Being Vegan

Rating:
Summary: Expand Your Compassion
Review: 'Being Vegan' is a beautiful contribution to veganism. Joanne Stepaniak's eloquent style and her message of compassion have been such a blessing to me. I own several of Joanne's books and I trust and respect her benevolent wisdom and guidance. She is truly an inspired teacher. It is so wonderful to read about vegan philosophy and compassion without the focus always being on the food. In 'Being Vegan', Joanne teaches that veganism is so much more than what we eat or wear; it's not about "doing the least harm, but about doing the most good". She encourages us to extend our compassion above and beyond our focus on animal suffering, to embrace our neighbors and especially ourselves. After being vegan long enough to have conquered the diet and nutrition aspect, it was time for me to take the next step and begin practicing "dynamic harmlessness". 'Being Vegan' is a wonderful, realistic guide for new vegans and a breath of fresh air for those of us who have been on our journey of compassion for years. I treasure my veganism even more after reading this touching and insightful guide.

Rating:
Summary: The World's First FAQ on Veganism
Review: After reading Joanne Stepaniak's "The Vegan Sourcebook," the most comprehensive and authoritative guide on Veganism that I have ever seen, I was hungry for more of Stepaniak's lucid writing -- a writing suffused with a style that mixed compelling arguments with a gentle compassion and understanding.

This book, which can be considered the world's first FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) on Veganism, is a delight. While "The Vegan Sourcebook" did a splendid job of setting up a sturdy foundation for the Vegan's beliefs, in this book Stepaniak fills in lots of the details by answering very specific questions about Veganism, questions she has received over the years from Vegans who have turned to her for answers. It makes for a fascinating read, and the format lends itself well to browsing -- short questions followed by concise answers. And it covers just about everything you ever wanted to know about Veganism, from how to ensure that you're investing in animal-kind industries; how to deal with relatives who eat meat; what to do if you become Vegan after working for years in a lucrative job at a deli; how to deal with dinner invitations; what to do if you become Vegan while your spouse doesn't, and the list goes on -- there are two hundreds pages worth!

As is typically refreshing of Stepaniak, there's no aggressive proselytizing, no holier-than-thou attitude and always a fine balance between idealism and realism; she constantly reminds Vegans to see the forest for the trees -- that taking any philosophy to an extreme is futile and often leads to needless frustration.

And in the end, it doesn't matter whether readers agree with all of the answers given; what mattered most to me was that, with Stepaniak's gentle guiding hand, I finally confronted many important issues that had been previously swept under the carpet. And by thinking about those issues I was able to come up with a better, more coherent philosophy of life. And this is the greatest accolade that I can give any book. Like Stepaniak's "The Vegan Sourcebook," I highly recommend "Being Vegan."

Rating:
Summary: Pr*tty good
Review: All and all a d*c*nt foray into the world of V*ganism, how*v*r this Ms.
St*paniak still has not discuss*d som* v*ry important historical background information about v*ganism. V*ganism was actually first propos*d as a cur* for fatigu* by Charl*s Urd*ll, a nutritionist in Manch*st*r, *ngland at the turn of th* c*ntury. Urd*ll's theory was that wh*n any animal product *nt*r*d the int*stinal tract of a human, it imm*diat*ly r*animat*d and start*d to attack and d*vou*r on*'s innards. Urd*ll prov*d this by consuming a sausag* and imploding on hims*lf, scr*aming, "Th* sausag* is *ating m* hollow!" as h* was suck*d into an *v*r growing pil* of fl*sh. H* gain*d many follow*rs
from this unfortunat* y*t triumphant d*mis*, and in tribut* to th*ir guru's lov* of Ignatio V*gano, the Romainian po*t, call*d th*ms*lv*s V*gans. Shortly after th*y d*cid*d, in honor of Urd*ll's b*li*f that god was the fifth l*tt*r of the *nglish alphab*t, to n*v*r utt*r his holin*ss' nam* or r*cord his lik*n*ss, l*st th*y b* consum*d by th*ir own fl*sh.

Rating:
Summary: Okay, but could be much better
Review: As a vegetarian, I was interested in the vegan lifestyle, and read this in the local bookstore. While I enourage people to use as little animal products as they can, this book goes on and on about how shouldn't use any if you want to be compassionate. I believe there are other ways to get your point across. While I agree that endless animal suffering is a huge problem in today's society, I feel that just reducing your use of animals products will help encourage others to do the same. I don't wear furs, leathers, wools, buy cosmetics that test on animals, or eat meat, geletin (yes, it is an animal product made from hooves and skin of animals) or fish. By doing this I believe I am sending a strong message. But I'm not going to pass up a hot dog bun just because it has traces of milk powder, and I find that lanolin (made from the wool of sheep) is a product that is difficult to avoid. This book would have you feel as if you're a horrible, uncaring person for doing so. Yes, I agree that vegans eat extremely healthy for the most part, and they eat delicious food. I eat vegan as much I can within reason. But if the only vegetarian meal they have at a restaurant is a Gardenburger (made with cheese in it), then I'll happily eat that. This way I'm showing that avoiding meat isn't all that difficult, and it encourages others to do the same. Of course I could make a big fuss and insist that they cook me a perfet vegan meal, but then who'd really want to follow me then? In short, this book could be an eye-opener to all those who know nothing about the cruelty inflicted on animals for our benefit, but you don't have take everything to heart if you want to make a difference.

Rating:
Summary: THE book of practical veganism
Review: Being vegan in a very unvegan world can be extremely difficult. Fortunately Joanne Stepaniak has provided us all with a guidebook to staying sane as a vegan in our current world. Being a beginning vegan I found this book to be very reassuring that veganism is a realistic possibility for people of all ages. Furthermore, this book prepares you for virtually every scenario that you can encounter as a vegan. Prior to reading this book I had no idea how linked the meat, diary, egg, and leather industries all were. Upon reading this I realized that a vegan lifestyle was perfectly logical and compassionate for me. I would recommend this book to any vegan because it provides a strong base for handling social situations, dining at restaurants, and how to deal with vegan dilemmas. Above all, Stepaniak encourages her readers to seek compassion as much as current societal limits will allow.

Rating:
Summary: Kind of Compassionate for the Busy Vegan
Review: Being Vegan is a great book which is compassionate not just for everything extrinsically altruistic about Veganism, but intrinsically for Vegans themselves. If you are a busy person with little free time, or required reading of a study/work nature makes reading a book seem like a chore rather than a pleasure, then Being Vegan is the book for you. This is a book compassionate towards Vegans themselves by providing a readable style with a punchy article-like question and answer format of FAQs cutting to the essence of what it is to be Vegan. The content is balanced, so taking away the information to intergrate into every day is realistic. Congratulations Joanne Stepaniak for providing a book that is compassionate to everything, including busy Vegans. A consistent author whose skill of her craft can allow the context mirror the content of a work.

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

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

Rating:
Summary: The Essential Vegan FAQ
Review: If you are a vegan who has ever wished there was a Veganism FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), this book is it.

Being Vegan consists of the most commonly-asked questions and answers about all aspects of vegan living. The areas covered include Vegan Philosophy, Relationships, Ethical Practice, and Food. Within each area, questions are grouped by subject. The helpful table of contents lists each question, making the book useful as a reference manual as well as for general reading.

All the common questions are addressed here, from the "what if" objections of the unconverted to the "how to deal with parents" issue. Recognizing that veganism is more than a diet, it also addresses the other day-to-day issues of vegan living, such as pest control, employment, companion animals, etc..

Joanne Stepaniak has once again performed an invaluable service to vegans everywhere, in providing this vital manual. She addresses each issue with her customary compassionate wisdom. Being Vegan is a must for anyone considering or currently transitioning to veganism, as well as for experienced vegans.

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: Nothing too complex here. Joanne Stepaniak answers questions about veganism with clear, simple language and explains the hows and whys of veganism. Veganism is not about being "perfect" or "pure" or better than anyone else; it is about doing the least harm to others possible.

My only quibble with the book is with the layout--the epigraphs of points she makes in the middle of the question can cause you to lose your place, but read around these, and you should do fine. I also wish there were more Internet references. Other than that, it is a fantastic guidebook.