Living Vegan For Dummies

I was nervous at first: most alternative lifestyle books can be quite preachy, and I hate some of the arguments most make for the vegan lifestyles (well, a lot of lifestyles prone to fanaticism). Of course, this book had its chapter of "logical" arguments on why to convert; I could debunk most of the arguments (my biggest pet-peeve is that farm animals have be bred to be domesticated and could not become wild again, so the more pragmatic approach is to further promote the work of ethical farmers and treating animals well, and education - in some cases, punishment - for those who don't) simply because they are not nuisanced or very pragmatic. I am actually often accused of being an idealist, but even I cannot swallow a lot of it.

But that show more was only one chapter, and by far not the most preachy of all "conversion" writing I have read. In fact, there are multiple times in the book where she tells you to cheat - mostly she says if there is no vegan medicine available, the world and your family is better served by you doing what you need to survive/stay healthy and for you to advocate the development of alternatives; and a martyr won't really help the cause anyway. I appreciate this and other practical opinions she expressed.

Actually, I liked the book: it was approachable, understandable, workable, commonsensical (yes, it's a word), and had small moments of humour (though not as much as other Dummies books I've read). It lived up to the Dummies reputation in that I really have a firm grasp of the basics in the eating and the lifestyle. I do not feel ready to go vegan after this, as I do not think I could properly balance the foods necessary to ensure the proper consumption of certain nutrition - in particular, all the amino acids to create full proteins - but I do not think this is the book's fault: (a) it is a library book that I must return, so I cannot revisit the chapter where she discusses that; (b) how balanced do you think my current diet is? I'm a little behind. I may discuss partial veganism (don't say that isn't vegan!) with my nutritionist.

I read the book to get a better understanding of my vegan friends and to balance my boyfriend's egg/milk allergy with my desires to eat less meat. I definitely met this goal. I will not be converting to the lifestyle (I'm eating less meat, eggs, dairy, etc. but BF wants meat - occasionally so do I - and vegan cheese is just not cheese; I love milk and eggs far too much to not occasionally indulge). However, I do make more vegan meals and more vegan choices for the lifestyle e.g. I've been buying more environmental products, even soy candles as I finish my beloved beeswax candles. At the very least, I feel capable of feeding my vegan friends when they visit for dinner or even weeks.

Bottom line: I don't think it is capable of being your own bible for veganism, but it is a great starting point if you are interested in the lifestyle or if you are simply trying to learn to be more supportive of a loved one's choices. show less

I was nervous at first: most alternative lifestyle books can be quite preachy, and I hate some of the arguments most make for the vegan lifestyles (well, a lot of lifestyles prone to fanaticism). Of course, this book had its chapter of "logical" arguments on why to convert; I could debunk most of the arguments (my biggest pet-peeve is that farm animals have be bred to be domesticated and could not become wild again, so the more pragmatic approach is to further promote the work of ethical farmers and treating animals well, and education - in some cases, punishment - for those who don't) simply because they are not nuisanced or very pragmatic. I am actually often accused of being an idealist, but even I cannot swallow a lot of it.

But that show more was only one chapter, and by far not the most preachy of all "conversion" writing I have read. In fact, there are multiple times in the book where she tells you to cheat - mostly she says if there is no vegan medicine available, the world and your family is better served by you doing what you need to survive/stay healthy and for you to advocate the development of alternatives; and a martyr won't really help the cause anyway. I appreciate this and other practical opinions she expressed.

Actually, I liked the book: it was approachable, understandable, workable, commonsensical (yes, it's a word), and had small moments of humour (though not as much as other Dummies books I've read). It lived up to the Dummies reputation in that I really have a firm grasp of the basics in the eating and the lifestyle. I do not feel ready to go vegan after this, as I do not think I could properly balance the foods necessary to ensure the proper consumption of certain nutrition - in particular, all the amino acids to create full proteins - but I do not think this is the book's fault: (a) it is a library book that I must return, so I cannot revisit the chapter where she discusses that; (b) how balanced do you think my current diet is? I'm a little behind. I may discuss partial veganism (don't say that isn't vegan!) with my nutritionist.

I read the book to get a better understanding of my vegan friends and to balance my boyfriend's egg/milk allergy with my desires to eat less meat. I definitely met this goal. I will not be converting to the lifestyle (I'm eating less meat, eggs, dairy, etc. but BF wants meat - occasionally so do I - and vegan cheese is just not cheese; I love milk and eggs far too much to not occasionally indulge). However, I do make more vegan meals and more vegan choices for the lifestyle e.g. I've been buying more environmental products, even soy candles as I finish my beloved beeswax candles. At the very least, I feel capable of feeding my vegan friends when they visit for dinner or even weeks.

Bottom line: I don't think it is capable of being your own bible for veganism, but it is a great starting point if you are interested in the lifestyle or if you are simply trying to learn to be more supportive of a loved one's choices. show less