Review of No More Bull!: The Mad Cowboy Targets America's Worst Enemy: Our Diet (Paperback)

The Mad Cowboy rides again! The long-awaited continuation of his rants and raves on veganism and politics comes through as madcap as ever but with a smart edge that promises to leave a trail of vegan converts. We all know someone who went vegetarian after reading Diet for a New America, and Howard Lyman is threatening to become the next John Robbins, with an endearing smile and naughty wink. No More Bull is a Howard Lyman hit.

The infamous cattle rancher-turned-vegan has a no-holds-barred writing style that occasionally smacks of his mischievous speaking style. I envy his matter-of-fact manner and I'd hate to find myself debating him, but I count on him to tell it to me straight. As a fan familiar with his speaking style, I often hear his co-writers in the pages of No More Bull, as if two others are sitting with Howard and me over coffee discussing veganism. Their writing styles gel together well.

Lyman doesn't mince words when he addresses meat-eaters in the chapter "Message for My Meat-Eating Friends":

"To state the obvious: vegetarians live longer than meat eaters simply and solely because we do not consume the filthy, fatty, disease-ridden, decaying flesh of animals. (Forgive me for being so blunt, but there is no such thing as a clean, lean form of meat, and no other honest way to describe meat - even if you buy it "organic," or blessed by rabbis, or hunt it down yourself.) Vegans live longer still because we avoid as well the fatty, hormone-rich, cholesterol-ridden by-products of the lactation of other major mammals."

Simple as that, my friends.

His call to arms comes in the next chapter - "Message for My Fellow Vegetarians and Vegans." Referring to milk as "liquid meat," Lyman asks "for those of you who are still merely vegetarian and not yet vegan, I ask, what in heaven's name are you waiting for?" He's endearing, nonetheless, not obnoxious, though some vegetarians might take offense if they understandably feel singled out.

Lyman pushes the point that herbivores shouldn't feel like they're saving the world through their food choices. It's not good enough to hide out and have meals with other vegans. Talk to children, talk to schools, invite omnivores over for vegan dinners, question authority, stop preaching. "You're better off serving the seitan stew than preaching the gospel of animal rights."

Unlike many recent books on veganism and health, Lyman doesn't discuss the tragic conditions of factory farmed animals. "People either feel for animals or they don't; while I believe they ought not be shielded from seeing what a slaughterhouse looks like, and the conditions in which their 'food' animals exist, I also think it serves no purpose to browbeat them over animal rights. If you must browbeat them, do so about their health."

Luckily, there are many voices out there describing slaughterhouse conditions. I'd personally eat white rice and cauliflower for every meal if it meant helping to prevent animals from experiencing such suffering. To me, health reasons pale in comparison to animal rights issues in my own personal vegan path. Lyman trusts that the average person is much more focused on their health, and he's left the environment, disease and political manipulation outside his scope.

Half of the 200-page No More Bull is recipes - great recipes from the likes of Neal Barnard, T. Colin Campbell and Frances Moore Lappe', among many others. I enjoyed Bryanna Grogan's Vegetarian "Meat Loaf" and Joanna Samorow-Merzer's Stuffed Eggplant, but the main event of this book isn't the star-studded recipe section. The highlight is Howard's convincing words.

He has seen the insanity of the meat and dairy industries first-hand. As a fourth-generation dairy farmer and cattle rancher, he's one of environmentalists' greatest resources in terms of exposing the truth of chemical fertilizer use, health side-effects of meat and dairy consumption, and the political nightmare we've become caught in like quick sand. In the genre of bold, inspirational books about veganism, Lyman's voice can't be ignored.

John Robbins' review of No More Bull encourages, "If you read this book, several things will happen. There will be more health in your life. There will be more joy in your life." Indeed, in today's sad, troubled world we could all use Lyman's humorous, honest, unapologetic words. --Caity McCardell





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Review of Becoming Vegetarian: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Vegetarian Diet (Paperback)

If you're considering vegetarianism but are wondering how or where to start (or even if it's a good idea) look no further than this excellent book by Canadian dietitians Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis.This is a wonderful primer on nutrition (and would even be good for anyone who's simply looking to improve one's diet).
Published in 2003, this is a revised and extensively updated version of the 1994 original, and it is definitely the edition to get.The book is 454 pages and contains an absolute wealth of current research that has taken place over the past decade.As the authors state, "Much of what was considered mere speculation 10 years ago is now accepted fact.We...provide more thorough guidance for readers.Several issues that were not dealt with in the original book are addressed" and the recipes are refined.The chapter headings are:
1.Why Be Vegetarian.They cover the gamut of reasons people cite for making the switch--from concerns over health and disease to concerns for the environment, economy, and rights of animals.The latter issues are briefly but powerfully addressed, but it's very tactfully done--they're not at all judgemental or abrasive.

2.Maximizing the Vegetarian Advantage.A very powerful chapter dealing with the health of vegetarians and the impact of diet on diseases, including cancer, gall stones, diabetes (type 2), arthritis, and diseases of the heart, kidneys, and the GI system.Includes nutritional recommendations for good health & prevention of disease.
3.Power from Plants...legumes, nuts, and seeds.All you need to know about protein, iron and zinc in the veg diet. (One tip: Vitamin C greatly increases absorption of iron.)
4.Bone Boosters...milk, greens, and other calcium champions.How to maximize our bodies absorption and use of calcium.(Sodium & excess protein actually rob us of calcium).
5.Energy Plus...goodness from grains.A wealth of info about grains, fibre, and how to maximize nutrient absorption from grains.(One tip:Soak whole grains, legumes, nuts & seeds overnight in lots of cold water (discard soaking water)).
6.Perfect Protectors...vegetables and fuits.Vitamin and mineral content is the focus.
7.Fat Feuds...who's winning?All you need to know about types/amounts of fat--including essential fatty acids and how to ensure we're getting them.
8.Fine-tuning the Vegetarian Diet...vitamin B12
9.Designing the Diet...the vegetarian food guide.Covers food groups, recommended number of servings, serving sizes, number of calories per serving,and how to keep a diet log (important initially to determine areas where one may be having problems).
10.Vegetarian for Life.Deals with special situations (pregnancy/lactation, infancy, childhood, teen years, and those aged 50 and over).
11.Vegetarian Victory Over Weight
12.Vegetarian Diplomacy
13.From Markets to Meals.Tips on where to shop, what to buy, food storage, how to make the transition to vegetarianism, and travel.Includes substitutions for chicken broth, ground beef, gelatin, or egg for those who want to adapt non-veg recipes.
14.Recipes...simple treasures.You'll eventually want a proper veg cookbook or two, but included are a good variety of recipes to get one started plus tips on cooking grains and legumes.The few recipes I've tried so far have been super (My favourite is Hot Tofu and Cool Greens--who'd have thought tofu could taste so yummy!).(Tip: When cooking dry (pre-soaked) beans, do not add salt, tomato, or other highly acidic ingredients until after the beans have become tender or they'll be hard to digest!)
In conclusion, this is a comprehensive, incredibly informative (not to mention interesting) guide for the person interested in learning how to become a healthy vegetarian.Whatever your motivation--be it a desire to improve your health & nutrition, to lower your risk for many diseases, to lose weight, to be more environmentally-responsible, or something else, you won't find a better (or at the time of writing a more current) resource than this fantastic book.It's the perfect place to start.In short, I simply cannot praise highly enough, and I recommend it unconditionally!

Product Description
The evidence is in- millions of people are moving toward a vegetarian diet because it offers a healthful and environmentally sound alternative to the standard diet. Becoming Vegetarian is the ultimate source for making this valuable and beneficial life change. Packed with authoritative vegetarian and vegan nutrition information from established and savvy experts, this powerful book takes the worry out of making an important, healthy transition.
Here' what's inside:

• Vegetarian food guide for optimal nutrition and easy meal planning
• Delicious, easy recipes
• Helpful guidelines for those who are just starting out
• Cutting edge scientific information for experienced vegetarians
• Nutrition essentials from infancy through our senior years
• Practical tips for weight control
• Much, much more

This comprehensive update of an international bestseller is the one resource that contains everything you need to know about becoming a vegetarian or fine-tuning a vegetarian diet. From dealing with awkward social situations to making sure you're getting all the necessary nutrients, let Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis give you the information you need to achieve a healthful vegetarian life with ease. Change the way you look at food and your health forever- start following the dynamic, easy-to-implement advice in Becoming Vegetarian today.

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Review of This Crazy Vegan Life: A Prescription for an Endangered Species (Paperback)

This Crazy Vegan Life: A Prescription for an Endangered Species reads like a lifestyle book for omnivores who are considering a vegan lifestyle.Overall this book is pretty substantially focused on weight loss and speaks to someone who may be wrestling with excess weight and poor eating habits.However, it is still broad enough that even those who are already eating a healthy diet and maintaining their weight will find something of value.The premise of the book is that through a vegan lifestyle that emphasizes whole foods, exercise, and mindfulness one can not only lose weight but start a journey towards a healthier life and more longevity.I say lifestyle because Pirello is careful to point out several times throughout the book that this is not a quick fix or a fad diet, but a lifestyle that one must be willing to embrace for a lifetime.

For the most part, Pirello achieves this aim.She manages to give the reader a very good sense of what a vegan lifestyle entails and its benefits (for weight, health, the environment, animal welfare, etc.) as well as a good crash course in nutrition and and exercise.All of these topics are presented in a manner that is suitable for a beginner.In other words, she assumes no prior knowledge about nutrition or veganism.This means that the book is very approachable if you are new to either or both.However, if you're already quite familiar with veganism, nutrition, or exercise a lot of what you find here will be review.In either case, Pirello does a good job of breaking down the shift to veganism step by step and even providing a 21 day plan with menus and recipes to ease yourself in.I especially appreciated that although the recipes she includes are loaded with whole grains and vegetables they don't feel like "diet food" and sound very appealing.As she mentions in her book, a routine is only good if you can stick to it and with recipes like Tangy Pear and Blueberry Salad, maple popcorn, and mini pumpkin cupcakes with orange glaze she makes it seem VERY doable.She also explains a lot of culinary terms, especially as it relates to vegetables, that should help make those who do not cook a lot feel more comfortable with the recipes.

Although I appreciated these aspects of the book there were a couple of things that kept me from giving it a 5 star review.The biggest one for me was the absence of end or footnotes or sources.The author cites a lot of medical studies and nutrition facts, which I appreciate but does not provide detailed source information to check out on my own.For the sake of clarity, she does include a resource list, but these do not seem to be clearly related to the studies cited in the book.I recognize that not everyone takes the time to check out sources but when health and nutrition are involved I love going straight to the source whenever possible.As a point of comparison, Michael Pollan, who she mentions in her book has 23 pages of sources in In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifestoand also includes all the cited articles on his website.It's clear that Pirello did a lot of research for this book so I only wish she made the sources more accessible to the reader.To me this not only instills more confidence in the data mentioned, but also helps me to deepen my knowledge on health and nutrition through my own follow up research.

The other thing I didn't care for is that sometimes the author's tone seemed to slip into hyperbole, particularly when it comes to describing the ill effects of eating animal products.I get that this is done for added emphasis and gives the book life.However, at times I felt like it was a bit much.This is largely a personal judgement and I recognize that others will find the same tone enjoyable.I think it only bothered me because at times it was coupled with nutrition information that could be a bit vague.For example, she mentions that Splenda is broken down into a toxic compound which she deduces will have negative effects on the body.However, she fails to mention in what quantities and to specify what these negative effects will be.This is a case where a footnote would have been fantastic as I would have loved to get more information on this.

Even with these complaints I think there is still a lot of value to be had in this book.It's approachable, thorough, and great for a beginner.Compared to other books I have read on the vegan lifestyle like Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World and Skinny Bitch I think it does the best job of setting you up with the tools you need to be successful.Of the three it also focuses the most strongly on making sure you don't just don't switch from regular junk food to vegan junk food by favoring whole foods.Of these three books I would definitely recommend This Crazy Vegan Life: A Prescription for an Endangered Species the most, but still think there are areas in which it could be improved to be a more rigorous vegan resource.

Product Description
A manifesto on being vegan and living healthfully from the award-winning host of public television's Christina Cooks, Naturally!

Being vegan is not only about a plant- based diet. It means taking a whole new look at health, fitness, lifestyle choices, and the world. Christina Pirello not only advocates the development of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals, and the environment, but also promotes their impact on wellness. Beyond the value of eating whole, and organic foods, Pirello explores a host of subjects from nutrition and fitness to education and emotional well-being as she helps readers take control of their lives and achieve their personal goals, whether they want to lose weight, regain health and vitality, or simply look and feel better.

Featuring a 28-day nutrition and fitness plan, This Crazy Vegan Life also includes sample menus and more than 100 delicious and easy-to-prepare low-glycemic, phyto-nutrient-rich, high-fiber, wellbalanced vegan recipes that emphasize good carbs and good fat.

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Review of The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen (Paperback)

Okay, I admit it, I think a day without cheese is a waste of time.That said, I have to confess I'm really impressed with this book and its wealth of vegan recipes which literally made my mouth water as I read through them.The range of cuisines is quite good, and while there are a lot of ingredients and techniques in common, the variety here is quite wonderful.The recipes are clear and concise, and nothing seems outrageously difficult or time-consuming.These are recipes you'll use.The only reason I didn't give this book five stars is because I really do like a few illustrations.It's nice occasionally to know what a dish is supposed to look like.Even if you're a meat-eater, give this one a shot; at the very least you'll find a raft of side dishes guaranteed to enhance any meal.



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Review of The Vegetarian Gourmet's Easy Low-Fat Favorites (Paperback)

I bought this book about a year ago after I decided I wanted to be a vegetarian, but had no clue how to prepare meals w/o meat.Hinman's book is definately full of great ideas.I have used so many of the recipes that the pages of the books are stained or torn from so much use.
The book is divided into several sections including: salads and dressings, grains, pastas, stove top dishes, casseroles, breads, fruits, vegetables, soups, desserts, and beverages.Definately full of recipes that have plenty of protein w/o tons of fat or calories.It is so easy to make some of these.Most recipes can be done in under 1/2 an hour.Even my texan, meat eating family has enjoyed the cooking from this recipe book. It is a MUST BUY!

Product Description
Bobbie Hinman offers more than 300 tantalizing recipes using whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and a variety of legumes. Among the mouthwatering dishes are Pizza-Style Pasta, Grilled Portobello Sandwich, Iced Maple Coffee Float, and Fabulous Berry Party Trifle. Like all of Hinman's books, this new volume includes a detailed nutritional breakdown showing calorie, fat, fiber, sodium, and carbohydrate counts. This edition contains 20 percent new material, including special icons to indicate ovo, lacto, ovo-lacto, and vegan recipes. Each chapter also contains suggested menus.

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Review of Whole Foods Diet Cookbook: 200 Recipes for Optimal Health (Paperback)

This book is more than a cookbook. It's more like a health book with recipes. With the guidelines the authors provide, an individual should be able to know which recipes out there are healthy, or modify existing recipes to make them healthier. I've only tried one recipe so far, but it was good and the others seem delicious as well. And what makes this book different from other health food cookbooks is that it provides healthy recipes for special occasions such as St. Patrick's Day and Thanksgiving. I don't think the authors had any control over this, but the only thing I would change is I would add pictures of the finished meals. It would help visual people like me.

Product Description
THE WHOLE FOODSDIET COOKBOOK
200 Recipes for Optimal Health
FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE TIRED of counting calories, carbs, fats, and points, this book makes nutrition count instead. Whole foods are nutrient-rich foods-those foods that offer a complete balance in nutritional value while in their natural, unrefined, unprocessed state. They are high in antioxidants, phytochemicals, and essential fats and oils, and low in saturated fats and sugar.
Whole Foods Diet Cookbook includes chapters to educate the reader, and plenty of delicious menus for every occasion. It provides a three-prong culinary approach to healthy living, weight loss, and disease and illness prevention.
(20090302)

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Review of Low Carb Vegetarian (Paperback)

I was excited to order this being vegan, but I was so disappointed upon receiving it, to discover that almost every recipe called for a processed meat substitute like deli slices, sausages, meat sub crumbles etc, or tofu.
Even when a dish has a solid complete protein in it , like beans, the author still adds tofu. Even the hummus had tofu in it....totally unneccesary.
To use this you will be investing heavily in Morningstar and Boca type products and eating a lot of soy.
I dont want to pretend I'm eating meat with each meal. My omnivore partner doesnt like fake meats either, so theres not much that suited our tastes for natural low carb natural wholesome vegetarian dishes.
There's not even a recipe for homemade seitan which is a wonderful low carb veggie staple.
There's tofu in just about every dessert - bleurgh!
Its a relatively thin book with no pictures besides the front cover which features fake meats predominately - should have looked at the picture on Amazon before I ordered.
I have done vegan low carb for a while and KNOW there's better recipes than this to be made.
I ordered at the same time the wonderful Veganomicon, so I think I'll be subbing out the high carb flours for low carb & getting far more use from that book instead.
Sorry! I really wanted to like this but honestly I wish I'd got a different veggie low carb book.

Product Description
At last, a vegetarian alternative to the Zone and South Beach Diets. Here are tasty, easy, nutritious recipes for anyone who wants to lose weight-vegetarian or otherwise. Includes a listing of protein, fat, carbohydrate, and calorie content, and recommended brand-name meat alternatives that can be found in most supermarkets.

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