Well Read Veg

Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer.  Little Brown & Co, 2009.

Well-Read Veg Book Club selection

 

Bold, convincing, and carefully fact-checked, yet not absolutist. I'm hopeful this book will earn a wide readership due to the author's reputation. (His novels have earned him inclusion in a nationwide short list of  best writers under 40, and one of the novels, Everything Is Illuminated, was made into a major movie.)  If only all meat-eaters would be willing to look at how cruelly U.S. food animals are treated, perhaps more would change their diets. Especially when vegetarian food is so healthful and delicious. Even a long-time vegan like me learned some new facts; e.g. if you found yourself trapped in a factory farm chicken shed without a gas mask, or fell into one of the giant waste lagoons at a pig confinement facility, you'd die within a few minutes. Foer also points out that a conscientious omnivore--one who will eat meat, but not from a factory farm--is much more trouble socially to a host than a vegetarian. A host would know what vegetarian food is, and could easily offer vegetarian food to a guest, but would have a major research project trying to provide a guest with meat that was humanely raised, since there is so little of it.   Please read and share with friends.

The Empathic Civilization: The Race to Global Consciousness in a World in Crisis, by Jeremy Rifkin.  Penguin Group, 2009.

 

We who care about animals have had to develop our empathy beyond what mainstream society is willing to do, and one of Rifkin’s earlier books, Beyond Beef, addressed the meat issue.  Here he looks at how we treat our fellow humans, making a detailed and lengthy case--over 600 pages--that worldwide we are becoming increasingly empathic (able to care about the well-being of others, even others whose culture and language are very different). Recent surveys have shown that we are becoming more accepting of interracial marriage and mixed race children, homosexuality, the disabled, etc. compared to a few decades ago. We're also coming to see that excess wealth beyond what we need to be comfortable does not increase our happiness. The book is filled with intriguing factoids; e.g. in a section on the development of personal privacy, he tells us that except for kings' thrones, there were no individual chairs until around 1490. Who knew? The ultimate question he raises is whether our increasing empathy will be sufficient to counteract the social and environmental disintegration resulting from climate change and dwindling fossil fuel supplies. He's upbeat that we're going to make it. Wish I could stick around until 2075 or so to see what happens.

The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less, by John Robbins.  Ballantine Books, 2010.

 

Robbins attained fame as an author with his book Diet for a New America.  Here his scope has widened beyond food to include a number of lower-impact lifestyle practices.  He begins by speaking about money management, relating his personal odyssey of growing up wealthy, renouncing it to live very simply, then building up wealth again only to lose it in the Bernie Madoff scandal. Not only did Robbins lose all his savings, but having heavily mortgaged his home, he was in danger of losing it as well. Although loosely organized around suggestions to cut expenses, the book also considers ways to live more healthfully and sustainably as well as more frugally. For example, Robbins doesn't advocate using coupons to save on grocery bills, noting that the foods coupons will save on are usually heavily processed and not very healthful. He advocates limiting TV watching for kids; that doesn't save money directly, but helps them resist advertising for unhealthful foods and unneeded toys that would probably cost a family more in the long run. Robbins includes chapters on nutritious vegan foods (with recipes), non-toxic household cleaning supplies, parenting, greener transportation, and more. Although much in this book has been written about elsewhere, Robbins brings a unique perspective, speaks calmly and compassionately, and in addition to giving facts, tells stories which keep the reader's interest.

Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism, by Melanie Joy.  Conari Press, 2009.

Well-Read Veg Book Club selection

 

Ideally qualified to investigate the mindset that permits humans to mistreat and eat so-called "food" animals while lavishing love and expensive veterinary care on dogs and cats, the author is a social psychologist and professor of psychology. She describes the suffering not only of the factory farmed animals, but of slaughterhouse workers, people living near factory farms who become ill because of the factories' waste products, omnivores who consume a variety of pesticides, hormones, deadly viruses and feces in their meat, and us taxpayers who are subsidizing it all. Meat inspection, which most omnivorous people think is protecting them, is either a joke or nonexistent. It really makes you wonder why a system so hazardous to our health and the environment has continued and in fact, worsened, for so long without a major public outcry. Which is just what the author sets out to explore, in ways that were new to me. For example, "the three Ns of justification"--Normal, Natural and Necessary. All violent ideologies, such as the Nazi Holocaust, have had to convince the populace of the three Ns. A society must get its legal system and news media to support a system of violence, which ours definitely does in its complete acceptance of meat-eating. Then there are the three defenses the author calls the Cognitive Trio: objectification, deindividualization, and dichotomization. A fascinating discussion. The book ends with a section of resources for transitioning to a meat-free diet. Anyone concerned about the hazardous and cruel American way of producing meat will find helpful information here along with encouragement to be part of the solution.

Vice Cream: Gourmet Vegan Desserts, by Jeff Rogers.  Ten Speed/Celestial Arts, 2004.

          I’m writing this in the hottest part of the summer, and wish I could serve you some of Rogers’ delicious vegan ice creams.  I’ve tried two so far: Black Forest (flavored with cocoa and fresh cherries) and Carrot Cake (based on carrot juice, walnuts, maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg).  Both of these inspired enthusiasm bordering on ecstasy in the people I served, and other concoctions in the book sound equally wonderful.  The recipes rely on cashews as the creaminess component, rather than on soy or coconut as other vegan ice creams do.  A few raw recipes are included also.  This little book is still in print (as of mid-2010) and would be a fabulous addition to your cookbook shelf.

How to Eat Like A Vegetarian Even If You Never Want to Be One, by Carol J. Adams and Patti Breitman.   Lantern Books, 2008.

If you’re looking for a book to help yourself or others who are new to preparing whole plant foods, if you’re puzzled about what to do with tofu or kale, pick this up.  The authors adopt a friendly, laid-back tone to meet readers right where they are in their eating habits, and exert no pressure to make sweeping dietary changes.   “We aren’t inviting you to go for a PhD in vegan cuisine,” they write, “we’re inviting you out to the playground!”  The book does contain recipes, but is mostly about putting together simple foods in simple ways.  Every time I’ve shared information from it, the response has been enthusiastic.  Many people want to eat more healthfully, but don’t want to commit to being vegetarian.  They lack the time or interest to learn about unfamiliar foods.  This will get them started down that path, and they’ll learn the ethical reasons as well as health considerations. I’ve given away several copies of the book, and have used its “Ten” suggestion lists as handouts at tabling events.  These lists include Ten Top Vegetarian Convenience Foods, Ten Ways to Eat More Dark Leafy Greens, Ten Fast Snacks or Easy Lunches, Ten Foods to Eat When There’s Nothing in the House, Ten Comfort Foods, Ten Recipeless Meals, even Ten Tips for Hosting a Reception and what to take when visiting the sick. And much more, all entirely vegan.  Have you tried all of the Ten Things to Do with Flax Seeds? 

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