Rating: 
Summary: Excellent and informative read
Review: I found this book to be very informative and helpful towards adopting a vegan diet. It explores the most common questions that prospective and neo-vegans might have, such as "How do I get B12?" "Are vegan diets safe and adequate?" and "How do I get enough calcium?".Aside from these basic questions, the authors delve into the depths of vegan nutrition, using the latest scientific research to debunk some of the commonly held myths. There's information on protein, minerals, fats, carbohydrates, and the latest news on the benefits of phytochemicals. This may sound daunting, but the book is informative without being boring. (I read it in one day!) The authors cite numerous studies across the world that compare vegans to ovo-lacto vegetarians and nonvegetarians. They do this for each section that they discuss. Even when there were some areas where vegans might fall a little short, the authors gave the information in straight terms, without bias. Finally, I liked that after the general nutritional information, there were chapters on the new vegan food pyramid, vegan athletes, vegan infants, vegan children, vegan adolescents, vegan 50+, weight issues (both over- and under-), eating disorders, and vegan diplomacy. I would recommend this book to ANYONE who is adopting a vegan diet or is even considering adopting one.
Rating:
Summary: Highly informative and very worthwhile.
Review: I have been a vegetarian for three years now, but have recently made the decision to switch to veganism. I was looking for a thorough reference and I found these authors mentioned in John Robbin's "Food Revolution" (another EXCELLENT read, by the way...). I have been very happy with my choice to purchase this particular guide.
I found this book to be a wonderful reference for vegans concerned with "doing it right." There are a number of thorough sections detailing vegan nutrition and the authors point out both the benefits AND potential problem areas in a vegan diet. Also, the authors cite numerous research studies, which is essential for any credible health resource. The seventeen chapters are peppered with helpful and informative tables that can be used as quick references for years to come. My copy is filled with highlighter and about a dozen pages are dog-eared. The book includes some interesting chapters for specific groups incorporating a vegan lifestyle; The Vegan Athlete, Overweight, Underweight, etc... Also, it closes with a wonderful chapter on Vegan Diplomacy.
The only short-coming of this book is that some of the science outlined in the vitamin and mineral chapters was difficult for me to understand, but perhaps it's just me. I had to read these sections numerous times in order to "wrap my head around" the specifics. Nonetheless, the bottom line was always clear to me. All in all this is a worthwhile and wonderful guide for those aspiring to practice "harmlessness."
Rating:
Summary: "Must Read" for V-People and Anyone Considering a New Diet
Review: I just read Brenda Davis' and Vesanto Melina's new book "Becoming Vegan" and am thoroughly impressed with the material and its presentation. The authors did a much more rigorous job of researching and presenting the current scientific data, presenting both the pro and contrary findings than in earlier works. I found the directness refreshing in comparison to some of the less scientific and more evangelistic writings that have been published. Highlights are: -A unique and thought-provoking look at the relationship between diet and chronic disease and the protective effects of vegan diets against the leading killers. -One of the most convincing and well researched explanations on why plant proteins are both adequate and preferable to animal protein as the major protein source for humans. -The most comprehensive examination of dietary fat and essential fatty acids for vegans written to date. -A thorough and practical discussion on all of the vitamins and minerals of concern to vegans, including calcium, iron and vitamin B12. -Invaluable guidelines for people at various stages of the lifecycle: pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence and the senior years. -A detailed and thoughtful discussion on matters of weight and shape including underweight, overweight and eating disorders. -Straight-shooting advice about vegan diets and athletic performance. -An exceptional vegan food guide, helping you design a well-balanced vegan diet. -A lively discussion about diplomacy and how to handle sticky situations gracefully in this nonvegan world. I suggest this to you as a must read and something for anyone either considering or already on a vegetarian or vegan diet. Peter Roosen.
Rating: 
Summary: Newbie Vegan
Review: I knew giving up animal products was the right thing to do, but after reading "Becoming Vegan," I got the impression that it would have to be a long, gradual process, as (according to page v of the book) one of the co-authors is not yet vegan herself.
If you're looking for the motivation to become vegan, I urge you to listen to Bruce Friedrich's compelling essay "Veganism in a Nutshell" (for free) at http://www.brucefriedrich.org/. I started and completed my transition to veganism during that hour-long reading.
Perhaps "Becoming Vegan" is a good starters guide for already-vegans, but it's not much in the way of inspiration.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Unbiased Nutritional Information
Review: I won't rehash what has already been said. My story is that I gained 50 pounds with a pregnancy (due to lackluster eating habits). After delivery, I was determined eat right so I read books by Ornish and McDougall which recommend (mostly) vegan diets. I still wasn't convinced that not eating dairy products was a good idea, so I went ahead and bought this book even though at the time I couldn't even pronouce the word "vegan" correctly.
This book is an awesome find and gives a VERY complete run-down on the pros (many) and cons (few, but important) of the vegan diet and allowed me to adopt a plant-based diet with confidence and without fear. There is so much good nutritional information packed in this book that I hate that the word "vegan" in the title (although accurate) might prevent this book from becoming a mainstream resource on nutrition. I'm just sooooo glad that I found it. And by the way, not only did I very quickly lose those extra unwanted pounds, but now my daughter is getting a healthy start to boot. Not a bad deal.
Rating:
Summary: Vegan or not, a must!
Review: I'm a 22 years old vegetarian boy who's trying to get into veganism, but it's quite hard due to my country of residence (Spain.) In this book it's not only clear why anyone should become vegan but also is very informative and clear for people learning about nutrition. A++ for the Author and all the contents.
Rating:
Summary: Newbie Vegans, Read This!
Review: I'm a newbie vegan and was unsure where to begin. After reading this book, I feel confident that I will be able to prepare healthy vegan meals and improve my overall diet, because I now know what is essential to it. This book goes in-depth into which vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are essential to ones health and what foods they come from. In addition, it supplies the reader with a complete food pyramid and sample meal plans, which are very helpful in learning what actually comprises a healthy meal. It also covers the entire spectrum of dietary needs from children to the elderly, as well as athletes. Thus, it is useful for people of all ages and activity levels. All in all, I was impressed with this book's thoroughness and recommend it to anyone who wants to eat better, not just vegans!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Nutritional Overview with Some Caveats
Review: I'm a vegetarian slowly moving into veganism. If you're interested in becoming vegan, this book is a good start. It provides excellent information on general nutrition, as well as details on vitamins and minerals to which vegans will want to pay close attention. It even includes a one-day meal plan for several different levels of caloric needs. If you're a vegetarian or an omnivore wondering why anyone would become vegan, this is NOT the book you want. Melina and Davis, both registered dieticians, focus entirely on their specialty. There is no information about animal cruelty in the dairy and meat industries and no discussion of the environmental and social benefits of a vegan diet. There is also little mention of vegan concerns outside of diet, such as animal-derived products in toiletries. Except for the final "Vegan Diplomacy" chapter, the book is largely charts, graphs, and phrases like "docosahexaenoic acid." Despite this, "Becoming Vegan" is pleasantly readable. Also, curiously, Melina and Davis choose to base their vegan eating pyramid on the USDA food pyramid, which has been heavily influenced by the meat and dairy lobby and is NOT the best guide to follow for optimal health. I suggest obtaining a copy of "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy," the Harvard Medical School's guide to healthy eating, and using the special nutritional concerns covered in "Becoming Vegan" to adapt the omnivorous advice in that book to a vegan diet. This is a worthwhile buy for anyone considering veganism. If you're already vegan, it is a great tool for ensuring your diet is nutritionally optimal and for dealing with detractors who doubt a vegan diet is adequate for human health.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book for Vegans or Potential Vegans
Review: I've been a Vegan for the last three years, and I still found this book an incredible resource. The language on dietary considerations is very down-to-earth and easy to understand, while getting all the facts across. I gave copies of this book to some friends who were looking at making the very difficult (for most of us) shift from being a vegetarian to being a vegan, and it helped aleive many of their doubts. It's scary changing our diets, and there are certainly dangers in making the change over to a animal productless diet; these dangers are clearly articulated in this book, and suggestions are given at how to best compensate for the lack of certain key items (such as the infamous Omega fatty-acids). The most interesting parts to me were the age specific parts. When my child is born, I will want to raise him or her as a vegan, but I would never jeopardize their health; this book gave me a newfound hope, and some very important bits of advice.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, Up-to-date Nutrition Info
Review: I've recently become vegan for health reasons, and this book is my bible. It contains all the up-to-date nutrition information you need to make smart food choices on a plant-based diet. The authors manage to do something that few health writers can: they write for the lay reader without dumbing things down. So, as well as summarizing the data on vegan nutrition, they analyze the strong and weak points of the various studies--which are often based on very small numbers of vegan participants. If you are looking for a cookbook or a book that details the evils of the animal food industry and other philosophical and ethical reasons to become vegan, this is not it. But if you are looking for nutritional facts and advice on putting together a healthful diet at any stage of like, you won't be disappointed in this book.
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