Customer Reviews

The Inner Art of Vegetarianism : Spiritual Practices for Body

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

 

 

I'm really not given to new-age books, so I started reading this one without much enthusiasm -- was I ever won over! I admire Carol Adams so much after reading this. She has struggled with living in a fully conscious way that overcomes mental and emotional obstacles and opens the way for both productivity and inner peace, and her story is inspiring and instructive. I just bought the companion Meditations book and am now working my way through it. I really can't say enough about this book. It's truly fortifying and worth a read.

This is a beautiful, useful and insightful book.
"Vegetarianism is not so much a diet as an acknowledgement of relationships," Adams writes, "between your choice of food and your body's health; between yourself and your sisters and brothers, the animals; and between your actions and the earth's health."

The title alone, The Inner Art of Vegetarianism: Spiritual Practices for Body and Soul, was enough to pique my interest and I have not been disappointed. While I did not read this book in the customary beginning to end fashion, I enjoyed ambling through this multi-faceted book following appealing topics until I had read it in its entirety. With only a few pages that failed to capture my complete attention, I must say I really love this book.

I am a person who underlines and makes notations in my books (don't shoot me!) to serve as breadcrumbs to follow later and such breadcrumbs litter most of the pages of this book. From small to significant; from spiritual to political; from the practical and mundane to the compelling, these tidbits are easily found throughout. Carol J. Adams brings a wholehearted approach to the titled topics and, most interestingly, she comes to her subjects from many levels and directions. She reveals a solid harmonious foundation for her beliefs and her personal systems of behaviour and at the same time gives enticing challenge to the wholeness of the reader's conceptions. The Inner Art of Vegetarianism is an admirable and inspiring work.

After reading "The Sexual Politics of Meat" and enjoying Adams' writing, I picked up this book. Her suggestions for incorporating vegetarianism as a spiritual endeavor are inspiring and I have incorporated many of them into my life. If you are able to obtain a copy, there is a companion workbook to this which allows you to do more written exploration of the issues raised in the book. There is also a Meditations book with daily actions and thoughts which is very good.

I didn't give this book five stars because I wish it had ways of incorporating an existing spiritual life (i.e., other religious paths) into this process. But I imagine that is due to Adams' own perspectives and I guess I will have to keep looking! Still, very good.

Carol Adams' writing is very personable and I would love to see her lecture in person some time in the future.