As a long-time vegetarian who just decided to go vegan I wanted a book that could help with with my transition. Some decent & basic advice is given on how to travel as a vegan, addressing folks in your life who have questions and smart ways to deal with the negative feedback you often get from people around you, along with other logistical things you may want to consider.

Although the authors do communicate that they really want to respect other people's choices they get a bit 'preachy' in many areas of the book. I prefer to lay low and not become one of those annoying vegans/vegetarians who share a 'holier then thou attitude'. The authors do feed into that stereotypical annoying group of people a little bit. If you're someone in the same boat as me, a new vegan, you can look past the annoyances with your open mind to learn a few things. Like any book, take what you like, leave what doesn't work for you and move on.

The style of writing makes it a pretty fun book; it's enjoyable and easy to read. I reccomend reading this one to beginner vegans.

I thought this book was good and provided a lot of information, but the authors were in my opinion, a bit too judgemental. Ive been a vegetarian for years and have been a vegan only a few months. It has been a challenge for me with determining whether a product has animal by-products. The authors make you feel like the worst person in the world if you call yourself a vegan and accidently eat a by product. They really hard core put you down if you are not a "perfect vegan" which earlier in the book they praised people for trying. Towards the end of this book it turned into a "BASH ALL THE VEGANS WHO ARE TRYING BUT MIGHT NOT BE 100% YET" which turned me more off to veganism than on. So, if you do not have tough skin, do not read this book.

This book covers a wide variety of topics that new vegans, and those interested in animal rights in general, will find useful. While it doesn't go into great depth on any specific topic, it is really not meant to do so. This is meant to be a guide for those seeking some direction in becoming vegan, and points to many other resources to help the reader.

I am looking forward to the second edition of Vegan Freak. I think the authors have evolved their opinions on many of the topics presented in VF and part 2 will be a welcome continuation and evolution of their views.

This book was written in a really warm style and the writers come off as very likable, that said there isnt anything really new in this book and all of the interesting points are from other (better) books. The rest is common sense stuff so this book is in a way pointless (sorry!) its like a light read for people who dont know anything about being vegan and dont know how to use google. If the writers were not so nice i would have given it a 1 because I dont think this needed to be produced there are better books out there....

I am a long time vegan, and I would normally support a project like this, but I have found the veganfreak.net site that accompanies the book to be very unfriendly and unwelcoming. They do not try to help, they turn you away in ridicule if you come asking questions they don't like. I don't like the tone of the book or the authors' (or whoever they have running veganfreak) attitude. Thanks for turning this vegan away and leaving an extremely bad taste in my mouth! You are doing more harm than good.

`The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Living' by Beverly Lynn Bennett and Ray Sammartano, `Vegan Freak' by Bob Torres and Jenna Torres, and `Vegan Planet' by Robin Robertson are three books my godson purchases, believing they were oriented primarily toward what most of us would consider a vegetarian diet adopted for simple health reasons. The primary objective of this review is to warn those who may be interested in these books for the same purpose. And, to make a strong distinction between the first two and the third.
The vegan lifestyle, at its heart, is far more than a dietary regimen. It is a combination of a system of spiritual values, culinary choices for health, and economic values allied with `green' doctrines of helping to preserve resources. Surprisingly, the first is by far the most important of these three, especially to those like the authors of the `Vegan Freak' book. One need read only a few pages of this book to realize veganism may in some senses be considered a Hindu sect, as it shares many of the same values of this religion, including many approaches to animal products which are as extremely anti-scientific as the rejection of some scientific theories by those who espouse creationism. As someone who has some reasonably sound background in Christian and Jewish doctrines, I can say with some certainty that vegan values are NOT shared by either Christian, Jewish, or Muslim value systems. In fact, the Judeo-Christian scriptures are often cited as justifications for using animal products. I will also venture the thought that the vegan doctrines are not consistent with secular ethical theory. By the definition assumed by every ethical value system, including those based on Judaism and Christianity, moral principles are those principals related specifically to behavior toward other humans. Thus, the vegan apologists are truly stretching the meaning of `ethical' or `moral' in order to add cachet to their preaching, which it does not deserve. That doesn't mean these values are baseless. It just means they need some justification which is independent of moral theories.
Now that is not to say many vegan values are not shared by the non-vegan population at large. Most civilized people, and even cultures which may be considered pre-civilized savages, place a value on `humane' treatment of animals. Thus, we have dedicated a fair amount of resources to SPCA organizations and other animal rescue organizations. It is also due more to ignorance than to inhumanity that we indulge in animal products which are raised in an inhumane manner. And, the rationale that these animals would never have lived if it were not for our raising them specifically for food is scant excuse.
As sound as the basic vegan value system is, to some peoples' minds, it seems to cross some line from humane principles to surprising extremes when it raises its ban against literally every animal product, no matter how remotely removed from cruel commercial animal husbandry. Two of the most extreme examples are bans against vaccines because they are incubated in eggs and many beers and wines, because they are clarified using animal products. Less extreme, but similarly questionable are the prohibitions against milk and eggs, especially if one makes the effort to purchase products raised according to humane husbandry techniques. Here, one encounters many of the health concerns of vegans, and for many people, milk and eggs have health problems. But not for everyone. And, eggs and milk products are the basis of some of the most nutritious and delicious food products.
`Vegan Freaks', as one may assume from the title, is the most extremely doctrinaire of the three books. As with the `freaks' of the 60's and later, they revel in their differentness, making that a fourth leg of their vegan lifestyle. `...Vegan Living' is less strident, but, it is no less doctrinally `pure'. It is somewhat easier to read, as it does not have the attitude of poking a stick in the eyes of non-vegans. Both are excellent starting points and both have very good bibliographies for obtaining additional information. But, neither contains any major sections on recipes! And this is where a purchaser may be most surprised, believing that these are `cookbooks'.
`Vegan Planet' is substantially different, as it is a cookbook from start to finish. In fact, it is not even doctrinally pure vegan, as it joyfully includes bread recipes which use yeast! As I write this, I realize that it has been a very long time since I took high school biology, and I'm no longer sure whether yeasts are related to the animal protozoans or the `vegetable' fungi. Except for this somewhat gray area, the book is otherwise true vegan, except that it never leaves the kitchen in order to climb on its soapbox and preach its gospel of avoiding animal products in every form.
In the end, if you have health concerns which bring you to the vegan diet, `Vegan Planet' is certainly the book you want. It will give you hundreds of recipes which simulate dishes traditionally cooked with milk, plus lots of great recipes for the staple vegan protein replacements such as beans, pulses, and grains. The other two books may only be of value if you are interested in the vegan value system. And, although these books mention the raw `cooking' style, neither deals with it in any depth. For that, I suggest `RAW, The UnCook Book' by Juliano.

The book is a very easy read. Styling of the read is conversationalist. It is good. They just basically restate why being Vegan is good and any other diet is bad. All in all, I would recommend just getting it from the library and save your money for a more in depth book like Becoming Vegan or The China Study.

This book made me feel so much more comfortable about wanting to become a vegan. I live in a small town with small minded people. This book is like having a good friend beside you all the way.

I picked up a bunch of vegan books over Christmas in an attempt to get out of some of my vegetarian cooking ruts. One of the books I ordered was Vegan Freak by Bob and Jenna Torres. I grabbed it to learn how to eat better when I travel, but instead it left me with knowledge that I had to make a decision on.

I always thought vegan was for flower-child types and left-wing activists, but in reading Bob and Jenna's practical, sane style, I found out conscious-living was actually for me.

This book has lots of references to make finding Vegan information and products easy.

It is written in an easy to read format, down to earth and plain and simple. Great book for those just starting out on a Vegan lifestyle. GO VEGAN!!!!

I enjoy being a vegetarian, and aspire to be a vegan in my eating habits for health reasons etc. I do not care for animal cruelty and support organizations to further the health and caring for animals. I purchased this book to learn more about the Vegan lifestyle but unfortunately trying to read this book is like trying to learn to swim by jumping off the high-dive. This book most definitely is for Vegan Freaks, it defines itself well because the rabid veganism it contains is just frankly, scary.I couldn't get past 10 pages without just putting it down...hey if anyone knows someone who wants a lightly used copy..let me know. (I like to recycle too)

If I was a new vegan, or even just thinking about it, this book would be every bit as inspirational as it is to me as an almost 6 year vegan. It can really ignite, or even re-ignite the flame. Vegan Freak covers it all in a concise, sincere, and well-researched manner. If it leaves you hungry for more, there are lengthy citation and remendation lists for all of the topic covered. It also leaves you wanting to go hang out with the authors. I'm looking forward to the book Making a Killing. A good starter, a good reminder, and a good bibliography for further research!

I bought this book thinking it would hold something worthwhile... but it didn't. It was too short, too light on info... I felt like I was reading the cliff notes to veganism- what substance there was, I felt was recycled from other academics and animal rights figures.

I gave my copy away because there was no point in keeping it. You'll get more use out of googling "vegan" and "animal rights".

This book is a wonderful guide for new Vegans, or soon to be Vegans, but I also think it would be great for long time Vegans.

It's well written and informative.......although not a book for people wanting information on the actual diet, this deals more with how to BE Vegan.

I loved this book it was great to read and fun. I also now listen to the authors Podcast. There's a link on their website.

Thanks Bob and Jenna for this wonderful book.

I have been transitioning into veganism for a little while now (slowly removing dairy and eggs instead of doing it all at once). One of my biggest concerns with becoming a vegan is what my friends and family will say. Not that I care about their opinions, because it will not change my own, but I just didn't want to hear all of thier comments constantly. All of my friends have been supportive, but family members "who know it all" have been lecturing me on protein, vitamins, health, the "fact" that animals who are part of the egg and dairy industries "are not harmed" (which any vegan will tell you is not the case AT ALL), etc. This book gives you a lot of information about ways to deal with the comments of others and gives you a lot of knowledge about the different aspects of being a vegan (why vegans doing wear leather, wool, etc). I also like how they put in own personal experiences. This was a good book and I highly recommend it!!!

Being a newly minted Vegan, I was looking for a book that would give me a good introduction to the subject without burying me in propaganda. Vegan Freak is that and more. The authors are funny, intelligent, and well versed in the trials and tribulations of being a Vegan in modern consumer society. They give excellent tips, suggestions, and advice for dealing with family/friends/co-workers who may not understand your choice; all with a friendly and accessible narrative tone. Despite a somewhat brisk discussion of the moral basis for Veganism and the logical arguments that support it, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to adopt a Vegan lifestyle or who has questions on the subject.

I read this book and liked it's style and the information was helpful but I feel like the authors need to revise this book and try a little harder to cut down on the opinions and repetitive info and instead pack in more of their valuable advise. I'm not sure how to better explain this but I will illustrate how I read this book. I Read the whole thing really fast first of all, and when i got to the end I was shocked it was over. So I thought maybe I missed a chapter or two. So I skimmed back through it searching for the lost chapters, but they were not there. I was so desperate for more that I read the appendix over and over searching for more info. I guess I fell that this book is incomplete

Being a vegan is a way of life and doesn't mean that you'll go around stinking, and that no one will like you. Being vegan is a life choice just like one that you make when you decide to get out of bed and/or brush your teeth. Going to college in a "hippie" town and running in to quite a few vegans this book made the life choice / life change easier for me when I was vegan. I still use this book for helpful insight and advice even though I am not vegan right now. Being vegan does not mean that you will go broke at the grocery store either. One of the first things out of people's mouths is - "I bet you spend a fortune on food!" It's not true. There are a lot of options out there for vegans to live on a budget and still be vegan, happy and healthy.

I support all outlooks on eating and I can say for myself that while I was totally vegan I was the most happy and most healthy that I've ever been. I hardly ever got sick, and could eat when I was hungry without worrying about carbs and calories all the time. I could munch on asparagus and make meals for potlucks that everyone was dying to know the recipe for.

Being Vegan is not easy - this book definitely points that out. Being something that is outside of the "norm" that we all see around us is definitely something that takes a while to get used to. By reading this book that "change" into being vegan is much easier. I've bought this book and shared it with people who were just interested on knowing exactly what being vegan meant.

I plan on going back to being "100% vegan" soon and I will use this book as one of my main sources of entertainment and pleasure reading.

I was really eager to read this. Sometimes I feel very alone in my veganism so I checked this book out. All I learned was don't make veganism sound difficult so non-vegans think they could never do it. (Like whining you miss cheese.) The book was repetitive and referenced a lot of other books during the reading. Now, that is appreciated when there is recommended further reading at the back of the book but not throughout the read. Also, plain English writing (how we speak aloud) is annoying in a book. I couldn't get past that.

I've only recently become vegetarian and started thinking about going vegan after learning about the treatment of dairy cows. After years of hearing how hard it is to be a vegan and that there are potential health risks, I thought it best to do research to see if I would be doomed to eating sprouts and wheat germ 24/7 and, if it looked possible to enjoy the food, how to get enough protein and B12 in my diet. I came to Amazon, did a search for vegan books, and found this one (along with Becoming Vegan by Davis and Melina and The Vegan Diet as Chronic Disease Prevention by Saunders). I started with this book because it seemed to be a fun introduction. I was right! The Torres' writing styles are engaging and humorous (with a dash of profane punk charm). It fit right in with my sense of humor and has convinced me that becoming vegan IS possible without it becoming a huge chore and that I won't have to constantly worry about my health. I am now halfway through Becoming Vegan, which gives a more detailed account of the nutritional aspects of veganism (if with less witticisms) and I am sure I will make the plunge once I've finished that book and have a concrete plan-- what can I say? I'm a planner. I've now started listening to the Vegan Freak podcast and find it just as entertaining as the book. The podcast is a great supplement to the book because the authors go into more detail about specific aspects of veganism and how it is informs their lives. It also makes the decision to go vegan much less lonely (I only have one friend who is vegetarian). That said, the Torres' obviously have strong political convictions and if you are a right-wing republican, this kind of humor and information is probably not for you.

While this book was an easy read (you could probably finish in a day depending on your free-time) it is not at all what I thought it would be. I was expecting good advice on how to survive as a vegan in our non-vegan world (hmm where could I have gotten that idea?) but all the advice was VERY general. As others have said, they reference other books and websites on nearly every page, basically telling you to read other work if you want the whole story. Finally, even as an ovo-lacto vegetarian looking to make the switch to veganism, I really didn't find much I didn't already know. The beer section was informative, but I don't drink. I suppose this book would be best for someone that doesn't know much of anything about AR or the vegan diet. The most I got out of it was a new reading list.

This is a must read for all new vegans (or for vegans who need a little advice on coping with being a vegan). It has great information and is an easy read. The author delivers information and insight in a way that is comprehensive and also funny. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Having been mammal free for over three years, I finally decided this year to take the plunge, and try the vegan way.

My motivation has been animal rights oriented - and I wanted more information on the meat industry...and the practical ins and outs of what it would be like to *be* vegan (in real life, not just theory.)

While short, this book was refreshingly straightforward, well written, amusingly blunt, and just "gives it to you straight" - on everything from what to look for in ingredients, to how to deal with other people. (I'd previously read 'Living Vegan' and found it too...flowery.)

So far, this is the third Vegan/Veg book that I can recommend - buy this book: along with Peter Cox's You Don't Need Meat and the book Becoming Vegan.

Being new to veganism, I thought this book would be a good buy. Although it had a few good tips, it mostly references other books. There are a LOT of sentences like "For more information on this read (insert book title here)". It seems I could have learned more (maybe better?) information by not wasting money on this but buying the books they keep quoting lines from.

For a new vegan, this is a helpful book that contains many helpful tips, a few things that you wouldn't think of, and a lot of validation. They proselytize a bit, which is probably unnecessary because most of us who would read this book are already convinced. This book certainly helped ease my transition from vegetarian to vegan, and they're right- it's not that hard!

If you're unsure of what veganism is all about, this book would teach you a lot. It gives reasons for being vegan (its environmental, ethical, and health advantages), gives advice about how to deal with people prone to criticizing your food choices, and explicitly defines the foods that are suitable for vegans as opposed to those that aren't. At the end of the book, there's a list of useful websites for vegan shopping and additional information on veganism. This is a brief and very informative book, and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in learning more about veganism.

I thought this book was a good commentary on what it is like to be a vegan in this non-vegan world, but I found it lacking. I am not sure what I was looking for exactly, but this book didn't have it. I found myself feeling unfulfilled at the end. Although, I thought the authors were funny and there is good humor in the book.

I bought this book when I first decided to go all the way to veganism. The book was not only a good resource, it was also a friend, supporting me on the road of my new journey. Highly recommended to new vegans, old vegans that want a good refresher read, and those considering being vegan. This will convince you! :)

I'd been vegan for about 8 years when I read this book. It was amusing and I liked the style (I, for one, love making fun of overaged hippies; their belief that they invented social progress can be pretty annoying.) But there's not much in it for experienced vegans.

Bob and Jenna are still pretty great, tho'. You should really download their VeganFreak Radio podcast.

There's sure a lot of silly self seriousness in the vegan movement. Let's not get crazy here folks. If you want to look unhealthy and miss out on most of the joy of eating in this life, not to mention over-complicating your grocery shopping, by all means either pick up this book or move to Portland!

This book provides the basics of many useful tips and changes you need to make to be vegan, all in a very informal tone. It was an easy to read book with everything helpful you need, from listing common animal-based ingredients to places where you can get non-leather or fur materials.

Right now I am a teenage vegetarian on the verge of going vegan, and I need some easy books for inspiration. This book is designed for my target demographic--younger folks. The only thing keeping me from going vegan is that I live in a completely non-vegan community. I do not know a single vegan.

This book shows that being vegan isn't as hard as it's made out to be!

Well written book with many bases covered on veganism and the ethics of diet. This book is helpful for vegetarians, vegans, and really anyone who wants a better understanding of the topic and what their food choices mean. Vegetarians who read this book will realize that vegans are on the same team but better players and can aspire to be vegan or at least as vegan as possible. This book is a particularly good resource for someone who has chosen a vegetarian or vegan diet for ethical reasons (primarily) and wants to know how to handle the `hell' of other people with their misinformation, pre-conceived notions, and generally negative attitude toward vegetarian / vegan dietary choices.

"Vegan Freak" is unlike any vegan book on the market because it is a survival guide to living vegan in a non-vegan world. According to the authors, "All of us who are vegan have at some point felt like absolute outsiders..." These authors embrace they're vegan freakdom and combine knowlege, wit, and personal experience into book that is both survival guide and handbook to living vegan.

"Vegan Freak" begins with the 'whys' of veganism. The authors give some basic definitions of veganism, how to go vegan in three weeks, how the authors went vegan, and possible pathways to veganism. The book continues with an indepth discussion of Animal Rights, specieism, and factory farming. The authors strongly suggest that the most horrific treatment of animals will only end if conserned persons chose a vegan lifestlye. This idea is furthur echoed in thier discussion of vegan health and nutrition.

The following section explains the 'hows' of veganism. The authors give a through discussion of dealing with others such as friends, family members, and co-workers. The authors even discuss dealing with vegetarians and how deal with those who believe veganism is "taking it too far". Bob and Jenna also give food advice in the chapter titled "What do vegans eat anyway?", giving tips on survival the grocery store, resturants, how to travel vegan, and even vegan pet food.

The final section gives a basic overview on the non-food elements of veganism. The authors cover alternatives to fur, leather, and wool and how to dispose of them once you become vegan. They also give advice of finding cruelty-free alternatives to most soaps, tooth pastes, shampoos, and other tolietries that are usually made with animal products. The book ends with two appendixes full of ways to get involved an extensive list of books about Animal Rights, veganism, health, and cooking.

Vegan Freak is an amazing book-I have been vegan for about 2 weeks, and this book has answered so many questions for me. I think this book would be most helpful for those who have just become vegan--if you've already decided to take that step, then this will help you negotiate your way in a non-vegan world. It's not so much a persuasive tract about why you should be vegan, but rather a "now you've decided here's how it is" book.

The book does a wonderful job of helping the new vegan (along with Stepaniak's book Becoming Vegan). I feel like this book is my right hand. Each night I read and see myself in its pages. The book is divided into sections that each speak to an aspect of life that new vegans will have to deal with. The authors are especially helpful in terms of how to deal with other people--which has been literally the most difficult aspect of becoming vegan for me. I love being vegan--I feel great. But it is very intriguing how other people react to my choice. I have to struggle to be patient--since almost every response is about what THEY eat. Read this book if you are a new vegan or a vegetarian seriously thinking about becoming vegan. It is coherent, witty, thoughtful, helpful and just plain amazing.

The authors have provided some good solid info about what it means to be vegan and dealing with vegan snafus such as; how to handle obnoxious anti-vegan attitudes, eating on the road and vegan friendly ethnic cuisine. There is also good info about how to identify nonvegan ingredients in food, cosmetics and other products. That said, I just couldn't get into the writing style. It's as if they're trying so hard to be cool but can't quite pull it off so it seems more condescending and self-conscious. I didn't understand the random put-downs of "middle-aged ex-hippie types". Would these be the same people who paved the way for us modern day vegans??? Such remarks have nothing to do with being vegan and distracted from the overall focus of the book.

Being a vegan myself I couldn't resist picking up this book and giving it a read. If you're new to veganism, thinking about becoming a vegan or just want to know more about the topic then I would recommend this book for you. However, if you are already a vegan don't bother with this book as you won't learn anything you didn't already know. It does cover various issues that vegans deal with whether it be dealing with the arguments for ethical veganism, how to get along with family, friends, and others, including other vegetarians, practical tips for traveling, shopping, and living as a vegan and how to respond when people ask you if you "like, live on apples and twigs". As I said, if you've been a vegan for a while now nothing in this book will be new to you so you may want to see if your local library has it in stock.

i was already vegan when i read this, but it was great to read such an encouraging book. for a vegan, there are always those moments (days, sometimes weeks) when we feel disillusioned about the state of the world and start doubting our impact as vegans. i was at this exact point when i picked up "vegan freak" and it helped me a lot. highly recommended!!!

I think this book has some good information and I like how the authors emphasize the value of embracing one's individuality when it comes to living and/or interacting with non-vegans. I have never really been much of one to run with the herd and it took me a some time to have awareness and be okay with this. I think in some capacity we all want to belong or have a "tribe" so to speak and the new-vegan can feel a little at loose ends in respect to voicing their choices to others who may not see things the same way. The book points to resources to enable one to find additional info, support etc.

The one thing I did not think was helpful was the use of the "F" word which occured a number of times through out the book, beginning with the acknowlegments! I don't think it enhanced the content and the overall message would have come through with out it. I say this because I often donate books to my local library as a means to provide resourses for others interested and who want to learn more about veganism/vegetarianism. I would be reluctant to take this in because of the language, not because I am some sort of sissy but it think it detracts overall in value and does nothing to serve the message we need to get out into the world.

I've been vegetarian for 1.5 years and have started leaning towards being vegan and just wanted some basic info. The book provided that and more. The writers use a lot of humor. A very easy read. Well written. I loved it!!!!!

I had already decided to be a vegan, but I came across this book and it helped me so much. It's a "hip" take on being/going vegan, and is incredibly useful when debating the nons. I highly reccomend this book, even my mom read it and decided to consume less flesh. There isn't much gore in it so you don't have to be afraid of preachy animal rights stuff (even though you should already be afraid). Awesome book.

I am in the middle of reading this book for the second time. I got it last year and read it, and thought a lot about what they had to say. I have finally transitioned to veganism and I'm reading it again. I love the conversational tone in this book. It's easy to read, entertaining and heartfelt. They touch on all aspects of veganism, the ethical, environmental and health side of it. They don't go into great detail on each topic, but give you enough to help you get the point and then they give you references to go do more research. They also give a lot of suggestions on how to survive in social situations where you are not the norm. If you are considering veganism, this book is a must have. I plan on keeping this book close by and probably will read it again and again.

Thanks Bob and Jenna.

This is a wonderful book for any vegan or anyone contemplating veganism. Bob and Jenna, the authors of the book, have such an easygoing manner and write just like they were talking to you personally. The book is a quick read; it gets into many areas of veganism without going into so much detail that it gets boring. I found that the best part of the book are the many, many resources that Bob and Jenna provide. From vegan travel to animal rights to vegan shopping, this books covers so much and then gives you additional resources to help. There are 15 pages at the end of the book of books, websites, podcasts, forums and organizations that are chock full of great information.

For anyone who has become- or is considering being- a vegan, this book is a must read! Even though I live in a fairly veg friendly community (the famed Moosewood is only a few blocks from my house), there are still times when I feel like I really have come from another planet. Vegan Freak is funny, informative, and most importantly, a reminder that as a vegan, you are not alone. Bob and Jenna are cheerleaders for vegans and almost-vegans everywhere, and they provide constant reminders of why being a vegan freak rocks!

Vegan Freak: Being Vegan In a Non-Vegan World is great for those considering veganism, those who made the choice a long time ago, and anyone in between. Informative, funny, and giving an excellent case for ethical veganism, it provides the basics of a wide range of aspects of veganism -from where to get cool pleather things to what to say to stupid questions omnivores ask you - and gives many sources if you want to continue your exploration of a particular topic. There is also a list of ways to further your animal activism and a great collection of sources to buy any vegan goodie you could think of. Bob and Jenna Torres write as if they're your friends (relating their own experiences humorously without a 'vegan-er than thou' attitude) who just happen to have PhD's. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's ever considered veganism.

two days after listening to the vegan freak podcast for the first time, i was lucky enough to win the book in a raffle. though much of the information wasnt new to me, there was a joy that came from the sense of camaraderie. perhaps most importantly, it reminded me of why veganism had been so important to me and renewed my dedication to living a cruelty-free lifestyle. between the podcast and the book, i am back on track. i also found the resource section to be very useful.

This book is absolutely amazing because it's the first of its kind to actually talk about what it is LIKE being vegan and why you should be proud to be one. It's a unique book for vegans who are kind of drifting and need more a solid base to remind them of why they are vegan, humor in why sometimes vegans feel like outsiders and even "freaks", and for veggies who are on the fence who need a good kick in the ass and take the "etari" our of vegetarianism. It doesn't only talk about AR or nutrition. It talks about EVERYTHING from talking to your stupid uncle about being vegan to purchasing vegan condoms to meeting more veggies in the world. Basically, it's about living the vegan life instead of studying about it. It's a must-read for all fence-people and vegans alike. Halarious, interesting, goes-to-your-heart.

I tried to remain in the spirit of the book (hip, cool, a bit off the cuff), but the authors started to become like the guest who thinks s/he is very, very clever and never shuts up. I started to wonder why I had invited them over for the evening. As a middle-aged vegan, I arrived at being fully annoyed with their pithy observation, "....don't let the self-involved....middle-aged, ex-hippie types scare you away from the good thing a co-op can be." Really. Some respect for your predecessors, please.

I recommend as a better choice for an overview book on veganism The Vegan Sourcebook by Joanne Stepaniak. Well, at least if you are middle-aged.

I'm a longtime vegetarian who just took the plunge into veganism, and this book has helped me tremendously. Especially with dealing with hostile family members, and the section on vegan beer. :-) Recommended reading for anyone thinking about going vegan.

I had been a vegetarian for twenty years, my girlfriend for ten. When we decided to move in together we decided to make the switch to veganism together. We had planned to make the switch after we moved to allow us a few weeks to enjoy the sins of cheese one last time, but I made the "mistake" of giving a copy of this book to my girlfriend a few weeks before the move. She read the book in a sitting and has been vegan ever since, I then had no real choice but to read the book and join her.

Ovo-lacto vegetarians often feel that their meat eating friends are ignoring the wider issues of cruelty in their diet. This book makes clear in a simple way how much cruelty is involved in the typical vegetarian diet.

I plan to buy several copies and give to friends to explain why I am vegan.

Many thanks to Jenna and Bob.

For those new to veganism, this is a good start if nothing else for the list of resource/citations at the end of every chapter. "For more reading, try...." type lists.

I had a hard time dealing with the writing style. I realize the chatty tone and occassional dry humor was meant to keep it accessible and appealing. I have no problem with that.

What was annoying was needless prose explaining things. I could live with it in the first chapter, since you could take it like an introduction or overview of the book. In chapter 1, we will discuss A, in chapter 2, we will discuss B.

But to keep it up in every subsequent chapter after that grew tiresome. "In this chapter we will talk about..." at the beginning and then at the end "We close this chapter talking about..."

It makes the book read like a bunch of separate term papers. Occasionally the point of view changes from first person to third and that was distracting as well.

If there are future editions of this book, I'd really like to see them address all this and put out a more cohesive read. I really think it would help the guts of the book pack more punch when shorn of the clumsiness of the writing style.

Would I still order it? Probably not. If I could have read it at the library I would have done that rather than buy my own copy.