What can we do to help stop global warming, feed the hungry, prevent cruelty to animals, avoid genetically modified foods, be healthier and live longer? Eat vegetarian, Robbins (Diet for a New America) argues. Noting the massive changes in the environment, food-production methods, and technology over the last two decades, he lambastes (in a manner less tough-mindedly restrained than Frances Moore Lapp's classic Diet for a Small Planet) contemporary factory-farming methods and demonstrates that individual dietary choices can be both empowering and have a broader impact. Robbins, heir to the Baskin-Robbins ice-cream empire (he rejected it to live according to his values), takes on fad diets, the meat industry, food irradiation, hormone and antibiotic use in animals, cruel animal husbandry practices, the economics of meat consumption, biotechnology and the prevalence of salmonella and E. Coli. Some details are downright revolting (euthanized dogs and cats often are made into cattle feed), horrific (some 90% of cows, pigs and poultry are still conscious when butchered) and mind-boggling (it takes 5,214 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef). Despite all this and more distressing information, Robbins ends on a hopeful note, detailing growth in organic farming, public awareness and consumer activism worldwide, as well as policy changes, especially in Europe. Well researched and lucidly written, if sometimes overly sentimental and burdened by clichd rhetoric, this book is sure to spark discussion and incite readers to examine their food choices. (July 2)Forecast: Diet for a New America was both controversial and influential; Robbins's name (and that of Dr. Dean Ornish, who provides a foreword) should draw readers, particularly to the author's six-city western U.S. tour. Global warming, animal rights, meat safety and genetically modified food are being recognized as important issues, but the kind of sea change the book calls for is unlikely to find a mass audience.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Robbins, author of the classic Diet for a New America, believes that plant-based nutrition and particularly vegan diets (free of meat, milk, and eggs) lead to long life and good health. Citing statistics, research studies, and selected quotes that extol the benefits of such diets, he also argues that animal products are responsible for such diseases as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. Robbins deplores the inadequate sanitation and inspection in meat-processing plants and argues that many of the illnesses and stomach ailments that people complain about result from animal agriculture and the pathogens it introduces into our bodies. He also raises concerns about the dangers of fad diets that advocate high carbohydrates, high protein, or high fat. Robbins's zealous advocacy of plant-based nutrition and his refusal to consider the need for animal products in human nutrition throws his book off balance. Nevertheless, those who want to know more about vegan diets will gain many insights from his provocative book. Recommended for large nutrition collections with a diversity of viewpoints. [For more diet and nutrition books, see Anne Tomlin's "A Balanced Diet of Nutrition Resources" in LJ's May 1 consumer health supplement. Ed.] Irwin Weintraub, Brooklyn College Lib., New Yor.
- Irwin Weintraub, Brooklyn College Lib., New York
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
Carefully researched, eminently readable, and starkly accurate, The Food Revolution will change your life. If every patient in every doctor's office read this book, it would revolutionize the health of America. –Neal Barnard, M.D., President, Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine
"John Robbins has done it again! Another brilliant, mind-altering, paradigm-shifting, lifestyle-changing, heart-expanding book from the most powerfully sane man I know. The Food Revolution will change your life and the lives of those you love. Thoughtful, penetrating, impeccably researched, it will make you laugh, then cry, then pass it on to your loved ones." –Marianne Williamson, author of A Return to Love
"John Robbins is the leading voice in the world for restoring humanity to its proper relationship with food, the Earth, and health. Read The Food Revolution and get active." –Paul Hawken, author of Natural Capitalism
From the Publisher
"With regard to our health and the health of our planet, The Food Revolution could be the most important book ever written." –Neale Donald Walsch, author of Conversations with God
"In what promises to be the publishing event of the decade, John Robbins provides both the information and the encouragement we need in order to reclaim the health of our bodies and our planet. Packed with political dynamite, this book will change your life. Forthright and fearless, thoroughly researched and engagingly presented, this is must reading for everyone who eats." –Joanna Macy, author of Coming Back to Life
"In The Food Revolution, John Robbins continues his groundbreaking research into the ill effects, both personal and collective, of the modern diet. Our food habits are the hardest addictions we face. Save your life. Save the World. Follow this book." –James Redfield, author of The Celestine Prophecy
"A person who leads me to eat in a way that cultivates spiritual awareness is my kind of prophet. John Robbins gives me a light at the end of the tunnel as well as providing a moral compass. The truth has few allies these days. I have deep respect for John Robbins and join him in the belief that the way we eat has profound environmental impact on our planet. I think it's high time we had a food revolution." –Woody Harrelson, movie and TV star
"With his brilliant and sharp pen/sword, John Robbins punctures the myths and lie balloons that lay millions of Americans in their graves every year. The Food Revolution will tell you how to save and extend your own life, show you how we can all easily work to reduce suffering on Earth, and give you a vibrant and vital sensation of life and health. This is one of those rare and truly transformational books: Buy it, read it, and share it with everybody you know!" –Thom Hartmann, author of The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight
"John Robbins has done it again. The Food Revolution is a riveting sequel to Diet for a New America. I started reading it and I couldn't put it down. I was especially impressed with the chapters on genetic engineering. Robbins explains the situation better than anyone I've ever heard. For the hundreds of thousands of people like me, whose lives have been forever changed by Robbins' work, The Food Revolution is a MUST READ. The word revolution is normally reserved in our society for guerrillas and telemarketers. THIS revolution is ours. It's a simple choice in the foods we eat that will have a radical effect on the world around us." –Adam Werbach, Former President, Sierra Club
"Beautifully written, The Food Revolution is a remarkable book by a remarkable man. It opened both my eyes and my heart. This is indeed a book that can save our lives." –Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice and the Blade and Tomorrow's Children
"The environmental health movement has become one of the most powerful grassroots movements of our time. With this book John Robbins continues his role as one of the movement's most outspoken and eloquent leaders." –Fritjof Capra, author of The Web of Life
"A vital and wonderful book, and easy to digest, this is a perfect read for anyone with a body, a mind, and a heart. The Food Revolution is the most positive book of the decade." –Ingrid Newkirk, President, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
"The Food Revolution provides a cornucopia of arresting and revealing information. Robbins shows, in ways that both shock and fascinate, how the food we produce functions as a fateful link between our health as individuals and the health of the planet that gives us life. Particularly powerful is his well-documented account of the havoc wreaked by the "big cattle" industry on everything from our arteries to our aquifers." –Ed Ayres, Editorial Director, WorldWatch, author of God's Last Offer
"Once again, John Robbins enables us to find our way through the maze of information about food choices and the food industry. His impeccable research and visionary outlook are a gift to those of us who wish to make wise food choices. Personally, I found his reflections on many of the popular diets of our time to be extremely helpful." –Ann Mortifee, vocal artist and composer
"The Food Revolution will finish what Diet for a New America started. It is magnificent. Give a copy to everyone you care about!" –Howard Lyman, President, EarthSave, author of Mad Cowboy
"Revealing a host of astounding facts that the food industry would like to keep hidden, John Robbins shows how healthy eating is not only good for ourselves but also for the environment. Excellent and essential reading for all who want to live healthy lives and help make the world a better place." –Peter Russell, author of Waking Up in Time and From Science to God
"The Food Revolution has arrived in the nick of time to lead us toward healthy diets and healthy farms. Readable, poignant, brilliant, and amazing–this is the book to consult for the health of your family." –Brent Blackwelder, President, Friends of the Earth
"In The Food Revolution, John Robbins points out that the typical 'American diet' is not only associated with adverse effects on human health, but with the reprehensible treatment of animals and irreparable harm to our land and water. Packed with startling facts and provocative insights, The Food
Revolution is compelling reading for anyone interested in nutritional health, the treatment of animals, or even, simply, the fate of the planet!" –David L. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., Yale University School of Medicine
"John Robbins' The Food Revolution is undoubtedly the most comprehensive and sophisticated study on the political, ethical, and sane choices for a healthy diet. His candor and compassion guide the reader through advertising misconceptions to propaganda perpetuated by our food industry. If you wish to learn how to give your body optimal health, you had better tune in to the messages in The Food Revolution. " –Dave Scott, six-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion, first inductee into the Ironman Hall of Fame, and author of Dave Scott's Triathlon Training
From the Inside Flap
Peter Russell, author of Waking Up in Time and From Science to God
"The Food Revolution has arrived in the nick of time to lead us toward healthy diets and healthy farms. Readable, poignant, brilliant, and amazingthis is the book to consult for the health of your family." Brent Blackwelder, President, Friends of the Earth
"In The Food Revolution, John Robbins points out that the typical 'American diet' is not only associated with adverse effects on human health, but with the reprehensible treatment of animals and irreparable harm to our land and water. Packed with startling facts and provocative insights, The Food Revolution is compelling reading for anyone interested in nutritional health, the treatment of animals, or even, simply, the fate of the planet!" David L. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., Yale University School of Medicine
"John Robbins' The Food Revolution is undoubtedly the most comprehensive and sophisticated study on the political, ethical, and sane choices for a healthy diet. His candor and compassion guide the reader through advertising misconceptions to propaganda perpetuated by our food industry. If you wish to learn how to give your body optimal health, you had better tune in to the messages in The Food Revolution. " Dave Scott, six-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion, first inductee into the Ironman Hall of Fame, and author of Dave Scott's Triathlon Training
"John Robbins does it again! The Food Revolution is a powerful and provocative expose of the political, economic, and social realities of our current food system. It challenges and inspires individuals to accept responsibility for our choices and to take action for positive change." Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis, registered dietitians, co-authors of Becoming Vegetarian and Becoming Vegan
"The Food Revolution is the most comprehensive and persuasive argument ever assembled for a plant-based diet being proper human nutrition. Your life and the future of humankind may depend upon the spread of John Robbins' vital message." John McDougall, M.D., Medical Director of the McDougall Program at St. Helena Hospital, author of ten national bestselling books, and host of the nationally syndicated TV Show McDougall, MD
"In The Food Revolution, John Robbins once again opens our eyes and awakens our hearts. His vision of health-enhancing, Earth-friendly food choices offers hope and direction for a nourishing and sustainable tomorrow." Michael A. Klaper, M.D., Director, Institute of Nutrition Education and Research
"John Robbins is a wise man. In his engaging new book, The Food Revolution, John shares his wisdom in a way that touches our heart and mind. He makes us feel good about eating in a compassionate way that nurtures our body and soul. And his research into the dangers of genetically engineered foods is must reading for anyone concerned about health and the environment." Craig Winters, Executive Director, the Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods
"Indispensable reading for the concerned consumer, John Robbins' book tells you how to vote, with your knife and fork, for a sustainable, healthy, and humane world." Ronnie Cummins, National Director Organic Consumers Association, and co-author of Genetically Engineered Food
About the Author
John Robbins is the author of THE FOOD REVOLUTION -- How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World. He is also author of the international bestseller DIET FOR A NEW AMERICA -- How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness, and the Future of Life on Earth, THE AWAKENED HEART -- Meditations on Finding Harmony in a Changing World, and the widely acclaimed RECLAIMING OUR HEALTH -- Exploding the Medical Myth and Embracing the Source of True Healing. Widely considered to be one of the world's leading experts on the dietary link with the environment and health, John's work has been the subject of cover stories and feature articles in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Life, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and many of the nation's other major newspapers and magazines. His life and work have also been featured in an hour long PBS special titled Diet For A New America. The only son of the founder of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream empire, John Robbins was groomed to follow in his father's footsteps, but chose to walk away from Baskin-Robbins and the immense wealth it represented to "...pursue the deeper American Dream...the dream of a society at peace with its conscience because it respects and lives in harmony with all life forms. A dream of a society that is truly healthy, practicing a wise and compassionate stewardship of a balanced ecosystem."
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