Trees"), and even perspectives from the non-vegan industries. For example, he includes whymilk.com's list of supposed benefits of milk for athletic performance, seemingly to create a balance of information. (He makes it obvious that the milk industry is dead wrong about their findings.)

The book's 30 Days to Leave Your Blubber™ Program takes the shift to veganism slowly and is a well-thought-out plan to cut out animal products. Vishny introduces his plan with sound advice: watch your body change, listen to your body, eat less processed foods, and drink water.

The book's humor reminds readers that while there is so much in this world to be depressed about, no one relates to an angry, resentful vegan. Even though most of us immerse ourselves in information about poor health, horrendous animal welfare conditions, and environmental issues (enough to depress anyone), we have a job to express ourselves as exuberantly happy. As Julia Butterfly Hill said in a recent speech, "I'm not just vegan. I am a joyous vegan!"

You Don't Have To Be a Treehugger To Be a Vegan is not formal dining instruction, but he provides some great basics for vegan food preparation. For example, for the soup base recipe, Vishny instructs us to "chop the daylights out of the above ingredients and place in a soup pot." Now that's the kind of cooking class for vegans without attitude!

Vishny sprinkles factoids, unique cartoons and quotes throughout. ("Did you know salmon contains more cholesterol than a double cheeseburger?" and my personal favorite: "There are over 4,500 species of mammals in the world and only one species consumes milk after weaning.") Usually the ubiquitous quote prefacing each chapter of a book is distracting, but Vishny's use of quotes is perfectly humorous and informational. One sidebar also dispels common myths about veganism. "Myth 3: I'm going to starve on a vegan diet. This isn't Jenny Vegan Craig. You can eat as much and as often as you want."

Vishny doesn't really prove he's not a so-called treehugger as much as he proves he's not in it for animal rights. Like Howard Lyman's book No More Bull, You Don't Have To Be a Treehugger To Be Vegan is not for those with a sensitivity toward animals, though it might just touch their funnybone enough to distract them from the atrocities that animals experience, if even for a moment. --Caity McCardell

If you know nothing about vegans and are just interested in an introduction to the health aspects alone, than this is the book for you. I feel it was written toward a younger audience (say....early teens) but, to its credit, attempted jokes made it a bit more enjoyable. It is only concerned with the health of a vegan diet (notice the title) so for anyone interested in veganism beyond reducing heart disease and cancer, there are many other books out there that have a more wholistic and less self-centered approach. Also, the topics it does cover are somewhat skimmed over, which may or may not be a good thing for you. To sum it up, wanna know about vegan health in an hour? Read this book. Want to know more than just health benefits, or a more in-depth approach and explanation? Pick something else.

Mr. Vishny seems to me to be the type who would be comfortable writing on just about any subject, but it is obvious that he is passionate about health. But what is unique about this book is that his passion does not translate into diatribe. It is very focused on your choices, your decisions, on your way of life. This was about the most useful book I have read around building a healthy eating lifestyle.

The book contains really good tasting easy to follow raw recipes. Nothing super extravagant or time consuming, but satisfying. Great for everyday meals.

As a person who is just becoming interested in more raw food preparation, I enjoyed reading and "digesting" the contents of this very helpful book.

This book was a daily bible for two of us vegans who completed a 30 day raw food diet intersperced with 2 juice cleanses. Good basic how-to info on sproutingf, cultured foods and dehydrating and survival tips for sweeteners and condiments. Chocked full of recipes and ideas.

What a wonderful variety of recipes! It has 250 recipes to choose from... great value! Whether you eat raw foods or just want to try it, this is a quality book. You'll love the way you feel and look eating this way!

It has a lot of great ideas and simple meals to fix. The only reason it gets a 4 and not a 5 is because I like pictures so I can see what the meal is to look like.

I have really loved this book! After reading "The Hallelujah Diet", I purchased this book for more recipe ideas. As the title implies, weekly mealplans are given, along with grocery lists for the week to prepare all of those meals. I think it is well put together and I have really enjoyed the recipes. It makes this eating lifestyle that much more doable. Well worth the $9, and then some!

easy to follow and tasty meals for a month gets you started on healthy eating without the headaches of figuring everything out

This cookbook is just alright. It has so many good ideas, but I think they are missing something.... And another problem I have is the directions are not well thought out. I have to read them like 5 times and try to guess what she was trying to say. She seems to forget steps, and also makes things take way longer by cooking all these different parts of a dish in different pans and then mix them in the end. But if you are someone who can cook and need some inspiration, it does have a lot of good ideas..... you will just have to 'twist' it to your own tastes in the end.

The few recipes that I've used were exceptionally yummy, but some of the listed ingredients were exceptionally hard to find. This book is a little too gourmet for me but if you are in good range of a fully-stoked, open-minded health food store, and are up to challenge your already challenging vegan lifestyle, I say go for it. You might add something new and exciting to your vegan repertoire.

As other reviewers have said, the recipes are time consuming. I have tried the adzuki bean recipe, and it was much less tasty than I had expected. Other recipes in this book are not even worth trying because the ingredients are either seasonal or just plain unavailable in my rural area. There are better, more down-to-earth vegan cookbooks out there.

Of my many, many cookbooks, The Voluptuous Vegan, by Myra Kornfeld, is my favorite. In fact, when I was asked to go to Bulgaria in 2004 to help open the first health-food restaurant in that region, The Voluptuous Vegan was one of the few cookbooks to accompany us on that journey. I have made nearly every recipe in this book. I love the innovative flavor and texture combinations. I also greatly appreciate the way Myra Kornfeld lays out menus, recipes, and preparation timelines to help you assemble, in a timely manner, complete meals that will wow both family and guests. As a personal chef and cooking instructor who promotes organic, health-supportive cooking, I have made recipes from this book that even my most vegetable-phobic clients ask for repeatedly, the African groundnut stew topping that list. As for the desserts, people can't seem to get enough of the chocolate pudding tart (which kids clamor for, even after they've watched me make it using tofu as the base!), the chocolate sorbet, and the carrot cake, the secret ingredient for which (oddly enough) is cardamom. Before completing this review, I do want to comment on one of the above reviews which indicates that seitan is a soy product. Seitan is actually a protein source derived from wheat and is sometimes referred to as "wheat meat." In closing, I will simply say that, if I were allowed to keep only one cookbook from my entire library of sources, it would be The Voluptuous Vegan. Thanks, Myra!

I just purchased this cookbook after mulling over the reviews, and I just tried my first recipe, Warm Chickpea Salad with Artichokes and Sun-dried tomatoes. Mmmmmmm! I thought the minced rosemary used in the dressing might give this salad an overwhelming flavor, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was subtle, and wonderful, and full of flavor! Maybe I shouldn't write a review based upon my first go at it, but I have a gut feeling that I'm going to love this book! The fact that the author is a chef, and reading the other reviews, gives me faith and trust. I am an occasional vegan, and have been wanting to learn how to cook bolder, more flavorful vegan dishes. I have given in to the fact that good cooking requires time and commitment, so the effort that is needed does not turn me off. For me, the taste and the health benefits will make it totally worth the effort. I can't wait to try more recipes!!

As a long-time vegetarian who just decided to go vegan I wanted a book that could help with with my transition. Some decent & basic advice is given on how to travel as a vegan, addressing folks in your life who have questions and smart ways to deal with the negative feedback you often get from people around you, along with other logistical things you may want to consider.

Although the authors do communicate that they really want to respect other people's choices they get a bit 'preachy' in many areas of the book. I prefer to lay low and not become one of those annoying vegans/vegetarians who share a 'holier then thou attitude'. The authors do feed into that stereotypical annoying group of people a little bit. If you're someone in the same boat as me, a new vegan, you can look past the annoyances with your open mind to learn a few things. Like any book, take what you like, leave what doesn't work for you and move on.

The style of writing makes it a pretty fun book; it's enjoyable and easy to read. I reccomend reading this one to beginner vegans.

This book covers a wide variety of topics that new vegans, and those interested in animal rights in general, will find useful. While it doesn't go into great depth on any specific topic, it is really not meant to do so. This is meant to be a guide for those seeking some direction in becoming vegan, and points to many other resources to help the reader.

I am looking forward to the second edition of Vegan Freak. I think the authors have evolved their opinions on many of the topics presented in VF and part 2 will be a welcome continuation and evolution of their views.

This book was written in a really warm style and the writers come off as very likable, that said there isnt anything really new in this book and all of the interesting points are from other (better) books. The rest is common sense stuff so this book is in a way pointless (sorry!) its like a light read for people who dont know anything about being vegan and dont know how to use google. If the writers were not so nice i would have given it a 1 because I dont think this needed to be produced there are better books out there....

I thought this book was good and provided a lot of information, but the authors were in my opinion, a bit too judgemental. Ive been a vegetarian for years and have been a vegan only a few months. It has been a challenge for me with determining whether a product has animal by-products. The authors make you feel like the worst person in the world if you call yourself a vegan and accidently eat a by product. They really hard core put you down if you are not a "perfect vegan" which earlier in the book they praised people for trying. Towards the end of this book it turned into a "BASH ALL THE VEGANS WHO ARE TRYING BUT MIGHT NOT BE 100% YET" which turned me more off to veganism than on. So, if you do not have tough skin, do not read this book.

I am a long time vegan, and I would normally support a project like this, but I have found the veganfreak.net site that accompanies the book to be very unfriendly and unwelcoming. They do not try to help, they turn you away in ridicule if you come asking questions they don't like. I don't like the tone of the book or the authors' (or whoever they have running veganfreak) attitude. Thanks for turning this vegan away and leaving an extremely bad taste in my mouth! You are doing more harm than good.

I bought this book for my vegan husband. He did not like some of the recommendations for recipes as they weren't all natural foods. Otherwise, I think it's a good book to have and share with non-vegans.

Very good articles, poems, and recipes...truly a handbook. Interesting information for parents and creating vegan recipes for children and babies.

This book is simply a collection of articles from the "Vegetarian Journal". I'm not saying that's a terrible thing, but just know that before you buy it. It was interesting to look through the first time, but I didn't really care for any of the recipes and I haven't opened it back up since the first time I read it.

I really like this cookbook. It is very useful, especially for young vegans like me who need to cook for themselves. The recipes are easy follow, but sometimes complicated to prepare, and not always quick. I really like the poetry and biographies in it, but some of the information isn't completely true, for example, they talk about Ben Franklin being a vegetarian, but they don't add that he decided that vegetarianism wasn't for him after smelling fish.

I find this book to be invaluable for checking nutrition information, health concerns, and other vegan-related issues. It is always a good idea to have several sources for these particular questions, and I think this handbook is an honest resource for this information. The authors do a thorough job of researching, and they stay away from fantastic claims.

I also appreciate the stories and the historical and cultural articles. It is interesting to read about vegetarianism from these perspectives, and it gives a person a good basic background on the topic.

I am not quite as enthusiastic about the recipes, but that could be because I do a lot of my own creations when cooking. I am also not a fan of many of the "traditional" vegetarian foods, like bean-centered dishes, so I tend to steer clear of them. I will say that this book has a wide variety of dishes, and someone who is not as creative on his/her own with cooking should enjoy them.