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 The Vegetarian Handbook: Eating Right for Total Health (Paperback)

I also bought this book shortly before becoming a vegetarian and found it to be a wonderful resource.It goes into a great amount of detail regarding nutrition, dispelling many commonly held beliefs about protein requirements and what is healthy.(No, vegatarians are not starving to death from lack of protein and just too stupid to know it, but they do have a 47% lower risk of heart attack!)
This book is very well research and has a huge bibligraphy section for those wanting to learn more.It details the scientific, social, political, and relgiious reasons that different vegetarians have for their lifestyle.My only complaint with this book is that the recipes inside are vegan, not vegetarian (no milk, cheese, eggs, etc.)But, vegan or not, they are delicious!

Product Description
Many patients that I see in my medical nutrition practice request specific detailed information in order to move toward a vegetarian lifestyle.Here is a book that will guide them along such a path.It will also assist current vegetarians to reach a new level of understanding by offering specific instruction for improving food habits.The instruction includes the most up-to-date and scientific data regarding food protein.By using the egg as a model of the near perfect protein source and comparing vegetarian foods with the egg, we now have available tools for increasing the benefits of protein from non-meat sources.

"Patients with certain medical problems should consider removing red meat and other animal proteins from their diet and moving toward vegetarian food sources.Some of these medical problems include the following: hypoglycemia, obesity, digestive disorders including diverticultitis and other colon problems, gout, and elevated cholestrol.Many specfic studies have shown that the vegetarian diet may help with these problems.This book presents a clear and sophisticated road map for becoming a vegetarian or moving in this direction." --Dr Martin Feldman


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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 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes: Delicious, Easy-to-Make, Healthy Meals for Everyone (Paperback)

This is one of the best vegetarian cookbook ever. Most of the recipes are simple and fast to make, and all of them delicious.
It classified every meal into vegan, lacto-ovo, lacto, and ovo; and each recipe has the nutrionational guide too.
In the last edition they added the Smart Carbs chapter, for vegeterians that are also interested in wiselly choosing their carbohydrates.
I totally recommend this book for everyone that want to eat in a healthier way.

Product Description
This new edition of the vegetarian kitchen bible reflects current food trends and styles of cooking. Catering to the needs of today's busy cooks, from committed vegetarians to "flexitarians" to those simply looking for inventive ideas for peak-of-season produce, the recipes are easier and faster to prepare, with fewer ingredients and more concise cooking methods. The recipes, which all adhere to American Heart Association guidelines, emphasize "super foods" - foods that boast high nutritional, antioxidant, and phytochemical qualities - including blueberries, pomegranate juice, edamame, leafy dark greens, beans and legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and soy. Included are recipes from every category, from appetizers through desserts, with more than 500 entrees, offering a superb assortment of satisfying meals that are low in fat and rich in flavor. Each recipe is labeled with an identifying icon for vegan, lacto-vegetarian, ovo-vegetarian, and lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Nutritional data and diabetic exchanges are provided for each recipe.

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