Vegetarianism Books

From the organizer of the first and second annual Santa Barbara vegan bake off:

I like to try lots of different baking books--vegan and non-vegan alike.

I was sitting down tonight with my King Arthur Baker's Companion (amazing but each recipe has at least a stick of butter in it) and even leafed through How it All Vegan (their choc chip recipe is pretty good) before I remembered I had picked up this little book. The book is well written and fun to look through. Perfect for those nights when you just want to make something fun after dinner without having to prepare with a ton of ingredients in advance.

I chose a red velvet cupcake recipe and a vegan cream cheese frosting.

What can I say, my boyfriend has already eaten half the batch so I must say it was a success!

My daughter has an egg and dairy allergy. It finally dawned on me to look at vegan recipes to find a way to make an edible dessert for her. These cupcakes are very easy and taste wonderful. You would never know there is no egg or dairy. I have tried the vanilla, chocolate, and peanut butter ones. The peanut butter cupcakes were the best ones I have ever had, vegan or not. I highly recommend this book.

I've only tried some of the more simple recipes in the book so far. They came out delicious. I've brought them to work, and my co-workers raved. And the best part...they're vegan!

I am not a vegan, and am not easily excited about vegan baked goods. However I do have a best friend who is a committed vegan and who very much is excited by vegan baked goods. When I purchased this book for her as a birthday gift, she was beyond thrilled. I guess she had another vegan cookbook by this same author, and had already fallen in love with her recipes. (Who knew?)
She later made chocolate-strawberry-something cupcakes from this book, and when I tasted them, they really weren't half bad. If you didn't really think about it, you almost couldn't tell that they were vegan. If all vegan baked goods tasted like these cupcakes, maybe vegan cupcakes really could take over the world.
As she told me, "This book is as good as it gets!"

It's a lovely book and will be a useful guide in getting the dairy out of baked goods, but I have to say I'm a bit stunned that a vegan cookbook is so full of white flour and white sugar. There are just so many healthier sweeteners and flours to use that I can't imagine why the recipes weren't developed to be really healthy instead of simply dairy free.

There are not enough good things to say about this cookbook. We are now known as expert Vegan Bakers among our friends and relatives...and our secret is that we're not! We follow these recipes and everyone loves them! The best things about this cookbook are: the tips and tidbits that are tucked in on the pages and the indices that are very comprehensive. Everyone should have this cookbook!

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. It has made my transition to a vegan diet easier and I refer to it often. Not only is it full of great recipes (and I have tried several), but there are also tons of useful tips throughout the book. Definitely worth the investment!

This book has a lot of great familiar desserts that most people will not know are vegan. It includes one of the easiest and most delicious chocolate cake recipes I've seen, and chocolate chip cookies that are fabulous. A lot of great frosting recipes too that can go with anything and be modified in many ways. This book is essential for vegans who love classic desserts and want to impress their friends.

how delicious! i've been baking out of this book for a few months now, so i can honestly say its recipes are excellent. I've been wowing vegans and non-vegans alike since my first attempt (the fudge) straight through my most recent (the cinnamon coffee cake). In fact, I've had to buy two extra copies because I was getting tired of being asked for the recipes and will give the book instead.

I want to start out by saying that I really do enjoy this cookbook, and I use it often, however I believe that is because it is one of the only dedicated vegan baking books out there at the moment.

I was very excited when this came out and I was able to purchase it. It has a wide range of recipes that also includes breads and ethnic treats. Here is the slight problem I have with it. Nearly every recipe requires the use of Egg Replacer, Vegan margarine, regular sugar, and basic all purpose flower. Although in the beginning of the book I believe it talks about the use of substitutes for these items, it doesn't really give many examples of it. In some recipes it uses large quantities of vegan margarine. Basically you can take any non-vegan recipe, look at it and substitute milk for soymilk, butter for vegan margarine and eggs with egg replacer. It does not make the recipes unique, it does not give them much more thought, it doesn't really show off what vegan baking can be in its creativity and health benefits.

Until a better vegan baking book comes out, it is worth the purchase. You can always try your hand at playing around with the recipe ingredients.

This is a beautiful book, with pictures and quotes that are lovely and inspiring. Not to mention that the recipes are really fabulous! Great for entertaining vegan and non-vegan guests and having everyone feeling satisfied and complimenting the chef. The restaurant in Portland, Oregon is well worth the trip, as I'm sure the one in Hawai'i is as well. A must-have for any vegan kitchen.

I'm a vegan living outside NYC. I am a huge fan of your book, the hardcover, it's actually my favorite cookbook. It is beautifully photographed and just a lovely book to own and use in your kitchen!

I've tried about half of these recipes and had good success. Breads, pastas, pizzas, salads, dressings, deserts - it's all here. This is vegan heaven!

When my husband and I started following a plant based diet 19 months ago I never thought we'd make it. We borrowed about 10 vegan cookbooks from a doctor we know and most everything was awful. For a whole month I flat out did not enjoy eating. We then found 4 vegan cookbooks that were o.k. and I could finally enjoy what I had made.

Then, in March my husband stumbled upon Vegan Fusion. The cookie lover in me thinks the chocolate chip cookie recipe is worth the cost of the book in itself! Vegan Fusion is my "go to" cookbook every week. I have made quite a few recipes and all that I can say is, "YUMMMMY!". My 4 year old picky, "I just want a meat sandwich" daughter said of the split pea parsnip soup, "This is the best soup ever!" and had 2 helpings.

There are so many aspects of this book that I like. Of course the recipes are fabulous! Being new to the whole vegan scene, it has a lot to offer a novice vegan i.e. the legume cooking chart, tips on roasting everything from veggies to nuts, startling statistics on "global footprints" of the different diets people follow.

I live in a small town (<2,500 people) and I can find most of the ingredients at our local healthfood store. The only thing I'm sure I can't get locally is green coconuts. I guess I'll just have to go to Kuaui - oh, darn!

I recommend this book to every vegan and health conscious friend I know!

this cookbook, over any other, has the power to show omnivorous foodies that vegan food can be just as delightful as their common fare. highly recommended!

This is a good book with a lot of good information. The problem with the book is that it has an agenda. If I didn't know any better I would have to think that the author was a member of PETA. Keep the politics out of the book!

Easy reading and great guide to becoming vegetarian and even vegan. Highly recommend for those just beginning. Also recommend as a refresher for nutritional needs.

This book is fantastic, it goes over many vegetarian issues and teaches you how to eat to get the maximum benefit from your food.

This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to change their eating habits and improve their health. highly recommend this book

This book is extremely comprehensive. It is the first book about becoming vegetarian that I have read but I am completely satisfied that it covers all the requirements of a vegetarian diet. I would also recommend this book to non-vegetarians, particularly those seeking to reduce meat intake and increase nutrition from plant foods.

All around a very informative and well-written book. Great for anyone that would like to see positive changes in this world.

I have been a vegetarian all my life and have stopped using animal products (tested or material) for a decade or more. And still this book gave me ideas about plenty of more things to do to make my commitment more valuable to earth and me. One of the few 'How to' books that actually gets you started. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is considering becoming animal and earth friendly in their daily lives. I would also recommend Karen Logan's Clean House, Clean Planet for the people who are specifically looking for eco-friendly non-toxic house keeping tips

This book shrugs off all shrill rhetoric and provides many resources for animal-free products and animal-friendly services. Where it falls short is in its reliance on pointing out particular companies and services rather than being prescriptive. While interest in green products is on the rise, its still a business model that has more risk than average. In short, there's a good chance that many of these companies will close up shop. A better approach would have been to spend more time on how consumers can evaluate products and services. What are the best-in-class standards PETA expects? A good first effort for tone, but I will wait for the next edition in hopes that it will have more than a list of references.

I picked up this book mostly out of curiosity. I was curious about small choices I could make that could make a difference. I went to school and I have a degree in environmental science, but I never applied it in my work. I have always tried to make good informed choices as a consumer. As I feel while I can not change the world, but as a block on informed consumers together we can make kinder choices for our environment.

I liked that this book is broken down into sections that apply to all ages. Home and Garden, Fashion and Beauty, Food and Entertaining, Recreation and Vacations, Animals in the Home, Children and Family, Business and Education, Health, Volunteering and Getting active. So you can see the topics that go well with all members in a family.

She gives very practical suggestions substitutes for products that we currently use. She gives recipes for replacements that are harder on the environment. She gives tips on how to keep your pets happy and content. I liked that she gave a wealth of ideas and substitutions for things we currently do. Some books give one suggestion that isn't always workable. I feel that through reading this book that I can make better and informed decisions as a consumer.

My roommate bought me a copy of this book and it's really opened my eyes! Although I've been vegan for several years I didn't realize how much more I could be doing to help the world around me by making smarter choices. It's not only inspiring but a great resource book as well.

I have ample reason to be concerned about my health largely because of four ex-wives and the crazyness currently going on in my house between my bulldog (Colonel) and my current wife's annoying tabby (Bobo!). It doesn't help that I'm a beerswilling carnivore and largely a lazy couchloaf. Also complicating matters is the undeniable fact that my brooding spouse is a horrible cook and routinely serves beef-oriented t.v. dinners or worse (greaseburgers from the local fast food joint).

That's where this handy tome comes in. One of the girls from the bar I've been seeing on the sly has been trying to get me to start incorporating more vegetables in our relationship (in addition to the meat) and suggested several books (not this one) to help me get started. While those books had some value, this book really told me what I needed to know about the nutritional values of various vegetarian diets and how to make up for the nutirtion I would be losing by giving up meat.

It's very informative, well-written, easy to understand, but somewhat short on recipes. As I've mentioned, Bessie isn't a very good cook--even when she has cook-by-numbers recipes (which basically means, even if this book had recipes it wouldn't be of much value to her) and that's too bad. Nevertheless, this is a very informative book and has surprisingly convinced me that it is possible to maintain nutrition while maintaining an all-vegie diet. Unfortunately, the recipes in this book (and those I found in several others) have failed to convince me that any of these vegie diets taste any better than the leaves and grass in my backyard.

As a result, I've scrapped the vegetarian route, started cooking for myself, stopped worrying about my health, and I'm staying away from the girls at the bar.

This is an excellent book. I decided to become vegetarian a few years ago both for health and ethical reasons and this one one of the first books I bought - its remained the one I turn to over and over again - especially when friends or relatives questions how healthy a vegetarian diet is and I need to educate them. Some of the most fascinating parts of this book talk about the history of the current meat-based diet and how the government pushed it and helped market meats of all sorts to get people to buy more (to help farmers out). Also though there is great info on how much protien a person actually needs and where you can get it from - its actually pretty easy to get all the protien you need over the course of a day. Since becoming vegetarian (really almost vegan except for the eggs I get from a lady down the street who really takes wonderful care of her chickens) I've never felt better. My husband has even voluntarily made the switch as well (spurred on by a few episodes of food poisoning at the local sandwich shop). Vegetarian is the way to go and this book will give you ALL the info you need to get rolling and keep others quiet when they criticize. Bon sante and Bon appetit!

This book is an excellent resource for beginning vegetarians who are dealing with a lot of new questions -- will this diet be adequate for me nutritionally? do I need to take supplements? what will I tell mom (hee hee)? This book tries to answer all the big questions, and does so quite admirably. It does have a few recipes at the back, which are not bad, but certainly, this is not a cookbook per se. For those looking for a ton of recipes instead of advice, I'd be more likely to recommend The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook (by Diana Shaw), a wonderful book full of tips, tricks, ingredients, glossaries, and 600 low fat recipes, many of which are adaptations of old favourites. Getting both these books would be an excellent beginning to any new vegetarian's bookshelf.

I thought this book was very thorough, yet easy to follow. Every recipe I've made has been very delicious. I was a vegetarian for 6 years before I became pregnant and began to eat meat for fear I wouldn't get enough protein my babe needed. I wish I had this book then, as the authors lay out precisely what you need for nourishment. My son and I now have a great reference so we can be healthy lacto-ovo vegetarians, and possibly convert my husband as well!

Easy to read and a good book to use as a jump-off point for more specific readings catering to your individual vegetarian interests.

I love this book!! comfort food at it's finest...the grit gravy and the grit tofu are just amazing.

This cookbook is absolutely fantastic! I used to live in Athens, Ga and this cookbook gives the recipe for my old favorites at the real restaurant, The Grit! I could NOT be happier- as a beginning vegetarian, this book is priceless because it helps prove that as a vegetarian you do not have to miss out on great tastes, new great tastes are DEFINATELY out there!

My son bought me this book for Mother's Day. He told me to bookmark the book I wanted. I didn't, but had left the page up with the Grit Cookbook on it and left the room. I had wanted another cookbook, looking forward to receiving the other cookbook, and to my surprise, received this book instead. What a wonderful accident. I have enjoyed reading the book. It's so fun; it makes you want to visit the Grit. I have, also, enjoyed the recipes. So far, we have tried the salsa, famous vegan ranch dressing, tabouli, spinach and lentil soup, and my husband's two favorites: cream of tomato soup and mock cream of chicken soup. Everything has been excellent! Thank you son for such a wonderful surprise!!

I never been to the restaurant before but from this book I can imagine their food is great. Its full of interesting, tasting, and quality recipes. Also these recipes are made to feed large families which is good with me because I have one. My absoultey favorite recipe is the BBQ Tofu Sandwiches oh my goodness it is the best bbq sauce I have ever made and the ingredients are so simple(I must note this recipe calls for honey but I use agave and it is still good). I must add that this book is not 100% vegan some of the recipes call for cheese, butter and milk but that can be easily substituted with its vegan counterpart. All of the vegan recipes have a little V by them to make them recognizable on site. So if you are looking for good vegan food for a big family, then check this book out.

The publishers ought to be giving me a commission as I have turned so many people on to this cookbook! Seriously, it has fantastic recipes, including the best pancakes I have ever made....the nutritional yeast gravy and the golden bowl are to die for...the stews with Guinness beer rock....the cilantro and pesto quesadillas are always a hit....yum......

excelent recipies, some that i never saw anywhere else. i also love all the stories. i only wish there were a few photos, but even so, this book is much, much better than any other book on jewish cooking i have ever come across.

I purchased this cookbook a few weeks ago and have made 3 dishes so far. The Egyptian Potato Soup was delicious - nice and creamy without any dairy. It had a beautiful vibrant color with a wonderful potato/lemony taste. I also tried the Romanian Potato and Vegetable Patties. They were pretty good; not my favorite veggie patty but not bad at all. Lastly, I made the Ashenazi barley with mushrooms which was very yummy. I plan to try many more recipes as they all look really delicious. I enjoy reading the small blurb about each recipe. All in all, a wondeful Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook that I highly recommend.

This is essentially an international cookbook focusing on cuisines of places which have historically had significant Jewish populations (although not much on Ashkenazi cuisine). Much of the cookbook is divided by vegetable. For many recipes, variations are presented, some of which transfer the recipe from one cuisine to another. The food is delicious and this is one of the only mainstream cookbooks with Ethiopian recipes. Highly recommended. My only warning is that Marks expects you will be feeding a large group, so singles beware... my huge batch of lovely Persian rice just didn't get finished.

I love this book. The recipes are so good, and are quite unique and easy to make. Instructions are well explained, and some are simply amazing.

My friends recommended the book and it is great (Written by Brett's wife!).

"A land of wheat and barley, of grape vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees and honey . . . you shall eat and be satisfied." Deut. 8:8-10

Tracing vegetarian Jewish Diaspora recipes is no easy task: Rabbi and chef Gil Marks has created a painstakingly researched cookbook that at times reads more like a history book. With recipes from Azerbaijan to Yemen, Olive Trees and Honey is a catalogue of the vast variety of Jewish vegetarian cuisines, including chapters on cheese and dairy spreads, pickles and relishes, soups, salads, savory pastries, cooked vegetable dishes, vegetable stews, beans and legumes, grains, dumplings and pasta, eggs, and sauces and seasonings.

Each section features fascinating information about the origins and spread of each type of cuisine, often with illustrative maps. Some examples include a map of which type of cheeses are popular in which Diaspora community, or the spread of stuffed cabbage from Persia. Each recipe contains a myriad of further variations to try. Every recipe is labeled Dairy or Pareve for those keeping kosher, and many recipes offer Pareve alternatives (which generally are vegan).

Some of the more interesting recipes that caught my eye were Moroccan Pumpkin Soup, Hungarian Wine Soup, a sangria-like cold soup (red wine and fresh/frozen fruit mixed with orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves), Middle Eastern Bulgur-Stuffed Cabbage, Sephardic Cauliflower Patties (perfect for Passover if made with matza meal), Indian Coconut Rice, Middle Eastern Wheat Berry Stew, and the classic Ashkenazic Sweet Noodle Pudding (Kugel).

Also included are suggested vegetarian menus for special occasions and holidays. This is a monumental work and one of the most beautiful vegetarian cookbooks out there, refreshing for the soul as well as body. I only have two small complaints: Rabbi Gil Marks wrote the excellent (and out-of-print) World of Jewish Desserts, with over 400 Diaspora recipes. I would have liked to see the incorporation of more of his well-researched desserts as a final sweet note (there are recipes for several pastry-based desserts included). Also, the large number of variations in addition to the core recipes (example: ten recipes for red lentil soup, many of which are minor variations of the basic Sephardic Red Lentil Soup) made this a bit overwhelming; although I enjoyed browsing through the 300+ recipes, I honestly don't see myself ever making more than a handful on a regular basis.

This book helped me a LOT. The style and writing explain everything clearly, so it is an easy reference for me if I need a quick idea for lunch, or if I need to look up nutrition information. By having this book, it has helped be me able to defend myself when I get questions thrown at me about staying healthy, especially from my parents. I would reccommend it to anyone, not just teens, and not just beginners.

I first read this in junior high, when I tried being a vegetarian the first time. I loved it and I learned a lot from it. When I returned to vegetarianism as a young adult, I read it again. Although I'm not a teenager anymore, I feel the book is still a handy guide for making the difficult transition to being a vegetarian a lot easier. When people question the food you eat or don't eat and challenge your beliefs on the subject, it can be hard -- this book offers advice for what to do and say in all sort of situations, educates you on nutrition, and gives you basic ideas for meals. "A Teen's Guide to Going Vegetarian" doesn't assume you have a lot of money, time, or resources for food shopping and meal preparation (as teenagers and adults alike usually don't), so it's great for anyone who needs to be frugal or doesn't have a lot of time to search for unusual ingredients. But it does introduce you to foods you might not of heard of or tried before, which is important.

I have been a vegetarian for almost two years but I had never really read any books about it. Before I buy something, I always read the reviews, and this book had such good reviews. It is so helpful and fun to read. It has a lot of information such as what they really do to animals at slaughterhouses. It is really sad and it made me become a vegan, but it is necessary that aspiring vegetarians/vegans are aware of it. In every chapter, it has things that you can do to help. It also gives the titles of other books that you can read to find out more. I would definetely reccomend this book to anyone who wants to be a vegetarian or who already is one.

This is a great book for teen vegetarians, or teens thinking about becoming vegetarians. This book has 13 chapters, each full of information.
1. What is a vegetarian, anyways?- This gives straight forward answers, and describes different kinds of vegetarians and why people are vegetarians.
2.For The Planet- About how being a vegetarian benifits the planet.
3. For The Animals- You guessed it, all about how being a vegetarian helps animals.
4. For Your Health- About how being veggie helps you. This part also dispels many myths not-vegetarians have about a vegetarian diet.
5.Making The Switch- About going from meat-eater to vegetarian.
6.What will your parents say?- I think this is one of the best chapters, as it gives lots of information about what parents may be thinking and how to convince them without being rebelious.
7. What will your fiends say?- Yet another concern to teens, this chapter deals with dealing with friends.
8. Sticky Situations- This is another great chapter for teens, that answers all those nagging questions. What about at friends houses? How about when I'm traveling?
9. Surviving at School- All about cafeteria blues, science class diesection, and ways to make changes in your school.
10. Some Nutrition Basics- Another great chapter. All the nutrition you need to know, written in a clear way for teens to understand.
11. Fabulous Vegetarian Foods- All about vegetarian foods to try.
12. The Makings Of A Meal- About what to include in yummy and healthy meals.
13. Some Recipies To Get You Started- I'll be honest, I haven't tried any of the recipies yet, but they sound great. They are written in a ay great for beggining cooks.
This book is written in a non-judgmental, just facts way, but after reading it you will probably want to be vegetarian, if not vegan. I love the way the author talked to real teens, and included their quotes, knowledge, and tidbits of information about being vegetarian. This book includes a good concrete basis on all information nessecary to a teenage vegetarian, and is written in a engaging, interesting, funny, and informative way. I wish I could give this book 10 stars, it is such a great reference for the teenage vegetarian.

I became a vegetarian almost ten years ago, and this book was released soon after I made the switch. It could not have come at a better time. I originally found it at the library, but I checked it out so many times, I knew I needed my own copy. The book really set me on a great path, and helped me deal with a number of different situations.

I became a vegetarian while I was still living at my parents' house (where every meal revolved around meat) They initially dismissed my new vegetarianism as a "phase". I was so happy to prove them wrong! This book really helped me gain confidence, and gave me the will-power and drive to stick with the vegetarian lifestyle.

I found Dr. McDougall's website while surfing for vegetarian recipes with Vegetarian Times website as a starting point. It definitely sounded interesting, if not completely do-able for the average person.

A couple days ago I spotted the book in a local second-hand store, and snapped it up, to get a better idea of Dr. McDougall's research and background info. You see, I am a lifelong vegetarian (lacto-ovo, not vegan), and I am married to a doctor who is not vegetarian, and scoffs at veganism (but loves my vegetarian cooking).

I don't think I've ever come across a health book that was this hard to put down. Every chapter has a plethora of numbered references citing an amazing array of highly-respected medical journals (some of which, my husband subscribes to) to back up the sweeping and often surprising claims McDougall makes. It also offers case studies of individuals who have wrecked and/or healed their bodies through food. I, being a visual type, found the numerous lists, charts and diagrams helpful as well.

It almost inspires me to go vegan. Almost. The evidence against cage-free vegetarian eggs and organic range-fed milk is not strong. But then, in the early eighties, most people didn't have access to these. Also, the only thing he has against yogurt is that it is made of milk and has no fiber (although he gives medical evidence that it may not be as helpful in digestion as it is touted to be). Also he says pasteurized cheese is not especially harmful, except in that it's fattening. So, I'm not eliminating yogurt or cheese from my diet, or the occasional fresh egg from my friends' chicken coop.

But, it is an extremely engaging book. Reads more like a popular college nutrition lecture than a sermon, definitely. It is unprejudiced and helpful, patient, and offers a variety of options for different types of people. Recommended.

At last an honest view of diet and health. If you wish to avoid the common diseases of the western junk-food culture get this book and follow it.

I have never met a doctor more concerned with the public health than Doctor McDougall. His book is honest and backed up with decades of factual knowledge.

Do yourself a favor and read this book!

Following the McDougall plan now for 2.5 years I have never felt or looked healthier. Not to mention loosing over 100 lbs. If you are serious about improving your health, loosing weight, or just want some sound advice about going VEGAN then this book is a MUST! Dr. McDougall makes total sense and is easy to follow. Finnaly someone who understands the real road to long term health and weight loss does NOT start with eating eggs and bacon every day!

Written in the early 1980s, this book was one of the first to establish the nutritional superiority of a diet free of animal products. Dr. McDougall documents his assertions with extensive references to scientific studies and medical journals.

However, the diet as set forth in the book is not accessible to many people, due to its extremely low fat content. Dr. McDougall maintains that one "won't feel hungry" on his "health-supporting diet"; in fact, its lack of fat makes one ravenous. I myself tried for years to make it work, without success.

An instructive anecdote: the day I bought this book I was so inspired by it, I cooked myself up a batch of its Vegetable Stew, ate heartily, and--an hour later consumed half a gallon of ice cream. If you want to avoid such binges and make a vegan diet work for you, you need to adjust it to your needs. (McDougall Porridge-- oatmeal without salt and milk, with only a few raisins or currants added, equals mutiny.)

So, while I recommend this book for its scientific and nutritional information, I also suggest buying some other vegan cookbooks that contain better recipes. I also share my own adjustments to the McDougall program:

I disregard the book's cautions about high-fat plant foods, and eat them in moderation and as needed for satiety. I eat more protein-rich plant foods than are recommended by the book. I add some extra-virgin olive oil to the recipes. I add a little salt.
The diet should serve the person, not vice-versa. Good luck.

This is the first book of Dr. McDougall's that I read. I consider this book the "owners manual" to the human body. This book really helped me to understand things that I was experiancing and the relationship to the food I was eating. All the doctors I had seen, would say "we don't know what causes it, but here is a medication to help with the symtoms,"to the questions I would ask. After reading this book and begining to change to a plant based diet, symptoms started to disapear. I no longer have digestive issues. Although I have tested the system, by reverting to some of my prior diet habits from time to time, I find it doesn't take long for the symptoms to return. I think this is refered to as McDougall's revenge. The work that Dr. McDougall has done in this book, & others has helped me to be much healthier than I would otherwise have been. So far I have avoided developing the diseases that are in my family, and I have reversed all the intestinal issues that I was diagnosed with. If you really follow what he says all the way, it does work, and health is worth the effort!