bookwookiee

Great little primer that makes veganism accessible. It's much more than a cookbook with nearly the entire first half dedicated to the social, economic, ethical, environmental, and political reasons that someone might choose to be vegan - whether just in diet or by adopting a total vegan lifestyle. That's not standard for a cookbook but I think it's a great idea for something like this. I also thought the myth busting was helpful and would provide a good little cheat sheet for new vegans who will be peppered with questions and skepticism (how do you get enough protein, do you get all your nutrients, athletes can't be vegan, I could never afford it, etc.). Few diets and lifestyles get hated on as much as veganism does and taking the time to address the motives and intentions behind it (rather than just writing it off as a trend) is a great idea - it makes it much less about "it's a privilege to eat this way" and more about "it's responsible to eat this way". As I learn more about the food industry it gets harder to ignore the ugly side of things and I think even if we choose not to eat a vegetarian/vegan diet, we should be fully aware of what that means.

The recipes in the second half are nice intro recipes - nothing too wild and crazy. Newman runs through some basics and staples that would provide a solid foundation for a newbie to build on. I checked this out from the library and liked it so much I decided to buy it. I haven't experimented with the recipes yet, but I will when I get my own copy. I'm a vegetarian but have been considering making the dietary switch to veganism and this book certainly made it seem doable.