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Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World
Curious about veganism? Want to be a vegan? Already a vegan? Just wondering how to be vegan without going insane? In this informative and practical guide on veganism, team Torres helps you love your inner vegan freak. Loaded with tips, advice, stories, and comprehensive lists of resources that no vegan should live without, this book is key to helping you thrive as a happy, healthy, and sane vegan in a decidedly non-vegan world. Witty, opinionated, and eminently useful.
180 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2005
67 people are currently reading
3016 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews
May 15, 2007
I loved this book. (I am a vegan, mostly for animal suffering reasons, as are the authors.) In my opinion, this is the best support book for vegans out there (also see Living Among Meat Eaters by Carol Adams). I do have to admit, I felt angry at times during the reading of this book. In my opinion, it kind of encourages outrage. So, for those already unfriendly toward vegans or veganism in general, or those just mildly curious but largely ignorant about the lifestyle or the message promoted in this book, I’d expect some of those people to feel angry and defensive while reading it. So, maybe it’s not the most inclusive book (although the authors do try to reach out to all their readers), but it’s a wonderful book for vegans who feel different, misunderstood, or who just need to hear their beliefs (which are held by a small minority group) reflected back to them.
October 13, 2012
I also really did not care for this book. The section on making your cats vegan just blew me away. As a vegan AND a student of veterinary medicine, I can tell you that cats are true carnivores that quickly become quite sickly when fed a vegan diet. If you don't want to feed your pets meat, get a naturally veggie pet; but don't risk your pets' health, and don't read this crappy book.
September 10, 2007
I fucking loved this book. period.
August 20, 2007
Some of the information is good, but I didn't particularly enjoy the snobbish, holier-than-thou attitudes of the authors. I think this book would turn omnivores and even vegetarians off to the idea of veganism based on the authors' communication style. The book is just not all that well-written.
April 25, 2011
As someone who is trying to transition to a vegan lifestyle, I found the advice in this book to be somewhat condescending. It totally trashed lacto-ovo vegetarians as well as vegans who "cheat" every once in a while. I think the draconian message of this book is likely to discourage people who are on the verge of becoming vegan, rather than encourage them to take the steps necessary to complete their transition.
I would have appreciated advice on how to avoid temptation at restaurants and around the holidays. Instead I was made to feel like an asshole because it is hard for me to resist cheese sometimes. Although there was some decent advice on how to handle comments from curious and/or insensitive omnivores, it wasn't really anything novel.
However, after reading this book I think maybe I need to remember my reasons for adopting this lifestyle, and put a little more effort into completing the transition.
I would have appreciated advice on how to avoid temptation at restaurants and around the holidays. Instead I was made to feel like an asshole because it is hard for me to resist cheese sometimes. Although there was some decent advice on how to handle comments from curious and/or insensitive omnivores, it wasn't really anything novel.
However, after reading this book I think maybe I need to remember my reasons for adopting this lifestyle, and put a little more effort into completing the transition.
March 28, 2008
The best advice book for people who want to go and stay vegan about dealing with all the non-vegan bullshit they will inevitably encounter from other people. The most helpful piece of advice is these three words: MEEK VEGANS SUFFER!
This book will teach you to be a strong vegan and not compromise your animal rights ethics just to fit in to the dominator culture, which is full of people who are always looking for an excuse to justify animal exploitation. I'd recommend borrowing this book from someone (like me) or finding this book used, because there'll be a new edition coming out in the fall of 2008, which will be better.
See also:
- Bob Torres's book Making A Killing: The Political Economy of Animal Rights
- Bob 'n' Jenna'a podcast: Vegan Freak Radio
This book will teach you to be a strong vegan and not compromise your animal rights ethics just to fit in to the dominator culture, which is full of people who are always looking for an excuse to justify animal exploitation. I'd recommend borrowing this book from someone (like me) or finding this book used, because there'll be a new edition coming out in the fall of 2008, which will be better.
See also:
- Bob Torres's book Making A Killing: The Political Economy of Animal Rights
- Bob 'n' Jenna'a podcast: Vegan Freak Radio
March 10, 2012
Poorly argued--ranting but no logic. And with a great deal of inexplicable animosity towards vegetarians. This books seemed written by and for a small coterie of vegans that are less interested in making the world a better place and more interested in maintaining the purity of what they think the word "vegan" should mean.
If you're interested in the health benefits of a plant-based diet, read The China Study. If you're interested in a an overview of health, environmental and ethical reasons--written with a deep compassion that Vegan Freak lacked--read The Diet Revolution. And if you're interested in the philophical arguments for fundamentally changing the way we relate to animals read Peter Singer's Animal Liberation. There's no reason to waste time or bookshelf space with Vegan Freak.
If you're interested in the health benefits of a plant-based diet, read The China Study. If you're interested in a an overview of health, environmental and ethical reasons--written with a deep compassion that Vegan Freak lacked--read The Diet Revolution. And if you're interested in the philophical arguments for fundamentally changing the way we relate to animals read Peter Singer's Animal Liberation. There's no reason to waste time or bookshelf space with Vegan Freak.
July 8, 2010
An alternate subtitle could be "How to Survive and Appropriately Behave Amongst Meat-Eaters." Basically, it's a book by a cool, tattooed college professor couple for other hipsters that don't eat meat or meat byproducts. A librarian and fellow vegetarian friend of mind loaned me the book, and I recommend it. I disagree with the occassionally snotty attitude that the authors display. I think that they may fail to understand that many people in inner-city neighborhoods, e.g. my community, have a hard time getting cheap vegetarian foods, particularly when a pack of bologna or hot dogs, sold for 89 cents, and bread for 2 bucks can feed a family, yet a pack of apples is 5 dollars (not even from a fresh market) and that shit won't last me nearly as long. However, I support all promotion of vegetarian and vegan ideals.
December 9, 2014
Hilarious, abrasive, direct, cutting, precise. This book is a lot of fun if you don't take yourself more seriously than you take veganism. They don't sugar-coat things: exploiting animals needlessly is not an option. If you went vegan to feel good about yourself because you love (cute) animals, then don't bother. If you went vegan because you give a shit about the rights of sentient animals to be left the fuck alone, then this is probably worth a read. Denying rights to others is not a choice, it is an abuse of power, and it is violence.
Mostly a practical guide to living vegan, while Bob's other book Making A Killing: The Political Economy of Animal Rights fills in the blanks where vegan ethics theory is concerned. They take a similar approach to Gary Francione and reference him a fair bit.
This is vegan education through a law/sociology/professor lens, it can grate occasionally for folks from less litigious countries, but it's also an approach worth being familiar with given the legal and legislative issues involved in creating change.
It will definitely grate on folks only in it for the feels, spiritual status, magic healing powers, or whatever... but whatever, Bob and Jenna aren't out to stroke egos. Animal lives being mindlessly extinguished matter more, and this is a book to educate people. It was useful to me in my early vegan years.
Some of the old Vegan Freak Radio podcasts are available on YouTube, check them out. They're a lot of fun.
Mostly a practical guide to living vegan, while Bob's other book Making A Killing: The Political Economy of Animal Rights fills in the blanks where vegan ethics theory is concerned. They take a similar approach to Gary Francione and reference him a fair bit.
This is vegan education through a law/sociology/professor lens, it can grate occasionally for folks from less litigious countries, but it's also an approach worth being familiar with given the legal and legislative issues involved in creating change.
It will definitely grate on folks only in it for the feels, spiritual status, magic healing powers, or whatever... but whatever, Bob and Jenna aren't out to stroke egos. Animal lives being mindlessly extinguished matter more, and this is a book to educate people. It was useful to me in my early vegan years.
Some of the old Vegan Freak Radio podcasts are available on YouTube, check them out. They're a lot of fun.
June 26, 2021
I do believe that in “Vegan Freak” Bon and Jenna Torres had the best intentions in mind but good intentions aren’t enough to convey such an important message. Plus some mistakes were made…
To start, there is a language problem. The language used in this book is not the language for persuasion, it is instead the language of confrontation. This is not the best way to pass on an ethical and moral code to strangers. You cannot confront someone during 200 and something pages and expect that they would change their lifestyle and views.
Not to mention that the usage of swear words does detract a percentage of your audience immediately independently from the message you are trying to pass across.
Jokes are another issue here.
Despite the fact that in several pages the authors try to pass as inclusive and non discriminatory, and for that I applaud them, there are lots of jokes made in relation to some types of people that are not in good taste. Mocking people for following trends, having certain tastes or being in certain “groups” is on the vulgar side and comes across as weird when at the same time the authors try to be inclusive.
There is a lot of good information in this book but it is mixed with some misinformation.
This book also does not consider the difficulties that people might live in that might make a struggle to go vegan. Being monetary, of general resources around, the environment the person lives in, the mental state of the person, etc.
It bluntly tells you that being vegetarian or plant based is still bad and only a vegan lifestyle is acceptable.
It would be much better to advocate small changes to reach a big goal, instead of just telling people to do the major change in one go. Plus, they basically state that going vegan for health or ecological purposes is not acceptable, and only should be done if you do it because of your ethics.
None of this sounds like a conductive path to a major change in society.
To summarize these are the changes that would have to happen to make this book a decent informative text:
-Promoting small step changes to a larger goal;
-Advocating for health and ecological benefits;
-Giving tips for a peaceful dialogue with people that might not be so favorable to vegan views;
-Actually writing a book in a way that persuades people to think about the matters in stake and draw their own conclusions;
-Not making jokes about any group or individual;
-Make sure that you do have in mind that people do not all live in the best that first world can offer.
To start, there is a language problem. The language used in this book is not the language for persuasion, it is instead the language of confrontation. This is not the best way to pass on an ethical and moral code to strangers. You cannot confront someone during 200 and something pages and expect that they would change their lifestyle and views.
Not to mention that the usage of swear words does detract a percentage of your audience immediately independently from the message you are trying to pass across.
Jokes are another issue here.
Despite the fact that in several pages the authors try to pass as inclusive and non discriminatory, and for that I applaud them, there are lots of jokes made in relation to some types of people that are not in good taste. Mocking people for following trends, having certain tastes or being in certain “groups” is on the vulgar side and comes across as weird when at the same time the authors try to be inclusive.
There is a lot of good information in this book but it is mixed with some misinformation.
This book also does not consider the difficulties that people might live in that might make a struggle to go vegan. Being monetary, of general resources around, the environment the person lives in, the mental state of the person, etc.
It bluntly tells you that being vegetarian or plant based is still bad and only a vegan lifestyle is acceptable.
It would be much better to advocate small changes to reach a big goal, instead of just telling people to do the major change in one go. Plus, they basically state that going vegan for health or ecological purposes is not acceptable, and only should be done if you do it because of your ethics.
None of this sounds like a conductive path to a major change in society.
To summarize these are the changes that would have to happen to make this book a decent informative text:
-Promoting small step changes to a larger goal;
-Advocating for health and ecological benefits;
-Giving tips for a peaceful dialogue with people that might not be so favorable to vegan views;
-Actually writing a book in a way that persuades people to think about the matters in stake and draw their own conclusions;
-Not making jokes about any group or individual;
-Make sure that you do have in mind that people do not all live in the best that first world can offer.
February 2, 2013
I wish I could say I liked this book, but I just didn't. Perhaps because according to their standards I'm not an 'ethical' vegan, I'm an 'enviro' vegan. I also live in Paris... I know this city like my back pocket, and still find eating out difficult. I can tell you, you will most likely succumb to Peter Singer's "Paris exception" knowingly or unknowingly. Here, there is mayo, cheese, milk and butter in strange places, lentilles are usually boiled in beef stock, etc. As far as "accommodating restaurants" in Paris, hmmmm, they are few and far in between. And I speak French. One waiter told me, "This is not Burger King 'have it your way'" which I found extra odd since we don't even have Burger King here (?).
Then came the chapter on 'Enviro-veganism', which the authors call a "fundamental misunderstanding of what veganism is", and, "we'd be swimming against a strong tide to suggest that anything done for environmental reasons is somehow not something done for a good reason." Indeed. Very strong tide. Where will we all live, humans and non-humans, if we ruin the planet? What will we eat? What about clean water? This, in my mind, discredited the entire book, hence the one star (and only because that one star means "I didn't like it", otherwise it would be zero stars).
Also, I did not like the sentence "that hot little black 'fuck me' dress'" as that has some very foul implications to it. I live in Paris : I have an entire closet full of LBDs (little black dresses). None of them with the aim for that sort of attention.
Then came the chapter on 'Enviro-veganism', which the authors call a "fundamental misunderstanding of what veganism is", and, "we'd be swimming against a strong tide to suggest that anything done for environmental reasons is somehow not something done for a good reason." Indeed. Very strong tide. Where will we all live, humans and non-humans, if we ruin the planet? What will we eat? What about clean water? This, in my mind, discredited the entire book, hence the one star (and only because that one star means "I didn't like it", otherwise it would be zero stars).
Also, I did not like the sentence "that hot little black 'fuck me' dress'" as that has some very foul implications to it. I live in Paris : I have an entire closet full of LBDs (little black dresses). None of them with the aim for that sort of attention.
November 14, 2011
I have a love-hate relationship with this book :) but it is actually my biggest reason to be an ethical vegan (freak, as the title).
This book is quite controversial for everybody (new vegan, old vegan, vegetarian, or even non-vegan) because the authors are very harsh and direct with their theory of defining a "real" vegan. In each chapter, the authors define (and keep remembering the reader) that vegan means ethical vegan with no exception. Ethical vegan means that the purpose of implementing veganism is for animal right. So, those vegans which doing it for diet, environmental and any other reasons are not vegans and push those kind of vegan to stop doing it (or stop calling themself vegan). Because they will make non-vegan confuse and the real vegan pissed :P
Nevertheless, I love this book because it consists of tips and many tricks to handle people who isn't vegan. For me it's very important because after becoming a vegan, the hardest part is facing those people than finding a good and delicious vegan cuisine. And I actually used one of the tips for my best friend which is a long time vegetarian. To conclude, it really helped me.
This book is quite controversial for everybody (new vegan, old vegan, vegetarian, or even non-vegan) because the authors are very harsh and direct with their theory of defining a "real" vegan. In each chapter, the authors define (and keep remembering the reader) that vegan means ethical vegan with no exception. Ethical vegan means that the purpose of implementing veganism is for animal right. So, those vegans which doing it for diet, environmental and any other reasons are not vegans and push those kind of vegan to stop doing it (or stop calling themself vegan). Because they will make non-vegan confuse and the real vegan pissed :P
Nevertheless, I love this book because it consists of tips and many tricks to handle people who isn't vegan. For me it's very important because after becoming a vegan, the hardest part is facing those people than finding a good and delicious vegan cuisine. And I actually used one of the tips for my best friend which is a long time vegetarian. To conclude, it really helped me.
March 1, 2017
3.5*
As a newbie to veganism, I was keen to find an accessible and informative book to help me adapt to my lifestyle change.
Vegan Freak is a highly readable resource covering many aspects of veganism, including which products are and are not vegan, ethics and animal rights, common issues new vegans struggle with and personal anecdotes.
The edition I read has dated slightly (not sure if there are newer editions available) and many of the recommended products are hard to source in the UK.
That said, it's certainly reaffirmed the reasons I wanted to go vegan in the first place and I would say it is especially useful for those taking their first steps towards veganism.
As a newbie to veganism, I was keen to find an accessible and informative book to help me adapt to my lifestyle change.
Vegan Freak is a highly readable resource covering many aspects of veganism, including which products are and are not vegan, ethics and animal rights, common issues new vegans struggle with and personal anecdotes.
The edition I read has dated slightly (not sure if there are newer editions available) and many of the recommended products are hard to source in the UK.
That said, it's certainly reaffirmed the reasons I wanted to go vegan in the first place and I would say it is especially useful for those taking their first steps towards veganism.
March 6, 2017
Do you ever feel like a total freak? I think most vegans have felt that way at one time or another. Whether it is in the company of family who still believe you are going through a phase or friends who tease you about being a plant killer, going vegan can make you feel like the only compassionate person in a world full of ignorance.
That is why reading Vegan Freak by Bob and Jenna Torres was refreshing. Reading it, I felt like I was in good company and not the only one who has to deal with meat-pushing family and friends. In fact there were many moments in the book when I found myself thinking, “Yes! I have felt that way!” The book is written in a conversational style and despite dealing with serious subject matter the authors have the talent of injecting a healthy dose of humour into their writing. Some parts of the book had me laughing out loud.
Vegan Freak appealed to me because it is aimed at people who are vegan, or who want to become vegan for ethical reasons. Many books on veganism are about health, weight loss and spiritual benefits. I’m not knocking those things, but it was nice to read a book by people who are vegan for the same reasons I am – for the animals.
An important point that was drummed home throughout Vegan Freak was that “meek vegans suffer”. As a natural people pleaser I sometimes find it hard to tell people I am vegan. It’s not that I’m ashamed (quite the contrary), but I hate putting them out or making them feel bad. Vegan Freak showed me that I can be polite and still let people know about my dietary requirements. In ‘Chapter 2 – In Which We Get All AR On You’ the authors discuss the basics of why people become vegan and I surprised myself by learning something new about gross hidden animal ingredients that I wasn’t aware of before. I guess I will be checking ingredients even more carefully in the future.
If you have a sense of humour and you aren’t afraid of laughing at yourself you will love this book, but if you take yourself too seriously perhaps it won’t be for you. I noticed amongst the positive reviews on Amazon a few negative ones that didn’t seem to get the joke. It is important to remember that one book cannot cover everything on veganism and animal rights. Vegan Freak is not an in depth analysis of animal rights. However, it does have a wonderful resource section, which has given me loads of new ideas for my book wish list.
So for vegans present and future who want to gain some skills for living in a non-vegan world I recommend you add this book to your vegan and animal rights collection and embrace your inner Vegan Freak.
That is why reading Vegan Freak by Bob and Jenna Torres was refreshing. Reading it, I felt like I was in good company and not the only one who has to deal with meat-pushing family and friends. In fact there were many moments in the book when I found myself thinking, “Yes! I have felt that way!” The book is written in a conversational style and despite dealing with serious subject matter the authors have the talent of injecting a healthy dose of humour into their writing. Some parts of the book had me laughing out loud.
Vegan Freak appealed to me because it is aimed at people who are vegan, or who want to become vegan for ethical reasons. Many books on veganism are about health, weight loss and spiritual benefits. I’m not knocking those things, but it was nice to read a book by people who are vegan for the same reasons I am – for the animals.
An important point that was drummed home throughout Vegan Freak was that “meek vegans suffer”. As a natural people pleaser I sometimes find it hard to tell people I am vegan. It’s not that I’m ashamed (quite the contrary), but I hate putting them out or making them feel bad. Vegan Freak showed me that I can be polite and still let people know about my dietary requirements. In ‘Chapter 2 – In Which We Get All AR On You’ the authors discuss the basics of why people become vegan and I surprised myself by learning something new about gross hidden animal ingredients that I wasn’t aware of before. I guess I will be checking ingredients even more carefully in the future.
If you have a sense of humour and you aren’t afraid of laughing at yourself you will love this book, but if you take yourself too seriously perhaps it won’t be for you. I noticed amongst the positive reviews on Amazon a few negative ones that didn’t seem to get the joke. It is important to remember that one book cannot cover everything on veganism and animal rights. Vegan Freak is not an in depth analysis of animal rights. However, it does have a wonderful resource section, which has given me loads of new ideas for my book wish list.
So for vegans present and future who want to gain some skills for living in a non-vegan world I recommend you add this book to your vegan and animal rights collection and embrace your inner Vegan Freak.
February 24, 2015
Vegan freak is an interesting and helpful, in many ways, read.It’s main concern is ethical veganism.The authors support an abolitionist stance which states that human beings are not entitled to use animals for any reason because they have the basic right not to be harmed or treated as an object. As a logical consequence they claim that the only consistent/non-contradictory stance is becoming a vegan meaning no use of any animal product whatsoever and a vegetarian view misses the point and supports in part animal cruelty.I’m intuitively sympathetic with the idea but my problem is that they don’t present any philosophical argument i can work with; they assume this to be either self-evident or that the reader already knows and agrees with the abolitionist stance.
They move on to discuss some social challenges vegans face that being: arguing with non-vegans, eating out,identifying non-animal products and knowing what to eat. They urge the reader to become a healthy, happy and educated vegan, to gently discuss the issue of animal exploitation with non-vegans when asked and overthrow the stereotypical idea of vegans being stupid miserable, judgemental hippies. Τo symbolically stand for our ideas and do whatever possible to raise awareness in a peaceful and informative way in order to help the indefensible and stop their torture.
It offers some decent and helpful advices for new vegans and a simple guide on how to survive in a world they are perceived to be the freaks and some good sources to educate themselves such as the China study, Becoming vegan, Diet revolution, Introduction to animal rights etc. It was a short, fun and refreshing read though it didn’t offer much new to me.
They move on to discuss some social challenges vegans face that being: arguing with non-vegans, eating out,identifying non-animal products and knowing what to eat. They urge the reader to become a healthy, happy and educated vegan, to gently discuss the issue of animal exploitation with non-vegans when asked and overthrow the stereotypical idea of vegans being stupid miserable, judgemental hippies. Τo symbolically stand for our ideas and do whatever possible to raise awareness in a peaceful and informative way in order to help the indefensible and stop their torture.
It offers some decent and helpful advices for new vegans and a simple guide on how to survive in a world they are perceived to be the freaks and some good sources to educate themselves such as the China study, Becoming vegan, Diet revolution, Introduction to animal rights etc. It was a short, fun and refreshing read though it didn’t offer much new to me.
November 7, 2017
I read this as someone considering going vegan. I was supposed to be the target audience for this book, and for the latter half, at least, the authors seemed to be thinking about readership like me. The first half of the book, however, was one big circle-jerk for people already vegan. Every page breathed the "those poor vegetarians. They think they're actually doing something! We better show them how damn enlightened we are" attitude. The tone for this book is everything people hate about vegans--self-righteous and narrow, this book succeeds in convincing those already on the path to righteousness, so to speak. The authors fail to consider any alternative paths to veganism; they see only their animal rights veganism as the One True Veganism, and that's simply not convincing for people considering veganism for other reasons. Their "advice" chapters are really not that helpful, or are too broad to be useful. I've gotten better advice from other books and websites (in fact, I'd recommend people skip this book, and read the texts on their biography, instead). After reading, I still have only a basic understanding of how to navigate life as a vegan.
For authors that continually reference their jobs as university professors, they consistently forget the first rule of college writing: consider your audience.
For authors that continually reference their jobs as university professors, they consistently forget the first rule of college writing: consider your audience.
Read
February 2, 2011As a vegan of 2 years I thought that this book was very interesting. It was funny and made some good suggestions on how to deal with non-vegans judging you. I also like the books they suggested and plan on reading a few of them as well. The only thing that I didn't like about the book was that it made you feel like it you weren't rich enough to do all the things they stated you were a bad vegan. Like if you were still wearing your old leather boots, rather then immediately going out and buying new vegan boots which can be expensive. The rich elitist tone where it came to spending money was annoying, but the rest of it was great. So I'd just look past that "veganer then thou" bits cause there is some great tips.
October 20, 2018
59/#52książki2018
Książka bardzo amerykańska (kto by się spodziewał po dwójce Amerykanów?). Autorzy mają spoko poczucie humoru, ale generalnie mnie rozczarowała.
Po marketingu, spodziewałam się zupełnie innego produktu - czegoś co z humorem opisze jak weganin może sobie radzić z trudnościami funkcjonowania w niewegańskim świecie (jak głosi podtytuł), z jakimi problemami może się borykać.
Tymczasem 3/4 książki to mówienie o tym, że należy przejść na weganizm, dlaczego należy przejść na weganizm, etc. I to jeszcze okraszoną pełną powtórzeń retoryką i radykalizmem.
Chociaż zgadzam się pod wieloma względami z poglądami autorów, ciężko mi było to czytać.
Na pewno nie należy podsuwać tej książki nie-wegańskim znajomym zainteresowanym tematem, bo, IMHO, tylko ich zniechęci do weganizmu. Mnie by zniechęciła.
Książka bardzo amerykańska (kto by się spodziewał po dwójce Amerykanów?). Autorzy mają spoko poczucie humoru, ale generalnie mnie rozczarowała.
Po marketingu, spodziewałam się zupełnie innego produktu - czegoś co z humorem opisze jak weganin może sobie radzić z trudnościami funkcjonowania w niewegańskim świecie (jak głosi podtytuł), z jakimi problemami może się borykać.
Tymczasem 3/4 książki to mówienie o tym, że należy przejść na weganizm, dlaczego należy przejść na weganizm, etc. I to jeszcze okraszoną pełną powtórzeń retoryką i radykalizmem.
Chociaż zgadzam się pod wieloma względami z poglądami autorów, ciężko mi było to czytać.
Na pewno nie należy podsuwać tej książki nie-wegańskim znajomym zainteresowanym tematem, bo, IMHO, tylko ich zniechęci do weganizmu. Mnie by zniechęciła.
December 1, 2018
The author's intent was good, but I didn't care for all of the profanity in the book. There were also quite a few minor typos throughout, which don't affect the message but I find annoying and distracting when I'm reading. What I didn't like about the message was the authors's take on veganism from a purely ethical standpoint, while dismissing or minimizing other reasons people might have for choosing veganism (like environmental or health reasons). I wouldn't consider myself an ethical vegan, though the atrocities I know happen every minute in animal agriculture keep me from "cheating." For someone who is or is considering going vegan for ethical reasons, this book could be helpful, but might be off-putting to those who have other reasons. They do have a lot of good information in here, though, about things to consider when going vegan.
January 23, 2013
The authors’ tone will likely to be polarizing to readers. Those who like their commentary spiced with snarky asides will enjoy it. Those who prefer a kinder, gentler approach will likely be frowning.
However, you have to respect folks who have the guts to say that some vegans do much more harm to the animal rights movement than good. These people range from fake vegans who only eat animal foods “sometimes,” to those who feel that the best way to convince others to care is by screaming at them. The authors spend quite a bit of time advising on how not to become one of these types.
However, the majority of criticism is saved for the factory farming industry, and the choice to financially support it. The authors present a hypothetical, but instantly familiar scenario: a story of pet abuse discussed on the evening news. It seems “Simon” gets his jollies out of burning his dog with a blowtorch. It’s his way of amusing himself, until someone discovers the tormented dog. People are horrified as they learn about the dog’s torture. They shake their heads in disgust, get angry, start to cry— all over plates of dead animal parts. The book continues:
[T]he same essential scenario is repeated millions upon millions of times across the country as people tune into the TV news over their evening meal – an evening meal that is, almost universally, composed of some kind of animal flesh or animal excretion. Surely, over chicken legs, rump roasts, and baby-back ribs, Americans would express their outrage at such unnecessary cruelty. … Worse yet, their justifications for eating these animal products—just because they taste good, and are traditionally what people are used to eating—are essentially the same as Simon’s when we get down to it.
This is a contradiction that animal advocates will instantly recognize—in fact, we probably have our own favorite “selective compassion” examples we’ve encountered in our own lives. (Mine: A woman bitching about hunters who shoot “those pretty deer” while gnawing on a rib sandwich.) As theorist Gary Francione titled one of his essays, “We are all Michael Vick.”
Speaking of Francione, the authors are big followers of his, and he provides a blurb on the book’s jacket. Vegans who are “in the know” will probably be rolling their eyes at this. For while Francione can be insightful and intelligent about some things (like everyday folks’ similarity to infamous dog abusers), he is also maddeningly obtuse about many others. Be forewarned: the authors of this book echo Francione’s opinion that animal advocates should not work for better welfare for animals confined on factory farms, and anything that isn’t total abolition of the livestock industry should be opposed. A lot of animal rights advocates find severe fault with this line of thinking, and argue that Francione’s contention that campaigns to lesson factory farm suffering encourage more meat eating is BS. Vegan.com writer Erik Marcus calls out the authors by name over this:
It kills me that several years back, Bob and Jenna Torres gave Francione all sorts of fawning coverage on their then-popular podcast. Thanks to them, a new crop of vegans bought into Francione’s line of bullshit, and much of the potential these vegans had as animal advocates went down the drain.
Ironically, in the very next chapter following all of the Francione theory is a chapter on how to deal with omnivores, specifically those of the obnoxious sort. The authors realize we live in a society in which 98% of the populace eat animals and see absolutely no problem with it—at least not enough of a problem to change their diets. How they cannot see the irony of their position in light of this is nonsensical. Of course we should campaign for a reduction in demand for animal-based foods, but at the same time, throwing the billions of animals who are suffering NOW to the wind makes zero sense to me.
However, you have to respect folks who have the guts to say that some vegans do much more harm to the animal rights movement than good. These people range from fake vegans who only eat animal foods “sometimes,” to those who feel that the best way to convince others to care is by screaming at them. The authors spend quite a bit of time advising on how not to become one of these types.
However, the majority of criticism is saved for the factory farming industry, and the choice to financially support it. The authors present a hypothetical, but instantly familiar scenario: a story of pet abuse discussed on the evening news. It seems “Simon” gets his jollies out of burning his dog with a blowtorch. It’s his way of amusing himself, until someone discovers the tormented dog. People are horrified as they learn about the dog’s torture. They shake their heads in disgust, get angry, start to cry— all over plates of dead animal parts. The book continues:
[T]he same essential scenario is repeated millions upon millions of times across the country as people tune into the TV news over their evening meal – an evening meal that is, almost universally, composed of some kind of animal flesh or animal excretion. Surely, over chicken legs, rump roasts, and baby-back ribs, Americans would express their outrage at such unnecessary cruelty. … Worse yet, their justifications for eating these animal products—just because they taste good, and are traditionally what people are used to eating—are essentially the same as Simon’s when we get down to it.
This is a contradiction that animal advocates will instantly recognize—in fact, we probably have our own favorite “selective compassion” examples we’ve encountered in our own lives. (Mine: A woman bitching about hunters who shoot “those pretty deer” while gnawing on a rib sandwich.) As theorist Gary Francione titled one of his essays, “We are all Michael Vick.”
Speaking of Francione, the authors are big followers of his, and he provides a blurb on the book’s jacket. Vegans who are “in the know” will probably be rolling their eyes at this. For while Francione can be insightful and intelligent about some things (like everyday folks’ similarity to infamous dog abusers), he is also maddeningly obtuse about many others. Be forewarned: the authors of this book echo Francione’s opinion that animal advocates should not work for better welfare for animals confined on factory farms, and anything that isn’t total abolition of the livestock industry should be opposed. A lot of animal rights advocates find severe fault with this line of thinking, and argue that Francione’s contention that campaigns to lesson factory farm suffering encourage more meat eating is BS. Vegan.com writer Erik Marcus calls out the authors by name over this:
It kills me that several years back, Bob and Jenna Torres gave Francione all sorts of fawning coverage on their then-popular podcast. Thanks to them, a new crop of vegans bought into Francione’s line of bullshit, and much of the potential these vegans had as animal advocates went down the drain.
Ironically, in the very next chapter following all of the Francione theory is a chapter on how to deal with omnivores, specifically those of the obnoxious sort. The authors realize we live in a society in which 98% of the populace eat animals and see absolutely no problem with it—at least not enough of a problem to change their diets. How they cannot see the irony of their position in light of this is nonsensical. Of course we should campaign for a reduction in demand for animal-based foods, but at the same time, throwing the billions of animals who are suffering NOW to the wind makes zero sense to me.
March 10, 2012
Vegan Freak
Ja, wie der Name schon sagt geht es im Buch über Veganer die in einer –Nicht-Veganen-Welt- (also in unserer) leben. Ich weiß aus eigener Erfahrung, dass man oft angeguckt wird als komme man von einem anderen Stern, wenn man sagt, dass man Veganer ist und darum keinen Käse essen möchte. Ja, der Ausdruck „Freak“ beschreibt schon ganz gut, mit welchem Blick man als Veganer von der Mehrheit der Menschen bedacht wird. Darum finde ich den Titel auch ziemlich passend und auch der Ausdruck non-vegan-world ist meiner Meinung nach gut gewählt.
Zunächst muss ich etwas Kritik anbringen, denn was mich am Buch stört ist die strikte Meinung der Autoren. Ich weiß, sie haben recht und es gibt keine Kompromisse und Ausnahmen wenn es um ein Leben geht, trotzdem denke ich, dass diese dogmatische Haltung eher abschreckt und nicht unbedingt auf offene Augen und Ohren in der Gesellschaft stößt. Neben dieser strikten Haltung gibt es dann allerdings wieder Aussagen wie „ Sei nicht so hart mit den Vegetariern oder Fleischessern, geh mit gutem Beispiel voran ohne ständig belehren zu wollen.“ Damit sagen sie im Prinzip was sie selbst nicht wirklich einhalten können.
Ansonsten ist das Buch sehr informativ. Es ist allerdings eher für Neu-Veganer geschrieben. Die Autoren geben Argumentationshilfen für Gespräche mit Fleischliebhabern und Tipps für die vegane Ernährung unterwegs. Sie erklären warum es nicht OK ist Leder zu tragen und warum selbst Vegetarier keinen Käse essen sollten, weil die Herstellung von Käse (zumindest von den meisten Sorten) eben nicht vegetarisch ist.
Wer sich schon etwas mit der Thematik beschäftigt hat, der wird hier sicher nichts Neues lernen aber für den Neuling sind die angesprochenen Basics super um nicht unterzugehen und das Handtuch zu schmeißen in dieser non-vegan-world.
Mir hat das Buch wieder etwas mehr vor Augen geführt, was nicht ganz richtig läuft und wovor wir nur allzu gerne die Augen verschließen, weil es einfacher ist mit dem Strom zu schwimmen als dagegen. Vor allem das Kapitel über Käse, auch wenn das ebenfalls nicht neu war, war wieder einmal hilfreich und ich werde wieder mehr darauf achten welchen Käse ich kaufe, bzw. ob es denn überhaupt Käse sein muss.
Vegan werde ich wahrscheinlich nicht, aber wie ich ja schon in diesem Post schrieb, kann man ja zumindest etwas mehr darauf achten was man isst.
Fazit: Ein Buch für Neu-Veganer oder solche die es werden wollen. Es schreckt nicht ab sondern informiert. Zurzeit ist das Buch nur in englisch erhältlich aber es ist sehr einfach geschrieben und auch für den „Laien“ gut verständlich.
Ja, wie der Name schon sagt geht es im Buch über Veganer die in einer –Nicht-Veganen-Welt- (also in unserer) leben. Ich weiß aus eigener Erfahrung, dass man oft angeguckt wird als komme man von einem anderen Stern, wenn man sagt, dass man Veganer ist und darum keinen Käse essen möchte. Ja, der Ausdruck „Freak“ beschreibt schon ganz gut, mit welchem Blick man als Veganer von der Mehrheit der Menschen bedacht wird. Darum finde ich den Titel auch ziemlich passend und auch der Ausdruck non-vegan-world ist meiner Meinung nach gut gewählt.
Zunächst muss ich etwas Kritik anbringen, denn was mich am Buch stört ist die strikte Meinung der Autoren. Ich weiß, sie haben recht und es gibt keine Kompromisse und Ausnahmen wenn es um ein Leben geht, trotzdem denke ich, dass diese dogmatische Haltung eher abschreckt und nicht unbedingt auf offene Augen und Ohren in der Gesellschaft stößt. Neben dieser strikten Haltung gibt es dann allerdings wieder Aussagen wie „ Sei nicht so hart mit den Vegetariern oder Fleischessern, geh mit gutem Beispiel voran ohne ständig belehren zu wollen.“ Damit sagen sie im Prinzip was sie selbst nicht wirklich einhalten können.
Ansonsten ist das Buch sehr informativ. Es ist allerdings eher für Neu-Veganer geschrieben. Die Autoren geben Argumentationshilfen für Gespräche mit Fleischliebhabern und Tipps für die vegane Ernährung unterwegs. Sie erklären warum es nicht OK ist Leder zu tragen und warum selbst Vegetarier keinen Käse essen sollten, weil die Herstellung von Käse (zumindest von den meisten Sorten) eben nicht vegetarisch ist.
Wer sich schon etwas mit der Thematik beschäftigt hat, der wird hier sicher nichts Neues lernen aber für den Neuling sind die angesprochenen Basics super um nicht unterzugehen und das Handtuch zu schmeißen in dieser non-vegan-world.
Mir hat das Buch wieder etwas mehr vor Augen geführt, was nicht ganz richtig läuft und wovor wir nur allzu gerne die Augen verschließen, weil es einfacher ist mit dem Strom zu schwimmen als dagegen. Vor allem das Kapitel über Käse, auch wenn das ebenfalls nicht neu war, war wieder einmal hilfreich und ich werde wieder mehr darauf achten welchen Käse ich kaufe, bzw. ob es denn überhaupt Käse sein muss.
Vegan werde ich wahrscheinlich nicht, aber wie ich ja schon in diesem Post schrieb, kann man ja zumindest etwas mehr darauf achten was man isst.
Fazit: Ein Buch für Neu-Veganer oder solche die es werden wollen. Es schreckt nicht ab sondern informiert. Zurzeit ist das Buch nur in englisch erhältlich aber es ist sehr einfach geschrieben und auch für den „Laien“ gut verständlich.
August 21, 2018
What I enjoyed about the book are it's practical tips on what to eat as a vegan, how to eat in restaurants and how to deal with other people. There are many vegan recepie books where you can branch out if you want to learn more about cooking vegan food, but I think as an starting point it was helpful for me. What I didn't enjoy was their claim that bejng vegan for environmental reasons wasn't moral (and their comparisons between animal cruelty and the Holocaust). I understand that people have different reasons for being vegan, but I felt that this book really pushed an animal rights approach while demonizing other reasons.
Tldr: good practical advice, I didn't care to much for how the moral aspects were worded.
Tldr: good practical advice, I didn't care to much for how the moral aspects were worded.
November 26, 2012
It's a book about veganism. It's a book about how to deal with certain circumstances that could cross your path while being a vegan. It's a book about educating vegans more than what is at face value. It's target audience is vegans/vegetarians.
I wouldn't personally recommend this book to someone who is a omnivore and is curious about what happens in slaughterhouses and the torture the animals go through just to get on our dinner table. If so: I would recommend "WHY WE LOVE DOGS EAT PIGS AND WEAR COWS" by Melanie Joy. Straight to the point, not at all preachy, like some would consider this book to be.
Although their tone in the book seemed to be a little condescending, in all honestly, it's what some vegans think. It's frustrating being a vegan sometimes( not because it's hard, but when certain topics come up like what we eat and stupid overplayed lines that omnivores use like "plants have feelings too", give me a break). And we can sense their frustration in this book. I can definitely relate.
I would recommend this book to someone who is vegan/vegetarian. It gives insight on when it is the perfect time to give your opinion on meat industry and yourlifestyle choice, how to say what you mean but in a tactful way, and how not be one of those annoying vegans who are "holier than thou." All in all, a great book.
I wouldn't personally recommend this book to someone who is a omnivore and is curious about what happens in slaughterhouses and the torture the animals go through just to get on our dinner table. If so: I would recommend "WHY WE LOVE DOGS EAT PIGS AND WEAR COWS" by Melanie Joy. Straight to the point, not at all preachy, like some would consider this book to be.
Although their tone in the book seemed to be a little condescending, in all honestly, it's what some vegans think. It's frustrating being a vegan sometimes( not because it's hard, but when certain topics come up like what we eat and stupid overplayed lines that omnivores use like "plants have feelings too", give me a break). And we can sense their frustration in this book. I can definitely relate.
I would recommend this book to someone who is vegan/vegetarian. It gives insight on when it is the perfect time to give your opinion on meat industry and yourlifestyle choice, how to say what you mean but in a tactful way, and how not be one of those annoying vegans who are "holier than thou." All in all, a great book.
December 2, 2023
I didn't expect to love this, thinking it was written in 2010, how relevant could it be? And it is AWESOME! I most loved the philosophy in the first part of the book. Very well laid out. One I'll keep in mind to recommend when people aren't asking me about my protein.
April 21, 2010
This book is not really for those curious about veganism or the philosophy behind it. Although it gives a rundown of animal rights and why they're important, it's not as in-depth a resource you would want for someone who's undecided. It is however a good resource for those who are already on the same page ethically speaking and who are strongly considering it or are already vegan. The strongest point of the book is the chapter that gives advice about how to deal with hostility towards veganism and non-vegan friends and family members. There are a lot of vegan cookbooks out there but to my knowledge this is the only book about veganism that exists primarily for support and encouragement. It strikes the right balance of non-preachy but non-apologetic, and it's pretty entertaining as well. I finished it in a couple of days. I would recommend it to anyone who's on the cusp of veganism already and needs an extra push as well as any vegan who wants advice on how to deal with a non-vegan world.
December 16, 2013
2-3 stars. Sorry to report I didn't fall in love with this book. The tone is very direct and that definitely suits some people (I have friends who swear by this book), but Francione this, Francione that, etc. Maybe that's not a terrible thing, what do I know, I just haven't been won over by him thus far in life. I just know Vegan Freak isn't what I'm looking for in a book to recommend to the vegan-hopefuls I know. A lot of the gripes in this book are directed at commonly asked questions (from which dixxx do you get your protein?) so it's probably not ideal for people who are still in the stages of asking others those questions. It may, however, be recommended to newish vegans who are committed, but feeling alienated by the world. But why read a book when you can just get drunk with your vegan friends and hate on the rest of the world till sober time? Speaking of friends, the authors will tell you to ditch the assholes who won't accept you as a vegan, and they're right, but they should also include a warning that a lot of vegans are assholes, too.
November 12, 2012
This is an excellent book for referring you to other more informative books. This book is your snotty punk rock cheerleader that is begging you to take a hard line on your veganism. "WHY ARENT YOU VEGAN ALREADY!!?", over and over. OK, Cool. A easy read that gives you coping techniques for your nasty evil meat animal consuming friends, family, coworkers. "YOUR FRIENDS MIGHT TRY TO SNEAK MEAT IN YOUR FOOD!?!?". OK, cool, probably not people you want to hang out with to begin with. Not much deep information on being a healthy vegan, although they do refer another book. Not a lot of info for adapting your life to being cruelty free, although they recommend a few web sites. The authors seemed to have active twitter accounts, a podcast and a web resource but they all appear to be abandoned. This all left a bad taste in my mouth.
All and all a great resource for someone who is flirting with the idea of being vegan but not recommended for a deeper understanding of the lifestyle.
All and all a great resource for someone who is flirting with the idea of being vegan but not recommended for a deeper understanding of the lifestyle.
February 16, 2014
I have mixed feelings about this book. I understood why the authors were very upfront and direct and insistent that you should go vegan and STAY vegan - it doesn't help anyone if you're being wishy-washy about it - but I still had trouble reading it at times because I felt like it was quite negative. Perhaps I thought so just because I was uncomfortable being judged (I am working on being vegan but am not 100% there yet) and I don't think being vegetarian is the worst thing you could possibly be.
I definitely agree with being vegan for the animals, of course, but comparing someone who is vegan for environmental reasons as similar to someone who is opposed to the "trains to Auschwitz because they have a large carbon footprint" is just ridiculous.
I've been reading lots of vegan books lately and this one isn't my favorite, but it does give some good advice. The prevailing theme in most books is "If not now, when?" and that is what has stuck with me.
I definitely agree with being vegan for the animals, of course, but comparing someone who is vegan for environmental reasons as similar to someone who is opposed to the "trains to Auschwitz because they have a large carbon footprint" is just ridiculous.
I've been reading lots of vegan books lately and this one isn't my favorite, but it does give some good advice. The prevailing theme in most books is "If not now, when?" and that is what has stuck with me.
August 6, 2010
I didn't find this book as abrasive as some other reviewers did. The authors do take a very no-nonsense in your face approach to their veganism, the book is about becoming and living uncompromisingly as a vegan and that is stressed through the whole book. They are a little harsh on vegetarians but I expected that from reading other reviews and it didn't put me off at all.
This book is just an overview of what veganism is and what it means to be an ethical vegan. It is not as in depth as a new vegan might need. The book keeps a light conversational tone that makes it easy and quick to read and it has quite a bit of practical advice, from how to deal with meat eaters to what to eat and how and where to find food and clothes. I'd recommend it, especially as a supplement to a good book on vegan cooking and nutrition since that isn't covered in depth here.
This book is just an overview of what veganism is and what it means to be an ethical vegan. It is not as in depth as a new vegan might need. The book keeps a light conversational tone that makes it easy and quick to read and it has quite a bit of practical advice, from how to deal with meat eaters to what to eat and how and where to find food and clothes. I'd recommend it, especially as a supplement to a good book on vegan cooking and nutrition since that isn't covered in depth here.
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