Customer Reviews

101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian

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I just finished reading Ms. Rice's 101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian, and I simply have been bowled over. Reason after reason, the information the author brings forth is unrelenting and, no-less, devastating. This is up there as one the most far-reaching indictments of the meat-eating lifestyle to date.

So much of this material was absolutely new to me, and I pride myself on being an informed vegan. It would be pretty tough for any meat eater to remain so after reading this book. If you read it, you will be transformed.

Despite the obvious fact that Ms. Rice shares the philosophy of your most ardent vegan advocate, the writing style is understated, which is perhaps what gives the information its power. In the majority of cases Ms. Rice's facts come from conventional sources (the USDA, the EPA, The New York Times, The Economist, agricultural colleges, etc.), which, by the way, are copiously referenced. I figure there are perhaps 1,500 citations in the book. I could not, of course, look at every one, but it was nice to know they were always there to back up the facts. I did look up a few with Google searches. In those cases I

was at once brought into a world of key experts at the forefronts of their fields. Furthermore, the 13-page index appears to allow readers a good chance at cross referencing at any point. Both the index and the reference pages were interesting browse-reads in themselves.

Here is a book that should probably be on the shelf of every vegan or vegetarian alive. There, this book offers the meat-free the constant assurance that each had made the best decision of his or her life.

My only complaint with the book was that the author did not let loose more often. I got the feeling Ms. Rice's editors reigned in a more flamboyant style, a style that seeps through the cracks all too infrequently.

In the end, at risk of repeating myself, if you're a vegetarian or vegan, here is your ultimate vindication. If you're a meat eater, you may want to consider yourself duly put on the hot seat.

There are all sorts of reasons to become a vegetarian, and this little book contains 101 great ones. From the effect of animal production on the environment to the destruction of genetic diversity and the spread of disease from animals to humans to the horrific treatment of farmed animals, many of these reasons will sound familiar to a lot of people.

Still, these reasons are articulated in intricate and often disturbing detail. The links between dairy production and the life (if it can be called that) of veal cattle, the extreme overproduction required of laying hens and mother cows, the huge amounts of waste produced by factory farms and the dangers of biotechnology, genetic engineering and cloning are outlined in stunning detail.

Of course there are also reasons involving the positive health benefits (and benefits for the planet) brought about by eating a vegetarian diet, from reducing your risk of several kinds of cancer to increasing beneficial phytochemicals in your diet and reducing the world's oil and energy drains.

There are probably reasons here that most readers have not considered, and facts you might not know about; for instance, that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest pregnant women heat cold cuts to 170 degrees to reduce their risk of getting listeria. Or that even though its forbidden for cows to eat other cows because of the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or mad cow disease), the Food and Drug Administration says as many as 350,000 cows that humans consume were fed bovine by-products.

So many moments in this book will make readers gasp in surprise and horror at the state of the average American diet and what it is doing to the animals, the workers who are paid to kill those animals, the planet that must deal with the waste and corpses of those animals and the people who consume such a diet.

If nothing else, this book will affirm everything you believe about why the vegetarian diet is right for you and the planet. Perhaps you could also use it to convince family and friends to stop their meat-eating ways, or at least to show them why you are a vegetarian.-Sarah White

Be prepared, this is no ordinary book on vegetarianism. It is undoubtedly THE BEST I've read on the subject in over 24 years of maintaining a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle.

101 Reasons is a gift to society. A clear, comprehensive log of the myriad reasons a vegetarian diet just makes sense. The tone is perfect-unapologetic and direct while still light and conversational. Reading this will strengthen your convictions if you are already vegetarian, and will make you stop and reassess if you are not. This is a "just the facts" approach. Thankfully, not once are animals referred to as "cute" anywhere in the book. Covering everything from individual health benefits to environmental and global impact, and everything in between, this book should be a treasured resource in any home library to be referred to again and again.

"101 Reasons" is full of facts I didn't know, and full of stats for those I did. I particularly learned a great deal about the impact of factory farming on the environment, and fish in particular. Although the book is barely off the press, it already predicted things that happened after its printing: additional cases of mad cow; enormous numbers of deaths for animals during the Katrina hurricane; and outbreak of avian flu.

"101 Reasons" is unlike most books and lectures on vegetarianism, which preach to the already converted and don't teach me (already converted) anything I didn't already know. "101 Reasons" will surprise people whether they have, or lack, previous knowledge of the rationale for vegetarianism.

The book is beautifully written. To the point, and humorous puns makes a hard-to-take message more palatable.

I want everyone I know to pick this one up!

-- Jean Thaler Brooklyn NY

for some reason Amazon shows somebody else's name as the reviewer

After years in the trenches of front-line vegetarian advocacy, Pam Rice has taken her pamphlet "101 Reasons Why I'm A Vegetarian" and created a full length book that is the go-to reference for why you should be a vegetarian. While lacking the narrative structure of one of John Robbins' books, the exhaustively sourced "just the facts, meathead" approach (conveniently broken down by category) will help refute the ignorance of your friends, family and co-workers (most likely all the above!) Just don't try reading it straight through-you'll get a headache to go with your heartache at the damage meat centered diets are wreaking on our bodies, our planet, our environment, our economy and our fellow species.

Actually, I was already a vegetarian, writing a paper about vegetarianism for college, when I got this book. It helped me with the paper and made me more determined to stay in this lifestyle.

This one of the best vegetarian advocacy books available. As the title suggests the book is divided into 101 individual sections. There may be some repetition of themes but there is no "fluff". This book is loaded with facts and figures. Even the most knowledgeable veg*n is sure to learn something new from this work.

By dividing the book into 101 sections the author has given up the ability to present her arguments comprehensively. However, this approach is well suited for today's hectic pace, with small information "bites" that can be read a few at a time. Some have criticized the author for being rather dispassionate in her writing. I believe her factual approach is more effective than emotional manipulation--she presents the facts and largely lets the reader draw their own conclusions. When she does editorialize it is done in an understated, non-confrontational manner.

I hope the author and publisher are planning future revised editions to incorporate new information.

If you care about either your Health, the Planet or the lives of living conscious beings that share the same senses we have then please read the great book by Pamela Rice, "101 Reasons Why I'm A Vegetarian." It is a fabulous read and if you are a caring person will no doubt change your life.

To my surprise, this book is very well written, not preachy or ideological, but rather is a "laundry list" of facts and well documented research on the topic of vegetarianism, why people have switched over, the current role society plays in the environment and of course, health. The facts are compelling, and you cannot deny the truth. As everything is footnoted and sourced, the author challenges you to read the articles and publications that are referenced in her 101 reasons. This is truly a must read book for those who are interested in the truth about eating meat and the effect it has on a person's health, the environment, the economy, world hunger, and of course the animals. This book sealed the deal for me in fully converting to a vegetarian diet.

I loved this book! It was candy to my soul. I read it twice and probably will again. I highly recommend it to everyone that wants the facts, the whole facts and nothing but facts. A brilliant piece of work. Very well done.