Customer Reviews

Being Vegan: Living With Conscience, Conviction, and Compassion

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After reading Joanne Stepaniak's "The Vegan Sourcebook," the most comprehensive and authoritative guide on Veganism that I have ever seen, I was hungry for more of Stepaniak's lucid writing -- a writing suffused with a style that mixed compelling arguments with a gentle compassion and understanding.

This book, which can be considered the world's first FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) on Veganism, is a delight. While "The Vegan Sourcebook" did a splendid job of setting up a sturdy foundation for the Vegan's beliefs, in this book Stepaniak fills in lots of the details by answering very specific questions about Veganism, questions she has received over the years from Vegans who have turned to her for answers. It makes for a fascinating read, and the format lends itself well to browsing -- short questions followed by concise answers. And it covers just about everything you ever wanted to know about Veganism, from how to ensure that you're investing in animal-kind industries; how to deal with relatives who eat meat; what to do if you become Vegan after working for years in a lucrative job at a deli; how to deal with dinner invitations; what to do if you become Vegan while your spouse doesn't, and the list goes on -- there are two hundreds pages worth!

As is typically refreshing of Stepaniak, there's no aggressive proselytizing, no holier-than-thou attitude and always a fine balance between idealism and realism; she constantly reminds Vegans to see the forest for the trees -- that taking any philosophy to an extreme is futile and often leads to needless frustration.

And in the end, it doesn't matter whether readers agree with all of the answers given; what mattered most to me was that, with Stepaniak's gentle guiding hand, I finally confronted many important issues that had been previously swept under the carpet. And by thinking about those issues I was able to come up with a better, more coherent philosophy of life. And this is the greatest accolade that I can give any book. Like Stepaniak's "The Vegan Sourcebook," I highly recommend "Being Vegan."

If you are a vegan who has ever wished there was a Veganism FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), this book is it.

Being Vegan consists of the most commonly-asked questions and answers about all aspects of vegan living. The areas covered include Vegan Philosophy, Relationships, Ethical Practice, and Food. Within each area, questions are grouped by subject. The helpful table of contents lists each question, making the book useful as a reference manual as well as for general reading.

All the common questions are addressed here, from the "what if" objections of the unconverted to the "how to deal with parents" issue. Recognizing that veganism is more than a diet, it also addresses the other day-to-day issues of vegan living, such as pest control, employment, companion animals, etc..

Joanne Stepaniak has once again performed an invaluable service to vegans everywhere, in providing this vital manual. She addresses each issue with her customary compassionate wisdom. Being Vegan is a must for anyone considering or currently transitioning to veganism, as well as for experienced vegans.

Being vegan in a very unvegan world can be extremely difficult. Fortunately Joanne Stepaniak has provided us all with a guidebook to staying sane as a vegan in our current world. Being a beginning vegan I found this book to be very reassuring that veganism is a realistic possibility for people of all ages. Furthermore, this book prepares you for virtually every scenario that you can encounter as a vegan. Prior to reading this book I had no idea how linked the meat, diary, egg, and leather industries all were. Upon reading this I realized that a vegan lifestyle was perfectly logical and compassionate for me. I would recommend this book to any vegan because it provides a strong base for handling social situations, dining at restaurants, and how to deal with vegan dilemmas. Above all, Stepaniak encourages her readers to seek compassion as much as current societal limits will allow.

Being Vegan is a great book with so many answers. When I chose a Vegan lifestyle friends and family became suspicious and skeptical. It was a time to answer alot of questions both genuine and intentionally inane. If I had the book Being Vegan at that time, the difficulties I encountered would have been less than halved, and anticipating obstacles on the journey could have been a breeze. I have read and re-read my copy of Being Vegan and given it prime position in my Vegan library. Joanne Stepaniak anticipates many scenarios which would otherwise confound Vegans about lifestyle and Vegan choices and provides practical answers. The style of the book is Q & A in format making it surprisingly easy reading considering that the issues are the "big" ones and the material is deep and insightful and its substance quite weighty. Being a Vegan is a considerable undertaking and reading about it could seem so, but Being Vegan can help you answer any skeptics and keep you clearly focused.

I'm a big fan of Joanne Stepaniak and have followed her writings for years. I'm amazed at her remarkable ability to consistently produce groundbreaking work. Just when you think Joanne couldn't possibly come up with new ways of addressing conventional perspectives, she does it again. She possesses clarity of purpose and is a heartfelt advocate of compassionate living. I own a copy of each of her titles including Being Vegan, one of her latest offerings. I must admit that initially I was a bit skeptical about purchasing Being Vegan, considering that I've lived as a vegan for nearly twenty years and thought I'd seen and heard it all. The skepticism was short lived. As I started reading, I realized that as with her previous titles, Joanne had written another tour de force. The book's format is ingenious and engaging. It's a question and answer format based on the thousands of questions she has received from around the world via her popular Web site Grassroots Veganism and her award winning on-line advice column. I was thrilled and encouraged by the notion that veganism literally crosses cultural and geographical boundaries and exists in parts of the world that one would least expect. In addition, it's rather obvious that Joanne spent countless hours on research and tailoring her thoughtful answers to suit the individual. Her thouroughness and sensitivity are inspiring. I was also very impressed with the ambitious scope of Being Vegan. The entire vegan lifecycle is addressed including philosophy, relationships, ethical practice, and vegan practice and food. Finally, this book is not only for "new" vegans and their non-vegan relatives and friends. I'm sure that other "old-timers" like me will find Being Vegan as thought-provoking and sensible as I did. Highly recommended.

'Being Vegan' is a beautiful contribution to veganism. Joanne Stepaniak's eloquent style and her message of compassion have been such a blessing to me. I own several of Joanne's books and I trust and respect her benevolent wisdom and guidance. She is truly an inspired teacher. It is so wonderful to read about vegan philosophy and compassion without the focus always being on the food. In 'Being Vegan', Joanne teaches that veganism is so much more than what we eat or wear; it's not about "doing the least harm, but about doing the most good". She encourages us to extend our compassion above and beyond our focus on animal suffering, to embrace our neighbors and especially ourselves. After being vegan long enough to have conquered the diet and nutrition aspect, it was time for me to take the next step and begin practicing "dynamic harmlessness". 'Being Vegan' is a wonderful, realistic guide for new vegans and a breath of fresh air for those of us who have been on our journey of compassion for years. I treasure my veganism even more after reading this touching and insightful guide.

Being Vegan is a great book which is compassionate not just for everything extrinsically altruistic about Veganism, but intrinsically for Vegans themselves. If you are a busy person with little free time, or required reading of a study/work nature makes reading a book seem like a chore rather than a pleasure, then Being Vegan is the book for you. This is a book compassionate towards Vegans themselves by providing a readable style with a punchy article-like question and answer format of FAQs cutting to the essence of what it is to be Vegan. The content is balanced, so taking away the information to intergrate into every day is realistic. Congratulations Joanne Stepaniak for providing a book that is compassionate to everything, including busy Vegans. A consistent author whose skill of her craft can allow the context mirror the content of a work.

I have rarely read a more insightful presentation of vegan thought than Joanne Stepaniak's "Being Vegan". All too often, vegan ethics are watered down in texts in the name of making the lifestyle choice "practical" or "convenient". I think we are better off staying the course for compassion and concern. This book presents that important message in way I haven't felt since reading Animal Liberation. I highly recommend this book.

I'm a big fan of Joanne Stepaniak and have followed her writings for years. I'm amazed at her remarkable ability to consistently produce groundbreaking work. Just when you think Joanne couldn't possibly come up with new ways of addressing conventional perspectives, she does it again. She possesses clarity of purpose and is a heartfelt advocate of compassionate living. I own a copy of each of her titles including Being Vegan, one of her latest offerings. I must admit, that initially I was a bit skeptical about purchasing Being Vegan, considering that I've lived as a vegan for nearly twenty years and thought I'd seen and heard it all. The skepticism was short lived. As I started reading, I realized that as with her other titles, Joanne had written another tour de force. The book's format is ingenious and engaging. It's a question and answer format based on the thousands of questions she has received from around the world via her popular Web site Grassroots Veganism and her award winning on-line advice column. I was thrilled and encouraged by the notion that veganism literally crosses cultural and geographical boundaries and exists in parts of the world that one would least suspect. In addition, it's rather obvious that Joanne spent countless hours on research and tailoring her thoughtful answers to suit the individual. Her thoroughness and sensitivity are inspiring. I was also very impressed with the ambitious scope of Being Vegan. The entire vegan lifecycle is addressed including philosophy, relationships, ethics, and vegan practice and food. Finally, this book is not only for "new" vegans and their non-vegan relatives and friends. I'm sure that other "old-timers" like me will find Being Vegan as thought-provoking and sensible as I did. Highly recommended.

I loved this book! I thought it was very well written and had some very good commonsensical advice. While I'm not an
animal rights person (more an "animal welfare and good/responsible
care") most of the rest of the philosphy/ethics makes good sence after reading the book. Ms. Stepaniak provides practical answers to many issues that might come up when someone decides to adopt a Vegan lifestyle. She also spells out the Vegan philosophy in clear terms. Anyone entering a Vegan lifestyle, considering a Vegan lifestyle or has a loved one who is Vegan should read this book.