Being Vegan: Living With Conscience, Conviction, and Compassion (Paperback)

~ (Author), Stanley Sapon (Introduction) "To understand what it means to be vegan, it is vital to reflect on the historical roots and origin of the word..." (more)
Key Phrases: nonvegan items, vegan practice, vegan beliefs, United States, American Vegan Society, The Vegan Society (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

In Joanne Stepaniak's hands, veganism . . . infuses and informs every aspect of a full, flourishing human (and humane) existence. -- Tom Regan, Ph.D., Founder of The Culture and Animals Foundation and Author of Pulitzer Prize-Nominated The Case for Animal Rights

Joanne Stepaniak has long been one of the freshest voices on the social challenges . . . that arise for vegetarians and vegans. -- John Robbins, Author of Diet for a New America

Product Description

In Being Vegan, renowned activist and award-winning on-line columnist Joanne Stepaniak presents the definitive Q&A primer on an often misunderstood life choice. Fielding questions from friends and foes, she describes how compassion, kindness, and mercy to animals can be integrated into everyday life. It covers living the vegan philosophy and ethic, discovering hidden animal products and ingredients, and more.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Lowell House; 1 edition (August 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0737303239
• ISBN-13: 978-0737303230
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #88,025 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The World's First FAQ on Veganism, June 5, 2001

By	Dan Balogh (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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."

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Essential Vegan FAQ, June 12, 2001

By A Customer

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.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE book of practical veganism, August 10, 2001

By	Jimalls (Hometown, IL United States) - See all my reviews

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.