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squid_vicious 's review for:
The Skeptical Vegan: My Journey from Notorious Meat Eater to Tofu-Munching Vegan—A Survival Guide
by Victoria Moran, Eric C. Lindstrom
Full disclaimer: I am not vegan. I am not even vegetarian. I have chronic anemia, and while I do take all the necessary precautions and supplements, I do occasionally need to eat meat. It’s not ideal, and it’s often hard to reconcile with my Zen Buddhist and yoga practices, and I do the best I can to live as compassionately as possible. Also, I’m a cheese and honey addict, so if you want to ignore my review of this book based on that, please go ahead and skip it.
I didn’t grab this book as a skeptic. In fact, I agree with almost everything Lindstrom wrote in these pages. I don’t believe it takes a genius to see that there are multiple benefits to cutting back (or eliminating) meat and animal products from one’s diet or consumerist habits. It’s not just the ethical aspect of limiting animal suffering: there are considerable impacts on our health and on the environment (and consequently on society as a whole – the compassion is not just for animals, it’s for every living being that stands to benefit). And while this book didn’t bring any new and ground-breaking information to my table, it is still a very informative and possibly challenging read for people who are contemplating lifestyle changes. It’s also great to see how Lindstrom changed. Because he didn’t get bullied by what he refers to as “Angry Vegans”; he tried a thing, found out that the results were great and that it made all aspects of his life better, so he kept going.
To Lindstrom, veganism is not just a diet, it’s a lifestyle, and that’s what he preaches, that’s what he wishes everyone in the world would do. He goes through all the details of his experience, from his life as a chicken-wing lover to raising his kids vegan, and answering all the questions vegans are asked on a daily basis. It’s inspiring to see him stick to his commitment, even if the original motivation was to win a bet and not do house chores for a month. Whatever works for you! He has a good self-deprecating humor, both about himself and about vegans in general (who are, alas, often very easy to poke fun at). He’s quick to point out the bad, but he also extensively explores the good too, so what you get is a fairly balanced portrait. He is also a clever and entertaining writer, who comes up with gems such as “While the future of your health can’t be read in the palm of your hand or at the bottom of a teacup, it can in fact be read around your belt”. I must say that I also love that he’s from the Finger Lakes region: my in-laws are in Western New York, and he has the same brand of humor they do, which made me feel right at home. (I can also relate to his experience of having Italian relatives who essentially fed you as if you were next Sunday’s roast (and to this day, when I spot skinny people, my first instinct is to feed them). But my dad is not just French, he’s a French hippie, so I was raised with plenty of tofu, hummus, miso and bulgur alongside the chicken parm and ragù. And the Brooktondale macrobiotic parties he describes are eerily similar to my dad’s gatherings.)
The issue with this book is that you’ll find a lot of inspiring and non-judgemental sentences like “It’s not always easy to do, but it’s always easy to try”, quickly followed by remarks that basically mean he thinks everyone who doesn’t do as he says is a massive jerk. I’m not a big fan of doublespeak, and it’s difficult to reconcile his encouragement from his dogmatism. Yes, I get it: you can’t be a “part-time” or “almost” vegan. Fine, no arguments from me there. It’s the judgemental aspect of his rants that grates me. I agree that some people just don’t know where their food comes from, and would make different choices if they knew (or just thought about it a bit more critically), and that others are willingly ignoring it so they can keep doing whatever they want - and that those people kinda suck. Maybe it’s just my contrarian spirit, but aggressively antagonizing people (even when you think it’s for their own good) undermines every sane argument you could bring to the metaphorical table, so I am not receptive to that approach. You catch more flies with agave syrup… In that same line of thought, immediately judging people as bad or dumb because of their dietary choices makes anyone sound like a jerk: there might be information you don’t have about their health or history, so I think being kind is the best strategy to encourage education and change. I think the most crucial line in the book is this one, which is near the end: “Every time you make a choice on whether or not to use or consume products with these ingredients, think about the impact you’re having on your own health, the environment, and the animals.” In my opinion, that’s always the best angle at which to approach any conversation about lifestyle and consumer choice. It’s thought-provoking without being confrontational. Just sayin’.
Regardless of the above-mentioned issue, I enjoyed the book. The stories are good, the recipes included in the final section look great (and I will definitely be trying some very soon!) and the answers to the questions vegans are asked by omnivores all the time are answered in great details. Definitely recommended, even if the tone can be grating and inconsistent.
I didn’t grab this book as a skeptic. In fact, I agree with almost everything Lindstrom wrote in these pages. I don’t believe it takes a genius to see that there are multiple benefits to cutting back (or eliminating) meat and animal products from one’s diet or consumerist habits. It’s not just the ethical aspect of limiting animal suffering: there are considerable impacts on our health and on the environment (and consequently on society as a whole – the compassion is not just for animals, it’s for every living being that stands to benefit). And while this book didn’t bring any new and ground-breaking information to my table, it is still a very informative and possibly challenging read for people who are contemplating lifestyle changes. It’s also great to see how Lindstrom changed. Because he didn’t get bullied by what he refers to as “Angry Vegans”; he tried a thing, found out that the results were great and that it made all aspects of his life better, so he kept going.
To Lindstrom, veganism is not just a diet, it’s a lifestyle, and that’s what he preaches, that’s what he wishes everyone in the world would do. He goes through all the details of his experience, from his life as a chicken-wing lover to raising his kids vegan, and answering all the questions vegans are asked on a daily basis. It’s inspiring to see him stick to his commitment, even if the original motivation was to win a bet and not do house chores for a month. Whatever works for you! He has a good self-deprecating humor, both about himself and about vegans in general (who are, alas, often very easy to poke fun at). He’s quick to point out the bad, but he also extensively explores the good too, so what you get is a fairly balanced portrait. He is also a clever and entertaining writer, who comes up with gems such as “While the future of your health can’t be read in the palm of your hand or at the bottom of a teacup, it can in fact be read around your belt”. I must say that I also love that he’s from the Finger Lakes region: my in-laws are in Western New York, and he has the same brand of humor they do, which made me feel right at home. (I can also relate to his experience of having Italian relatives who essentially fed you as if you were next Sunday’s roast (and to this day, when I spot skinny people, my first instinct is to feed them). But my dad is not just French, he’s a French hippie, so I was raised with plenty of tofu, hummus, miso and bulgur alongside the chicken parm and ragù. And the Brooktondale macrobiotic parties he describes are eerily similar to my dad’s gatherings.)
The issue with this book is that you’ll find a lot of inspiring and non-judgemental sentences like “It’s not always easy to do, but it’s always easy to try”, quickly followed by remarks that basically mean he thinks everyone who doesn’t do as he says is a massive jerk. I’m not a big fan of doublespeak, and it’s difficult to reconcile his encouragement from his dogmatism. Yes, I get it: you can’t be a “part-time” or “almost” vegan. Fine, no arguments from me there. It’s the judgemental aspect of his rants that grates me. I agree that some people just don’t know where their food comes from, and would make different choices if they knew (or just thought about it a bit more critically), and that others are willingly ignoring it so they can keep doing whatever they want - and that those people kinda suck. Maybe it’s just my contrarian spirit, but aggressively antagonizing people (even when you think it’s for their own good) undermines every sane argument you could bring to the metaphorical table, so I am not receptive to that approach. You catch more flies with agave syrup… In that same line of thought, immediately judging people as bad or dumb because of their dietary choices makes anyone sound like a jerk: there might be information you don’t have about their health or history, so I think being kind is the best strategy to encourage education and change. I think the most crucial line in the book is this one, which is near the end: “Every time you make a choice on whether or not to use or consume products with these ingredients, think about the impact you’re having on your own health, the environment, and the animals.” In my opinion, that’s always the best angle at which to approach any conversation about lifestyle and consumer choice. It’s thought-provoking without being confrontational. Just sayin’.
Regardless of the above-mentioned issue, I enjoyed the book. The stories are good, the recipes included in the final section look great (and I will definitely be trying some very soon!) and the answers to the questions vegans are asked by omnivores all the time are answered in great details. Definitely recommended, even if the tone can be grating and inconsistent.