Vegetarianism Books

I gave a copy to my brother, bought one for a friend, I'm reading it myself for the second time, and I just bought 3 more to share.

I just finished reading Dr. Barnard's book and I'm reading it a second time! I found his book informative and explained in easy to understand terms. I think he makes a very good case for reasons not to continue eating a meat-based diet as the effects of a high fat animal diet lead to many of the popular illnesses and diseases we read about today (e.g., diabetes, stroke, heart attack, etc.)

I was not a vegan or vegetarian before reading this book and I know that some reviewers may think there is too much of a vegan agenda, but I would disagree. Plant based diets are a healthy and economical way to live your life. It can be particularly useful if you're trying to lose weight as well as if you are genetically predisposed to certain illnesses by incorporating the new four food groups into your life and possibly preventing or eliminating potential illnesses altogether.

This is an excellent book. It traces out the nutritional roots of many significant diseases. My wife found it in the library while looking for something else, and now we're on our way to becoming vegetarian.

At times it's a little slow reading and occasionally seems a bit repetitious. However, his work is very well documented and there are extensive footnotes to research done in this area.

For an even more significant piece of the puzzle with regard to the roots of disease check out Henry Wright's "A More Excellent Way". He deals with the spiritual roots of disease, which affect us even more pervasively than the nutritional roots. A wholistic view on life demands that we address each dimension.

This was a great book at exposing the dangers of eating meat and dairy. Dr. Barnard's more recent books like Foods That Fight Pain are also highly recommended. A less than 10% fat diet is great for those who want to lose weight and keep it off, but for those who just want to switch to a vegan diet without losing weight, you may want to include a little olive oil or nuts. A little more fat also may help if your skin gets dry. The research on dairy products is shocking, you may wonder why most doctors and nutritionists keep ignoring the negative research on dairy. I have been a vegan for a couple of years now and feel better than ever. Just think of all of the varieties of fresh fruits, vegetables, various whole grains, variety of different beans, and different types of nuts available. Soy products are not necessary(I can't remember the last time I ate soy), so don't hesitate to buy this book based on that. Read the book about info regarding vitamin B-12 and vitamin D. Highly recommended.

I have purchased over a dozen copies of this book for my family and friends, and finally browsed the reviews today and was shocked to see any negative feedback. So for those considering the book, remember the negative reviews were written by meat-lovers that in no way plan to give it up.

I've read at least twenty or so nutrition books and this is my favorite of them all. It's simple to read, easy to understand, and very complete. It encourages a vegeterian diet for the sole purpose of having a healthy life, rather than giving all the statisitics on animal cruelty.

It deconstructs all the myths (i.e. people need tons of protein, and vegetarians do not get enough iron) and gives tons of yummy recipes in addition to informing you of all the nutritional benefits of a plant-based diet.

It reinforces the fact that doctors do not fix you until you are broken. My brother is in med school and I asked him how many nutrition classes he was required to take..... the answer was none. Why not learn how to prevent diseases rather than fix them afterwards? Why eat a meat-based diet, take your cholesterol pill and destroy your liver, when you can avoid eating cholesterol at all? Why eat excessive simple carbohydrates and sugars and rely on an insulin shot every day?

I've bought copies for nearly every member in my family over the past three years, but sadly they don't bother reading it until they are required to take insulin, or they find a lump in their breast, or they find their cholesterol is off the charts. I believe you have a duty to your loved ones to keep your body healthy so you can be here for them as long as possible, and this book can show you how. For more info, look into pcrm.org

Also, my sincerest thank you to Dr. Barnard for caring enough to spend time to teach interested people the proper way to eat.

A very thoughtful friend (who is a vegetarian) recommended this book to me. Though a meat-eater for nearly 30 years, I decided to give this book a try. I was pleasantly surprised.

First, Young writes in a cool, level-headed fashion that doesn't come across as angry or accusatory. Unlike other books on the subject, this feels more scholarly and balanced.

Second, Young takes you through the Bible with remarkable insight. It is a deeply Christian work throughout. His arguments mainly depend on understanding the whole story, and what he calls "directional markers." This is a very powerful idea that I think really illuminates many modern ethical issues. To his credit, he does not try to argue that Jesus and the apostles were vegetarians, and that this message was somehow corrupted later on. He brilliantly argues that the situations of modern slaughterhouses did not exist in biblical times, and that the fundamental values of Christianity are in opposition to them. He does point out that human history in the bible is bracketed by vegetarian behavior (cf Genesis 1-2 and the Isaiah description of the "peaceable kingdom"). Why then should we not move toward this goal?

My one cavil with the book is that it is not written for the evangelical Christian (which I am). His view of Scripture would certainly make many evangelicals uncomfortable (for example his understanding of several authors writing the Pentateuch, his sometimes fuzzy statements on the nature of Jesus ministry, etc.). Occassionally I thought he cited verses out of context such that their true meaning was obscured by his intentions. Despite these flaws, I think overall his biblical exegesis is sound (Professor Young is a professor of New Testament, so this is no surprise).

I do appreciate his numerous statements along the lines of "I'm not saying everyone must stopping eating all meat in all circumstances." Instead, he thoughtfully and gently tries to challenge the reader to reconsider their own practices. I know that my own meat consumption has gone way down and am contemplating becoming a vegetarian. He encourages the reader to make slow changes, such as finding one meatless main dish per week to add into your diet. Who cannot do that? I also think much more deeply about the conditions that animals are kept in today and how they should live. Would you eat that piece of chicken or beef if you could see the animal's death? What is gluttony if not eating on more than you need? These and more questions are powerful thoughts that will challenge you throughout the book.

Young's purpose in "Is God a Vegetarian?" is simple: to explore the biblical foundations for Christian vegetarianism. Young chooses to listen to "the entire story" of Scripture to make a case for Christian vegetarianism rather than relying on certain "proof-texts".

The core of Young's argument is that the story of Scripture reveals that God is moving humans and animals towards a "peaceable kingdom" where they live together in harmony. Considering this, Christians should structure their lives and daily practices (including their diet) in such a way that it reflects this ultimate destiny.

As a Christian who is exploring the theological and ethical issues of vegetarianism, I found this book to be extremely helpful and informative. Young manages to be balanced, and not biased; simple, and yet not simplistic.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is searching for more information on the biblical basis for Christian vegetarianism.

The title of this book scared me. I thought it would be one of those fanatic books about how Jesus could possibly be a vegetarian, etc. However once I started reading this book I found myself laughing at the chapter titles: "Was God the First Tanner", "will there be slaughterhouses in heaven."

Young thoroughly answers questions that vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike grapple with in using the Bible as guide for life. While at times I felt he took passages out of context, the overall meaning behind his words seemed to speak the biblical truth. Young concludes that vegetarianism cannot be a universal moral truth, yet it is closer to God's vision. I highly reccomend this book for those questioning how Christians are to respond to todays treatment of animals.

I agree with the author's overarching view of biblical hermeneutics -- searching for "directional markers" that build an internally consistent perspective, rather than (non-contextual) "proof texting," a generally paroxysmal and frivolous approach to scriptural study and application. But it seems unfortunate that, given this broadly impacting issue of meat production and consumption, Young has 'hung his hat' so specifically on the concept of 'cruelty' against animals, and of their 'rights', as these issues are, at best, an aside to the far larger moral/ethical, logical, economic, ecological, health related, theological, and human stewardship considerations attached to flesh-foundering. The real ethical questions cannot be reduced sloppily to 'was Jesus a vegetarian?' or 'did Noah eat meat?' (Young sees this much). The deeper ethical issues of today relate to the 21st century world we live in, and should not be reduced to 'muskrat love', they are larger than that, and ask to be considered with 'the wisdom of serpents' (Matt 10:16).

Many in wealthy western culture, uneducated in the science and ethics of meat, think most easily of vegetarians as being equally soft hearted and soft headed; that vegetarians are teary-eyed cow huggers. But the 'animal rights' approach to the meat market culture is the least relevant and persuasive tack toward dealing with the truer, larger picture. In terms of Christian ethics urging the world toward a proactive "peaceable kingdom" (I have no argument against this), the 'animal rights' focus is rather like 'the tail wagging the dog.' More significant moral/ethical issues, relative to vegetarianism, are:

1.) Environmental degradation concomitant to the modern animal-based diet may be the most significant (and popularly overlooked) global assault on nature; an assault featuring deforestation for the production of commercial livestock, loss of biodiversity (plant and animal, terrestrial and aquatic), unnecessary burning of fossil fuels, air and water pollution, loss of topsoil and arable land, desertification, the list goes on. A single east coast factory hog farm constantly produces more raw sewage than the city of Los Angeles, sewage containing harmful bacteria and disease that is simply introduced to ground water (the related ecological and public health problems were briefly presented on the television news magazine 60 Minutes). Neither laws demanding nicer treatment of little piggies nor regulations on the treatment of pig pee are going to alleviate the problem. The only solution is for Americans to rethink their diet of bacon double cheeseburgers and pork sausage. The ecological issues of modern meat are far too large to discuss adequately here, they stretch from the factory farm to the open ocean to the upper atmosphere.

2.) The moral/ethical problems of meat eating are not only environmental, they are economic. Pandering to the palette of the wealthy beefeater demands [anti-human] misdirection of economic assets. Generally speaking, it takes 16 pounds of vegetable protein to produce 1 pound of animal protein. With that comes much more than 16 times the water and fuel! At the height of the 1984-85 Ethiopian famine, while more than a million people were dying of hunger, European meat producers were buying feed grains from -- Ethiopia! Will humanity's natural, agricultural, and economic assets serve humanity, or will they serve the gluttony of the wealthy? Along these same lines, the respected Christian author Richard J Foster touched very briefly on important aspects of the meat focused diet in his book Freedom of Simplicity (1981): "A million hogs in Indiana have superior housing to a billion humans on this planet." And those "million hogs" are degrading ground water, proliferating disease and ultimately creating cancers and premature human deaths (see below). Lest you think there'd be a net deficit of jobs if we eliminated meat packers and cowboys' livelihoods in favor of a plant based diet, assuredly that is not the case. No industry provides fewer jobs per unit of land used than does cattle ranching; a nation with a vegetable based diet would have the potential to create more net jobs while actually reducing costs for the consumer. That may sound contradictory, but federal meat industry subsidies prop up this meat-mad system. Here's one maddening example of these subsidies: If I go for a hike in nearby Cleveland National Forest, I won't see any of the once native pronghorn antelope, instead I'll probably see cows, ranching long ago extirpated the antelope. And guess who pays for these cattle grazing on public lands. As an American taxpayer, I do! The US government builds access roads, digs wells, pipes water, and provides other products and services for the cattle industry that uses public lands. Ranchers theoretically "lease" these land accesses, but the "leases" are laughable, do not cover the public expenditure that underwrites them, and amount to government giveaways. I may not eat beef, but as a US taxpayer, I pay for wealthy beefeaters to eat beef!

3.) The animal based diet is finally a disease and death centered diet. Billions of Chinese have a long tradition of a vegetable based diet, and they have virtually no incidence of obesity, heart disease, GI tract cancers, osteoporosis, or scores of other meat-related maladies -- UNLESS they move to the west and take up the animal based diet. Several excellent medical studies make the point clearly, meat kills (not just cute little lambs, meat kills people!). The health-related issues of the animal based diet are obviously bound to the economic issues as well (for example, health care asset allocation). Will we feed starving people or spend our financial assets first supplementing and then trying to deal with fat people's self-inflicted meat-based sicknesses? The human health issue looms as large as the ecological and economic issues, and is too great to be treated adequately here. These are all highly moral and ethical Christian stewardship questions. How can Christians turn a blind eye?

There are still other ethical issues tied to the animal based diet, and "animal rights" MAY be one of them. But this is not so clear. Is it rational or meaningful to suggest that because animals sense pain that they have any sense of "cruelty"? That they have any sense of their "rights" being violated or of some "injustice" being imposed on them? These are surly sentient concepts well beyond the ken of the animal mind, whatever it may be. The "animal rights" approach to the question of meat appeals to 'warm fuzzy' ideas but what is needed is a serious, hardheaded treatment (by the way, if we begin to do the right things, for the right reasons, the "animal rights" question will begin to go away!). Excepting perhaps Adventists, most Christians have been sadly silent on the matter of meat-mongering (some have even embarrassed themselves with goofy "proof texting" attempts to define vegetarianism as a biblical heresy!).

Young's thesis aspires to a robust view of biblical hermeneutics, which is a good thing. It aspires to treat an important topic. But the "animal rights" focus is misplaced. An outstanding book on the moral/ethical and health issues surrounding the animal based diet is Howard F. Lyman's 'Mad Cowboy'. Christians should have been publishing books like Lyman's decades ago; being shining beacons of conscience in the material darkness, not hiding in that darkness in blissful ignorance and self-indulgence. It's not too late to start doing the right thing.

I must say that I was initially put off by the title of this book. I assumed from the title that this must be another one of "those" Christian arguments for vegetarianism--you know, the ones that use out of context prooftexts to argue that Jesus really was a vegetarian. However, one of my colleagues did his Ph.D. work with Richard Alan Young, and he told me that Young was not only an excellent scholar, but a person who lived his convictions. So I decided to give the book a try, in spite of the title.

I am so glad I did. Young deals with the major issues and texts which arise when the question of vegetarianism is posed. Each chapter heading is a question which leads the author into a discussion of the relevant texts and historical background. He addresses questions like "Was Jesus a Vegetarian?" "Didn't God Permit Us to Eat Meat?" and "Didn't Paul Condemn Vegetarianism as Heresy?" with honesty and theological integrity. He does not try to force intepretations out of the texts, but lets them speak for themselves, offering a balanced and evenhanded treatment.

Most importantly, Young offers one of the best arguments for Christian vegetarianism I've read to date. He does not resort to prooftexting or spurious arguments based on scant biblical evidence. Instead he builds the case for vegetarianism upon a much broader biblical perspective--the peaceable kingdom. In sum, Genesis 1 and 2 offer the ideal view of human existence: humans and animals are vegetarians, humans are the caregivers of God's creation, the world and all creation are at peace. Unfortunately, all that is shattered in Genesis 3. However, the biblical material looks forward to a reinstatement of that original harmony. Examining the prophets vision of the peaceable kingdom, Young concludes that the role of Christians is to do God's will on earth as it is in heaven. In other words, Jesus' vision of the kingdom of heaven is a here and now concept, not a concept that will occur only in heaven. "The peaceable kingdom encompasses the full range of human moral aspirations, depicts peaceful coexistence between humans and nonhumans, and represents the goal toward which God is guiding history" (150).

Our job as Christians is to envision the peaceable kingdom and work to bring it about. Christ's act on the cross was an act of restoration, not just between humans and God, but between humans and other humans, and humans and all creation. Thus, Christians are to be actively involved in that restorative vision. If the peaceable kingdom is to be established, one fundamental step toward that outcome is refraining from eating meat. There can be no peace between animals and humans if we continue consuming animals.

Additional touches set this book apart as well: each chapter concludes with a wholesome vegetarian recipe; the last chapter offers a basic discussion of how to "go vegetarian;" and Young provides a bibliography for further reading.

Don't be put off by the title of the book--I found out that the publisher insisted upon it to make the book more "provocative." This book is a must read for any Christian who desires to investigate Christianity's relationship to animal rights and vegetarianism. It is well written, thoroughly researched, and easily accessible to anyone interested in the subject.

As a longstanding and rather hefty vegetarian, I also firmly felt that my aversion to killing animals, birds and fish for food was rooted in reverence for God's creatures. Richard Schwartz bolstered my spirituality with this compelling and irrefutable book. Genesis One clearly asserted that man was created vegetarian before our fall from grace and plunge into strife. Fortunately, the Prophet Isaiah envisions Messianic times to be an idyllic era wherein men and all creatures will live in peaceful coexistence devoid of bloodshed. Schwartz answers his detractors and accentuates the ecological, moral and human rights benefits of a meatless diet. He also salutes vegetarian advocates including Rav Kook, Rabbi David Rosen and Isaac Singer. If you love this book it will be imperative to purchase and read David Sears' brilliant "Vision Of Eden".

This book is excellent. It is beautifully written, exceptionally complete, and very fair-minded in its tone. The arguments are compelling and clear. I expected a diatribe, but that was not the case at all. Even though I will continue to eat meat, the author raised many pertinent questions and answered them in a thoughtful, well-reasoned way.

Schwartz's treatment of vegetarianism and Judaism is remarkabley thorough. He approaches the topic from the multifaceted avenues of Jewish thinking: Torah, halakhah, values... it's all there. This book is a complete compendium on all the issues and argument pertaining to vegetarianism, concerning for animals, the environment, and more. Schwartz's style is highly readable. He is passionate about his topic, but not emotional. I highly recommend the book to everyone, and certainly for Jews who take our traditions seriously.

I wrote a review on this book for the newsletter for the winter 2001 newsletter for the animal rights group, Last Chance for Animals. I am including my review here:

Richard H. Schwartz's Judaism and Vegetarianism is a useful reference for refuting claims that humans and animals do not deserve equal consideration. It effectively explains and elaborates upon the Bible's stance on vegetarianism and explores other moral and societal issues with which non-religious people can identify; Schwartz even includes a section on how vegetarianism can promote awareness and ultimately resolve these issues. The book also contains answers to common questions, nutritional suggestions, discussions of Jewish vegetarian groups and their activities, biographies of famous Jewish vegetarians, an annotated bibliography, ideas for promoting vegetarianism, and a detailed index. In sum, Schwartz has produced a well-documented, well-reasoned, and very convincing work which ends with a query to Jews who plan to continue eating meat: "In view of strong Jewish mandates to be compassionate to animals, preserve our health, help feed the hungry, preserve and protect the environment, conserve resources, and seek and pursue peace, and the very negative effects animal-centered diets have in each of these areas, will you now become a vegetarian, or at least sharply reduce your consumption of animal products?".

I have read this book thoroughly, and I think it is the most informative, most complete and most readable book about vegetarianism I have ever read. The book is very well structured, the information given is presented clearly and is up to date. Since I am a vegan, I have paid extra attention to what is being said about veganism, and I found the author is objective, accurate and gives sound advice. The B12 issue is dealt with in a responsible manner and I think it is very wise to present the transition to vegetarianism and from there to veganism as a process of growth, where every step counts. The author gives many practical suggestions on how to make changes in your lifestyle without losing touch with family or friends and manages to be firm and friendly at the same time. These things alone make the book a purchase well worth the investment. For me, however, the particular merit of the book lies in the spiritual values that have inspired it. Reading the book from a non-Jewish perspective, what struck me most was that the author has chosen focal points which are relevant to people from all kinds of different backgrounds, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and people who are not religious in the 'traditional' sense. In short, all those who are concerned about the way we relate to our environment from a spiritual point of view. The first focal point is that ethical considerations are more important than habit, convenience, or tradition, and the second is that there will be a price to pay if we chose to ignore the ethical imperative to change our ways. There are many books explaining why it is better for your body to become a vegetarian; there are not many books explaining why it is better for your soul. Richard Schwartz makes the reader see how the themes of inclusion and compassion towards animals are woven all through the Torah. Having read theology at a fairly orthodox Christian college, I have often heard the argument that `since Man was created in the image of God, he was given dominion over all creation' as an excuse for the maltreatment of animals and their reduction to `meat-producing units'. Guided by Richard Schwartz, we are shown that according to the Torah both man and beast are creatures of God, and that our being created in the image of God is not a given, but rather a potential; something to be brought into manifestation by following the pattern God has laid out for us, and that one of the qualities we must manifest is compassion. Instead of feeling very proud of ourselves and thinking that we are like God already, we should realise that we are asked to imitate God in love and concern for all living beings. Instead of 'dominion' we should read 'compassionate stewardship', and that is something else entirely. From the idea of our potential for goodness and compassion, the theme of responsibility is developed. The author shows us how we are responsible, in the sense of being accountable for the wrongs we do not try to stop. By means of the voice of Amos and other prophets he poignantly asks how we can be content and comfortable while others are in great distress, humans or non-humans. I feel that now Europe has recently been plagued by BSE and foot-and-mouth disease, and we have watched the horrors of what is happening every night on television, this question is more pressing than ever. How are we to answer for these things? That is one side of responsibility. The other side is that human beings are called to do justice, to liberate the oppressed, to care for every living being and that it is the way we act in this world, the choices we make and the goals we chose, which form our answer, our response, to God. For me, our human capacity to answer to this call is the basis of faith in a better future for all beings and Richard Schwartz's book has given me every reason not to give up believing. Human beings have the potential to be compassionate and just, and they can learn how to express these qualities. And they will learn more willingly if they are given the facts about oppression and hunger and are shown ways how to change. This is exactly what Richard Schwartz has done. Like the good teacher he is, he shows people what their calling is, where they go wrong, and what they can do to change for the better. This calling is not just for Jews; many people feel that they have a responsibility for the planet and for all that lives there; they just don't know what exactly is going wrong and how to make it better. By enumerating the facts, by showing the consequences of present practices, and by showing the way out, Richard Schwartz makes a very strong case for the vegetarian imperative, no matter what the reader's religion is. I sincerely recommend the book.

Mediterranean Harvest offers an incredible variety of recipes and ways to cook virtually every vegetable. Looking for artichoke recipes, I think I found at least 10, compared to the usual 1-2 in most cookbooks. And many cuisines covered, from Italian to Greek to Spanish to everything else. Inventive and imaginative. I guess the one drawback for some people would be that there are no pics but with food this incredible the recipes can stand on their own. Just got this book so I have yet to really get into it but as a longtime cook I can tell from reading that these will all taste delicious. If you are looking to switch to more of a healthy Mediterranean diet based on vegetables, this book will make you very happy. Some breads and wholesome (yet totally tofu- and wheat-germ free!) desserts, too. It's healthy food that tastes wonderful. Brava Martha Rose.

Trying to cut our food bills, we have recently cut out most meat from our diets. What to make? This cookbook answers that question beautifully. No illustrations, but the recipes are well defined, without being too prosaic. A beginner can master the recipes as well as the sidebars that explain little tidbits of info handy to even an experienced cook. The recipes are wonderful - you wont miss the meat. They are not vegan, tho I imagine some may be, using a lot of dairy products instead. I've made several recipes already and wasn't disappointed at all in any of them. They dont need "tweaking" and my meat eating husband loved them too. Recommend for vegetarians and non- vegetarians alike.

We are trying to get more fresh veggies into our diet and this cookbook is just the ticket. The recipes are wonderful and the ingredients are readily available at most well stocked markets and farmers markets. Everything that I have made so far has gotten rave reviews from my family. The recipes are interesting and easy to follow, using good fresh ingredients. The recipes come from all over the Mediterranean region such as Turkey, Morocco, the Middle Eest, Spain, France, not just Italy and Greece. This is quickly becoming one of my favorites!

Martha Rose Shulman's Mediterranean Harvest owes a large debt to many who have gone before her, including Diane Kochilas, noted expert on Greek cuisine, and Clifford Wright, James Beard award-winning Mediterranean cookbook author. Shulman is quick to give credit where credit is due, and borrows widely from other culinary experts such as Carol Field (The Italian Baker) in areas of local expertise.

With a glut of Mediterranean vegetarian cookbooks on the shelves such as The Greek Vegetarian: More Than 100 Recipes Inspired by the Traditional Dishes and Flavors of Greece (Diane Kochilas), Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World (Gil Marks), and The The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen and Vegan Italiano: Meat-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free Dishes from Sun-Drenched Italy by Donna Klein, why should you choose the pricey Mediterranean Harvest?

One word: love. Shulman's love of local culture, hidden culinary gems, geography, and regional tastes, her lovely travelogues disguised as recipe introductions, and diary entries from memorable stops along her Mediterranean odyssey, both personal vacations and working in Mediterranean kitchens while researching other cookbooks such as Provencal Light and Mediterranean Light: Delicious Recipes from the World's Healthiest Cuisine(Shulman is author of over 25 books). Also, she touches on some less-commonly-discussed cuisines such as Bosnia, Croatia, and Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, and North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia). There is also a handy index arranged by region.

Shulman's rundown of kitchen equipment and the Mediterranean Pantry (spices, olives and olive oil, cheeses, yogurt, wine, herbs, spice blends, nuts and seeds) is a miracle of compactness, yet provides ample information for the home cook without overwhelming. After a brief section on aperitifs, the all-important topic of breads, pizza, and panini is covered first, since bread serves as the base for many common Mediterranean delicacies such as fattoush (Lebanese bread salad), panzanella (Italian tomato and bread salad), and Castilian garlic soup. Most households couldn't afford to waste stale bread (Tuscan bread was traditionally made without salt), so it was given new life as a base for soups, strata, and vegetable salads (the juices would soften the bread).

The list of sauces and dressings includes such favorites as Salsa Romesco from Spain (almonds, bread, spices, and tomatoes), aioli (garlic mayonnaise) several variations of Italian pesto (basil, olive oil, cheese, and nuts), and yogurt-based sauces common in Greece and the Middle East (tzatziki, skordalia, tahini dressing, chermoula, harissa, and preserved lemons). Tapas / meze (finger food) are given a respectable spread befitting their social importance in the Mediterranean, including Tunisian carrot salad, tabbouleh, several variations of marinated cold veggies, hummus, bean and legume salads, and greens.

The eggs and cheese section captured my heart from its introduction; Shulman recalls a Velazquez painting from 1618 of an old woman cooking eggs, with the simple garnish of onion and olive oil, melon, and wine. Such staples as frittata, Spanish tortilla, omelets, strata, and several varieties of scrambled eggs delight, along with a recipe for homemade ricotta cheese.

The "small catalogue of pasta" (if this is the small catalogue, I'd love to see the large one!) is a chef's dream, and there are numerous sidebars to aid you in properly cooking pasta, making homemade pasta dough, and shaping homemade ravioli and garganelli.

The rest of the book is dedicated to savory pies, gratins, vegetables and beans (stews, sauteed/ pan-fried veggies, potatoes), rice, couscous, and grains (risotto, polenta, pilaf) and topped off on a sweet note with sweets and desserts (biscotti, clafouti, granitas, fruit compotes, ricotta cheesecake, baklava, and dessert couscous). A brief page of online resources for Mediterranean ingredients is included, as well as a select bibliography. Thankfully, sidebars are also included in the index as they are numerous and enlightening.

Overall, this may be the most complete look at Mediterranean cuisine that I've had the pleasure to read, vegetarian or not. Shulman's obvious respect and love for the region and its varied, healthful cuisine shines through every page, and her down-to-earth instructions and informative sidebars add to the experience. The visual design is simple and uncluttered (no photos or line drawings), with the focus appropriately on the magical recipes that transport you around the globe. The recipes are generally straightforward and simple, take advantage of fresh produce (although some shortcuts such as canned tomatoes and canned beans are used), and are delicious. If you're looking for one cookbook that combines the charms of Italian, French, Spanish, Greek, and Middle Eastern cuisine along with delightful commentaries on local culture and dining, Mediterranean Harvest is the book for you.

This is one of the best vegetarian cookbooks I've tried. I've even purchased a copy for my son and his wife. My husband, who's not a vegetarian enjoys the meals I make using these recipes. Most are low in fat and tasty. Highly recommend this one.

I was disappointed only in that this was a vegan cookbook and not vegetarian as the title implies. There are some good recipes, but not enough to hold my interest. I sent it back.

I am a serious home cook who has made this book her kitchen bible. The recipes contained in this book are scrumptious and remarkably free of all animal products (including eggs and dairy). As vegan cookbooks go, this book is unique. The culinary results are delicious and visually appealing. The author is a professional chef who knows how to layer in complex, yet pleasing flavors into dishes for spectacular results. Ken Bergeron really knows how to stimulate taste buds that have grown weary of the same-old, same-old. Truly innovative cuisine like this doesn't come around every day. I've made dozens of recipes presented within these pages with incredible success. Over the holidays, I followed the author's menu suggestions. I made the festive holiday menu for Christmas dinner and the hors d-oeuvres menu for an elegant cocktail party. Most of the invited guests were non-vegetarians with sophisticated taste-buds--definitely not the dry lentil loaf and brown rice crowd. I was delighted to receive enthusiastic raves and dozens of requests for the recipes. The fried oyster mushrooms, vegetable walnut and pecan pate, baby bella mushroom risotto and maple nut tart were especially big hits, but everything was devoured with gusto. This book is truly avant garde--I believe vegan cuisine will be the everyday norm for most American tables by the end of the next century. Even Time Magazine--hardly a granola rag by any stretch of the imagination-has recently predicted this dietary megatrend will happen in the near future. Undoubtedly, this book will help lead the way. No home should be without it. And, anyone making a profession out of feeding the public--pay attention, please! Customers will continue to want to live large into the next century, but that doesn't necessarily mean they want big slabs of dead animals oozing blood on their plates. Exotic fruits and vegetables, prepared with all the care and attention given to flesh-centered cuisine, will fit the bill just fine. Many trendsetters are looking for this now, but millions will follow.

All of the recipes in this book are not only vegetarian they are vegan. They are also scrumptious. I have tried several and it is well worth the trouble of having to scale down the recipes (since this is really created for restauranteurs everything serves 10).

Truly great example of why the question --don't you get bored eating vegetables all the time--is so funny!

Steph

Wow, chef Bergeron is a genius. Yes, a genius. This book contains dozens and dozens of sophisticated and inventive recipes using vegetables. Wow, and Wow again. A treasure trove!!!! Hey, home cooks out there, you will amaze your friends with any of these recipes. I only wish I had purchased a copy of this book sooner.

A little bias because Ken is a friend of mine, Ken is a modest down to earth guy---No pun intended. I am not a vegetarian by any means but every recipe that I have used is awesome. You really have to try the Oyster Fried Mushrooms, Watermelon Catsup or The Sea Czar Dressing. I have worked side by side with Ken, who is an incredible wealth of knowledge and expierience as a Vegan. Ken is the 1st World Vegan Gold Medalist at The Culinary Olympics in 92. I am very proud to be considered his friend and very proud of this book.

All I can say is it's simple, easy to read and healthy! Don't let the "Professional" in the title fool the average person because it is for everyone.The knowledge and eye opening this will give you to the vegetarian/vegan world is priceless.

Capers in the Churchyard: Animal Rights Advocacy in the Age of Terror is a swift read, but a long mental journey. I feel the same sentiments as Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson when he writes in the book's foreward, "[The author, Lee Hall] thinks further than I have thought about certain areas, and I am thrilled to be able to follow her on this extraordinary mental adventure." Indeed, while reading the book, I was introduced to ways of thinking that are different from anything I have ever read in the literature, or heard at the conferences I've attended.

In this thin volume, Hall explores what the philosophy of animal rights was, is, and could potentially be. In Hall's view, the modern animal rights movement is actually an animal welfare movement in masquerade. For instance, the term `humane slaughter' is just as ironic as the idea that thousands of animals can be freed from cages each year only to be replaced by more animals in those very cages.

In a nutshell, Hall writes that "the guiding principle here isn't to help [animals], but to aspire not to interfere." If animals were not interfered with in the first place, they would not be subject to exploitation. The most basic step one can take to stop interfering with animals is to stop consuming animal products. The cessation of other interferences will soon follow. Essentially, Hall's vision is for the animal rights movement to become "the most comprehensive peace movement ever known."

One of the most striking points in the book is the idea that graphic images of animal exploitation serve to promote animal welfare not animal rights. The fact is we shouldn't need these graphic images to tell us all the horrors of animal use. All we need to know is that animals are being used against their will. And that is wrong.

Overall, of course, Hall denounces violence (unto other animals, unto other humans, unto ourselves, and unto the environment we all share). I fell right into stride with Hall on this idea. For those of us who don't feel we fit in with the passiveness of animal welfarists nor the violence of other activists, and who strictly oppose the exploitation of other beings, we have a comrade in Lee Hall.

This is absolutely the best book ever written on animal rights, what works and what does not. I rarely get speechless, but I don't know where to start (or stop) praising Lee Hall for outlining the path we must follow to achieve true abolition of humanity's custom of enslaving any beings defined as non-human.

But Capers in the Churchyard is much more than that. To quote Hall, "The advent of animal rights philosophy would mean the most comprehensive peace movement ever known. Not only would it turn swords into ploughshares; it would dedicate those ploughshares to an agriculture of peace."

I finished the book at 3 am --it was a page-turner. I just couldn't put it down. The book is really hard to discuss in detail within the confines of a brief summary, because every word of it deserves discussion. This book will clear away the convoluted notions that proliferate within the advocacy community. It will allow the reader to appreciate the simplicity and effectiveness of nonviolence. I plan to use it as a topic amongst animal-rights discussion fora; it will be my leading reference book.

Lee Hall is hope personified.


Chris Kelly

"[I]f any domination is reinforced so is the whole culture that's based on hierarchy and that teaches hierarchy," writes legal scholar and animal advocate Lee Hall, in Capers in the Churchyard: Animal Rights Advocacy in the Age of Terror. Released July 2006, Hall's book is essentially about domination and subordination (primarily of nonhumans, but also of human animals) that has become pervasive throughout the animal rights' movement.

Drawing a compelling comparison between the non-abolitionist sector of animal rights' activists-that is, those who do not ask for nonhuman animals' complete freedom-and those who use violence to attempt to achieve the end goal of animal rights, Hall's work states that neither of these groups believe true animal freedom can be achieved in our lifetimes. And that, apparently, is enough to give up on the goal of even working towards it.

Hall challenges those who believe violence works, asking, "Copying the activities of war-makers or soldiers forcing people to behave or not to behave in certain ways-this perpetuates the daily social control by some authoritative force. Other people are not the enemy of animal rights; if there is an enemy at all, it is the tendency to depersonalize them." In other words, violence has been the mainstream for so long that peace would be the truly revolutionary change.

Both participating in violent solutions and working towards getting animals' bigger cages are ways of working within the system. What we need is a radical change where hierarchies are abolished, whether that means man over woman, white over black, or human over nonhuman.

Does throwing a flower pot at a bunch of clerks or digging up a grave really work if our end goal is to eliminate hierarchies and the violence that contaminates them? Hall, and writer-psychologist Jeffrey Masson, who authored the book's foreword, do not believe so. Indeed, Masson writes, "I have an old and very strong opinion about emotions: they cannot be forced." Masson than goes on to say the best method for convincing others is persuasion. After all, if a person truly changes how he or she is thinking, he or she can convince others of what he or she has learned. "If he merely desists out of fear, he will not carry any kind of message to others, but will feel resentment, which is sure to find expression is some different act of cruelty."

Masson and Hall ask us to think seriously about the best in activism and how to model a completely new idea for others who might have never thought about it. When our own diets and our whole lives stand for treating others with respect, we are in the best position to convince others we're on to something big. -L.Long

Caper's in the Churchyard: Animal Rights in the Age of Terror is an almost masterpiece. I say almost ONLY because the book ended before I was ready; Lee Hall held my wrapt attention from Page 1.

Hall's book is so powerful and convincing in its analysis of the modern day animal rights movement that you'd be hard-pressed to find any glaring errors; she takes on the whole movement, and many of its Sacred Cows, to make the point that there really barely IS a rights movement; in the United States, at least, it's about welfare, not rights, and much of the sheer stupidity exhibited by many of those in positions of power and visibility within the movement do nothing more than mock the movement as a whole.

Much of this book is about violence, and how brutality in any of its manifestations is completely antithetical to animal rights. That's the part of this book that is stunningly brilliant. Hall minces no words in taking to task the multitudes who argue violence as a necessary form of direct action of behalf of animals. Hall instead argues that animal rights, by its very nature, is a peace movement. She is passionate, articulate and persuasive in making the case.

This book should be required reading for every person involved in the Animal Rights/Vegan community.

But I do have a complaint: Lee Hall does one heck of a job deconstructing the mess that is Animal Rights, but what she fails to do (and to be fair, doesn't attempt) is to outline what the movement could or should be. For me, this is a glaring omission. After feeling very inspired by her words, I found myself feeling very lost, too. Where do we go from here?

That said, this book impacted me more than any other book on the subject that I've ever read. Period. I'm crossing my finger's that Hall becomes a louder voice in a community full of loud-mouths---people who are more interested, it seems, in being provocative, shocking and offensive than in changing the course of public opinion.

Read this book. Please.

(Originally posted on SuperVegan.com)

Recent headlines bring news that attacks on laboratories by animal rights extremists in Britain have declined by as much as fifty percent in the past year. The reasoning for this is certainly complicated, but most definitely interesting to consider for those active in the animal rights movement. Shedding light on the issue of terrorism and animal rights is Lee Hall's new book Capers in the Churchyard: Animal Rights Advocacy in the Age of Terror (Nectar Bat Press, July 2006), with an introduction by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson. Hall is the current legal director for the group Friends of Animals and authors the column, "Movement Watch."

While the book seems to meander between many topics in a somewhat unstructured manner, many of the topics take head on issues within the animal rights movement most are too cautious to approach. The subtitle of the book speaks to the larger issue on the minds of many as the terms terrorist and animal rights activist are all too commonly linked in the minds of those in government and the media. Though tactics such as boycotts, protests, and undercover investigations are by no means terrorist acts, other acts committed by certain groups and individuals with the clear intent of invoking fear, and arguably terror, in particular individuals to promote an animal rights agenda are causing this connection, an issue to which Hall's book speaks. By looking at the Newchurch, England campaign against a family-run farm where guinea pigs were breed which took place over a six-year span from which the book takes its title, as well as others, Hall questions some of the contradictions of the tactics of more aggressive campaigns.

Additionally, much of the controversy for Lee Hall comes from the reoccurring disagreements within the movement between the welfarist vs. abolitionist mentality. For example, the discussion of the use of birth control by the state to control the population of wild horses has brought divisive lines between the campaign work of groups such as Friends of Animals, arguably abolitionist, and the Humane Society, arguably welfarist. Hall writes, "The welfare group's agreement to add another layer of control over the animals without disturbing their valuation as resources distinguishes animal welfare management from an animal-rights approach." This is not to say that all of the topics addressed are boiled down to a polarity between these points, however it is clearly an issue of great contention and Hall addresses the issue on many different fronts throughout the book.

The book is a good read for those looking to examine tactics within the movement and consider what the larger implications of these campaign tactics may be beyond the particular campaign and how it may be perceived by those outside the movement. Though it's hard to imagine handing someone on the street the "Handy Pull-Out Guide to Animal Rights" and having the reader understand what it is we as a movement really want to happen and how, the point that the movement should have something so straight forward and handy is not lost. Book such as Hall's cause those of us within the movement to take the time to examine in what direction we are going and how best we might achieve the ends which we seek to achieve.

The great thing about a McDougall recipe is the spice blends. Mary McDougall really knows how to put spices together to make things delicious. I highly recommend this and other McDougall books.

In an 8 month battle with the health effects of years on the standard Western diet, this book is now the first off my shelf of cookbooks. (McDougall Quick and Easy is second).

The index is useful. The food is filling and tasty. The health effect is 65 pounds lost and cholesterol cut in half. You will satisfy your desire for good food and possibally save your life!

I think all of Dr. McDougall's books are very very good. The cookbooks are really a big help to me as I learn how to cook this new way. The China Study got my husband and I started in this direction and we are very happy it did! We do feel a lot better already but expect to feel even better after a few more months (we are in our first month). This is a cookbook that I plan on using for a long time. I also like the Almost No Fat Cookbook by Grogan (it uses no animal fat).

McDougall rocks! I think Dr. McDougall has the answers to our health problems and reading all of his books, even the ones that are out of print or hard to find is so worth the effort. If you want to see your blood pressure go down, your cholesterol drop and your aches and pains go away - you've got nothing to lose by giving his program a try. You quickly become accustomed to a change in your diet. If you want to stay away from the doctor, get rid of your prescriptions and chuckle at the commericals for medications - you need to begin McDougalling. Life changing!

Dr. McDougall's change of food has helped me a great deal. I was having trouble with high sugar, triglycerides, etc and now am having trouble with iron in my blood. Eating no meat, dairy, white bread, white rice has brought all down and I am not hungry. It is filling and his books give me ideas for new recipes.

I read this book last year and it made an impact on me. Someone suggested I re-read it and I'm catching everything I didn't pay attention to last time. I've been in pain for 6 years with fibromyalgia. Medication has a place for some people but for me it just doesn't work. If you begin to understand disease really isn't as complicated as it's made out to be then you can begin to heal yourself.

The minimal price of this book could save you thousands of dollars in the future! The author, Keck-Borsits, gives the reader an alternative to throwing more money away on pills that don't work, on surgeries that leave you maimed, on doctors, potions, and lotions.

The real life stories and evidence speak volumes to this reader. If you or someone you know is suffering give this book a chance. This book contains practical advice on how to change your life through eating raw organic plant foods as well as by incorporating other principles of natural hygiene. The author emphasizes how important it is to listen to your own body and make changes you are comfortable with. I was truly educated by this book and moved by the author sharing her experience.

i need to get depo out of my system before i kill my self!!!!

This book is a real eye opener, thoroughly researched and well written. I would recomend it to anyone wanting to heal themselves of the many diseases that doctors create.

I found 'Dying to Get Well' a real eye-opener. If you are tired of being sick and want to get well the natural way, this book is a great start. I can see that Shelly has done a lot of research for this book. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to be in better health.

Sounds a bit over the top, but I'm an actress in Hollywood with an athletic build. I've always found it hard to stay really lean, even though I'm a hard-core athlete, and that makes it hard to compete with the waifs. I bought Brendan's book two months ago and for the first time I am shredded without starving myself. I feel better than I ever have in my entire life and I honestly can't believe it.

I love the diet, love the food, love the philosophy. (I'm also an environmentalist)

I read the book cover-to-cover, excited by the philosophy but dismayed by the foreign foods that I needed to learn to locate, sprout and soak in order to start. This was just initial panic. I got over it.

I started with the smoothies and energy bars. I bought the Vega Complete Whole Food Optimizer he recommends and I found that making the smoothies was super-fast (throw my fruit, water, optimizer in a blender and go) and that while the energy bars took a little time, I could make a 2-month supply at a time, and then have a quick, easy snack always ready. I like them best frozen, so I'm not worried about spoilage. That was week one.

Week two I did my big shop (it was a bit pricey to start, but it's been very cheap ever since) which took a little to psych up for, washed and sanitized my fruits and veggies, and started sprouting. As soon as my sprouts were ready (a few days later) I took a full day and made pizza, burgers, crackers, sauces, salad dressings, etc. I basically made a little of everything. The joy was that I then could eat all week without doing anything but opening up the fridge. Since then, I've run out of things one by one, but since I've done it before, I had all of the ingredients on hand and it was no big deal to replenish; getting started was the hard part. I was glad I just bit the bullet and did it all at once.

Sprouting and soaking have become part of my routine and I actually find it kind of fun. It's very fast and I get the "farmer's joy" of seeing the first shoots every few days.

I keep Brendan's book on the table and I read part of it every day while I eat. I'll probably keep doing that until I feel like I have fully absorbed it and can really remember what nutrients are in which food.

Last night I did I bathing suit scene in my acting class and didn't think twice about stripping down in front of everyone. That's a first.

I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels to look in the mirror and feel great about my body, without having to punish myself to get the look I want. When I told my husband he said, "I never thought I'd hear you say those words." Yeah, neither did I.

I just finished my second marathon season, and am ready to take a step up in the laziest manner possible. ha ha! My previous diet was vegetarian, no dairy, but fish and eggs were included because I didn't feel like I was getting the right fats and protein. What I like about this book is that Brendan gives you the info to dive right into a vegan diet, but he also gives you the basics for someone that wants to slowly ease in, with regards to effort. I have started by adding to my intake every day: a veggie rich salad, a smoothie, and an energy bar. They were pretty simple, and did not involve spending $237 at whole foods (beside, I found a great co-op which is way cheaper). I pick a few things, and then shop only for the ingredient they require. I have tried sprouting quinoa and buckwheat, and the quinoa has become a new favorite in salads and energy bars. I'm also a big fan of BOKU Superfood powder, which has a lot of the ingredients he talks about like Chlorella, Sea Vegetables, and other good stuff. I don't spend much time cooking during the week, so I prep all my veggies, salad items, and energy bars on Sundays, and then everything is really fast during the week. I'm not much of a dinner person either... I often go out with friends and follow his eating out tips, and or myself eating a bowl of cooked psuedograins for dinner, and that's enough. After a few weeks, I'm down from 130lbs to about 127, and my body fat has decreased about 2% as well. Weightloss is appealing, but its not really my priority, mind you. Its all easy enough, becomes easier after you try recipes a few times, and you feel very good since you're getting proper nutrition for once without crazy supplements! This is a lifestyle change and something I feel like I can do on an ongoing basis.

Most Westerners' typical diet is absurdly unhealthy: junk foods, fast foods, big meals with artery-clogging red meat entrées, rushed breakfasts, sugary snacks, corrosive sodas and super-sized portions. Professional triathlete Brendan Brazier presents his "Thrive Diet" to introduce the gluttons stuck in this fat and flabby world to fresh, unprocessed, healthy foods. His main premise: Many people expend more energy digesting dreadful food than the food delivers, so they are tired and "nutritionally" stressed. Instead, Brazier argues, people should eat easily digested, nutritious whole foods. Based on raw vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, sprouts and other "nutrient-dense" foods, Brazier's diet is as healthy as the typical Western diet is harmful. Yet some readers may find it hard to eat (popped amaranth hemp seed salad?), complex to stock (where do I buy spelt?) and time-consuming to prepare (how long do I soak my pumpkin seeds in purified water?). Of course, people should eat nutritious, whole foods, but Brazier's seed beet pizzas and pomegranate green tea pancakes sound like lots of extra effort in the market and the kitchen. getAbstract thinks that this heartfelt book raises two questions: Do you want to be healthier? And could this rigorous regimen be the way?

I have been studying nutrition for 10 years. The ideas expresed in the book are so well explained, so simple (if you are looking for scientific terminology look somewhere else), and they are so common sense, it makes you say AHA! its like a super summarized compendium of all the modern nutrition theories, that might well be best taken as plain facts. Thanks for joining all this info for everyone Brazier.

"The cornerstone of the Thrive Diet is high net-gain foods. It's that simple. By eating more high net-gain foods, your energy will rise, body fat will decrease, mental clarity will be enhanced, and cravings for refined foods will fade." ~ Brendan Brazier from "The Thrive Diet"

We all want to Thrive in our lives, don't we? It's kinda hard to live at our highest potential if we're having a hard time getting out of bed, eh?

As an active, athletic vegan, I've worked hard to make sure I'm as healthy as I can be. That's why I was thrilled when I first met Brendan Brazier (we actually met at John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods' ranch). Brendan's a professional Ironman triathlete and is one of only a few professional athletes in the world whose diet is 100 percent plant-based.

Yep. Ironman. And no meat. No dairy. No refined foods. Nothing but plants.

I'll repeat: Brendan only eats plant-based foods and he's a professional athlete in what must be THE most grueling sport out there. (For those curious souls, an Ironman consists of a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike ride and wrapped up with a 26.2 mile marathon. The best athletes in the world do it in under 9 hours. Brendan's among that group.)

"He does THAT and he only eats plants, you say?!?"

Yep.

"But where does he get his protein?!?!"

From plants. Tragically, plants don't have quite the same marketing spend as the meat and dairy industries so you don't hear quite as much about their nutritional value but you'll learn how to best THRIVE on the food nature intended us to eat in Brendan's brilliant book, "The Thrive Diet."

To my surprise, this book is very well written, not preachy or ideological, but rather is a "laundry list" of facts and well documented research on the topic of vegetarianism, why people have switched over, the current role society plays in the environment and of course, health. The facts are compelling, and you cannot deny the truth. As everything is footnoted and sourced, the author challenges you to read the articles and publications that are referenced in her 101 reasons. This is truly a must read book for those who are interested in the truth about eating meat and the effect it has on a person's health, the environment, the economy, world hunger, and of course the animals. This book sealed the deal for me in fully converting to a vegetarian diet.

I loved this book! It was candy to my soul. I read it twice and probably will again. I highly recommend it to everyone that wants the facts, the whole facts and nothing but facts. A brilliant piece of work. Very well done.

"101 Reasons" is full of facts I didn't know, and full of stats for those I did. I particularly learned a great deal about the impact of factory farming on the environment, and fish in particular. Although the book is barely off the press, it already predicted things that happened after its printing: additional cases of mad cow; enormous numbers of deaths for animals during the Katrina hurricane; and outbreak of avian flu.

"101 Reasons" is unlike most books and lectures on vegetarianism, which preach to the already converted and don't teach me (already converted) anything I didn't already know. "101 Reasons" will surprise people whether they have, or lack, previous knowledge of the rationale for vegetarianism.

The book is beautifully written. To the point, and humorous puns makes a hard-to-take message more palatable.

I want everyone I know to pick this one up!

-- Jean Thaler Brooklyn NY
for some reason Amazon shows somebody else's name as the reviewer

There are all sorts of reasons to become a vegetarian, and this little book contains 101 great ones. From the effect of animal production on the environment to the destruction of genetic diversity and the spread of disease from animals to humans to the horrific treatment of farmed animals, many of these reasons will sound familiar to a lot of people.

Still, these reasons are articulated in intricate and often disturbing detail. The links between dairy production and the life (if it can be called that) of veal cattle, the extreme overproduction required of laying hens and mother cows, the huge amounts of waste produced by factory farms and the dangers of biotechnology, genetic engineering and cloning are outlined in stunning detail.

Of course there are also reasons involving the positive health benefits (and benefits for the planet) brought about by eating a vegetarian diet, from reducing your risk of several kinds of cancer to increasing beneficial phytochemicals in your diet and reducing the world's oil and energy drains.

There are probably reasons here that most readers have not considered, and facts you might not know about; for instance, that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest pregnant women heat cold cuts to 170 degrees to reduce their risk of getting listeria. Or that even though its forbidden for cows to eat other cows because of the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or mad cow disease), the Food and Drug Administration says as many as 350,000 cows that humans consume were fed bovine by-products.

So many moments in this book will make readers gasp in surprise and horror at the state of the average American diet and what it is doing to the animals, the workers who are paid to kill those animals, the planet that must deal with the waste and corpses of those animals and the people who consume such a diet.

If nothing else, this book will affirm everything you believe about why the vegetarian diet is right for you and the planet. Perhaps you could also use it to convince family and friends to stop their meat-eating ways, or at least to show them why you are a vegetarian.-Sarah White

Be prepared, this is no ordinary book on vegetarianism. It is undoubtedly THE BEST I've read on the subject in over 24 years of maintaining a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle.

101 Reasons is a gift to society. A clear, comprehensive log of the myriad reasons a vegetarian diet just makes sense. The tone is perfect-unapologetic and direct while still light and conversational. Reading this will strengthen your convictions if you are already vegetarian, and will make you stop and reassess if you are not. This is a "just the facts" approach. Thankfully, not once are animals referred to as "cute" anywhere in the book. Covering everything from individual health benefits to environmental and global impact, and everything in between, this book should be a treasured resource in any home library to be referred to again and again.