I'm not a vegan, and i'm not trying to become a vegan, but i thought this would be an interesting book to read, to learn their viewpoint. i did learn some new facts and some insights. i also found it a little judgey, especially the part where they're saying you have to become vegan for the right reasons, and can never cheat. it seems to me as long as you're doing your best, it's better than nothing! the funny thing is, they say they're against judgey vegans. lol. Anyway, overall, this was a fast, good read, and i'd recommend it to people who want to become vegans or just want to learn more about it all.

This is an excellent book for referring you to other more informative books. This book is your snotty punk rock cheerleader that is begging you to take a hard line on your veganism. "WHY ARENT YOU VEGAN ALREADY!!?", over and over. OK, Cool. A easy read that gives you coping techniques for your nasty evil meat animal consuming friends, family, coworkers. "YOUR FRIENDS MIGHT TRY TO SNEAK MEAT IN YOUR FOOD!?!?". OK, cool, probably not people you want to hang out with to begin with. Not much deep information on being a healthy vegan, although they do refer another book. Not a lot of info for adapting your life to being cruelty free, although they recommend a few web sites. The authors seemed to have active twitter accounts, a podcast and a web resource but they all appear to be abandoned. This all left a bad taste in my mouth.

All and all a great resource for someone who is flirting with the idea of being vegan but not recommended for a deeper understanding of the lifestyle.

An alternate subtitle could be "How to Survive and Appropriately Behave Amongst Meat-Eaters." Basically, it's a book by a cool, tattooed college professor couple for other hipsters that don't eat meat or meat byproducts. A librarian and fellow vegetarian friend of mind loaned me the book, and I recommend it. I disagree with the occassionally snotty attitude that the authors display. I think that they may fail to understand that many people in inner-city neighborhoods, e.g. my community, have a hard time getting cheap vegetarian foods, particularly when a pack of bologna or hot dogs, sold for 89 cents, and bread for 2 bucks can feed a family, yet a pack of apples is 5 dollars (not even from a fresh market) and that shit won't last me nearly as long. However, I support all promotion of vegetarian and vegan ideals.

I'd recommend this book to people who have recently committed themselves to going vegan for ethical reasons and are looking for some life tips and moral support. They're a little dictatorial for my taste on minor points such as what to do with your old shoes and whether caring about the environment is a valid reason to want to do it, and there probably isn't much to be had from it if you've been vegan for more than a year or two. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to someone who hadn't committed themselves to going vegan either - the tone would almost certainly rub you up the wrong way. But for what it is and who it's aimed at, it's a nice thing to have around. My personal guru remains Colleen Patrick Goudreau.

Un livre défouloir et avec quelques conseils pour les nouveaux vegans. Apporte peu à l'antispécisme...

I love this book. I first got introduced to veganism when I chose to pick up this book at my college library in 2010. The way it was written sounded a little too extreme but I still enjoyed it a lot. Whether you're a vegan or not, you can still get some information from this book. You don't have to be a vegan to enjoy it.

Very informative and offers many good arguments for veganism. Written with some humour - definitely laughed throughout the book. Would recommend to vegans and non-vegans alike.

I spent a couple of summers where I tried out the whole Vegan thing. I only did it during the summer because I needed better sources of carbs and protein for swim season. My whole motive behind living the lifestyle was more to diet and have only healthy stuff in my body so I could feel more clear. When I was eating vegan I was able to reach some health and fitness goals through the diet and through my workout regimen. The biggest reason I didn't continue it is because I wasn't able to get enough protein in by body which resulted in not gaining as much muscle as I wanted.
Because those were my only true motives behind this lifestyle it was really great to be able to learn about Bob and Jenny who were motivated to make a change in their life. They explained that one of the biggest reasons they wanted to be Vegan is because of their love for their pets at home. They talked about it more as a lifestyle rather than a diet. Because of that, you could truly feel their passion as they were giving their advice.
One of my favorite things about the book is that they really had a sense of humor that they didn't try to hide it in their writing. It was refreshing to be able to read a book that felt real and seemed to be understanding to the fact that life really does happen. I loved how real it felt compared to some books that feel empty or boring because it doesn't feel real. Sometimes, it can feel like you're reading a boring essay. Because of the contrast and their writing style the entire book felt really real.
Throughout the book Bob and Jenny talk about their diet and even give a specific meal plan called the cold tofu diet. This diet was created with the goal of turning someone Vegan within three weeks. Bob and Jenny explained the diet that consists of cutting tofu into bite size pieces and eating with your favorite toppings.
Overall I would definitely suggest this book. Whether you're curious for yourself or maybe even trying to support a friend or loved one succeed in their lifestyle I think this book can help. The only negative thing I can think of is that because Bob and Jenny obviously support and love the lifestyle, it may be nice to hear some opposing viewpoints. I would absolutely suggest this informative and fun book to anyone who is looking for a carefree read.

The authors’ tone will likely to be polarizing to readers. Those who like their commentary spiced with snarky asides will enjoy it. Those who prefer a kinder, gentler approach will likely be frowning.

However, you have to respect folks who have the guts to say that some vegans do much more harm to the animal rights movement than good. These people range from fake vegans who only eat animal foods “sometimes,” to those who feel that the best way to convince others to care is by screaming at them. The authors spend quite a bit of time advising on how not to become one of these types.

However, the majority of criticism is saved for the factory farming industry, and the choice to financially support it. The authors present a hypothetical, but instantly familiar scenario: a story of pet abuse discussed on the evening news. It seems “Simon” gets his jollies out of burning his dog with a blowtorch. It’s his way of amusing himself, until someone discovers the tormented dog. People are horrified as they learn about the dog’s torture. They shake their heads in disgust, get angry, start to cry— all over plates of dead animal parts. The book continues:

[T]he same essential scenario is repeated millions upon millions of times across the country as people tune into the TV news over their evening meal – an evening meal that is, almost universally, composed of some kind of animal flesh or animal excretion. Surely, over chicken legs, rump roasts, and baby-back ribs, Americans would express their outrage at such unnecessary cruelty. … Worse yet, their justifications for eating these animal products—just because they taste good, and are traditionally what people are used to eating—are essentially the same as Simon’s when we get down to it.

This is a contradiction that animal advocates will instantly recognize—in fact, we probably have our own favorite “selective compassion” examples we’ve encountered in our own lives. (Mine: A woman bitching about hunters who shoot “those pretty deer” while gnawing on a rib sandwich.) As theorist Gary Francione titled one of his essays, “We are all Michael Vick.”

Speaking of Francione, the authors are big followers of his, and he provides a blurb on the book’s jacket. Vegans who are “in the know” will probably be rolling their eyes at this. For while Francione can be insightful and intelligent about some things (like everyday folks’ similarity to infamous dog abusers), he is also maddeningly obtuse about many others. Be forewarned: the authors of this book echo Francione’s opinion that animal advocates should not work for better welfare for animals confined on factory farms, and anything that isn’t total abolition of the livestock industry should be opposed. A lot of animal rights advocates find severe fault with this line of thinking, and argue that Francione’s contention that campaigns to lesson factory farm suffering encourage more meat eating is BS.  Vegan.com writer Erik Marcus calls out the authors by name over this:

It kills me that several years back, Bob and Jenna Torres gave Francione all sorts of fawning coverage on their then-popular podcast. Thanks to them, a new crop of vegans bought into Francione’s line of bullshit, and much of the potential these vegans had as animal advocates went down the drain.

Ironically, in the very next chapter following all of the Francione theory is a chapter on how to deal with omnivores, specifically those of the obnoxious sort. The authors realize we live in a society in which 98% of the populace eat animals and see absolutely no problem with it—at least not enough of a problem to change their diets. How they cannot see the irony of their position in light of this is nonsensical. Of course we should campaign for a reduction in demand for animal-based foods, but at the same time, throwing the billions of animals who are suffering NOW to the wind makes zero sense to me.

3.5*

As a newbie to veganism, I was keen to find an accessible and informative book to help me adapt to my lifestyle change.

Vegan Freak is a highly readable resource covering many aspects of veganism, including which products are and are not vegan, ethics and animal rights, common issues new vegans struggle with and personal anecdotes.

The edition I read has dated slightly (not sure if there are newer editions available) and many of the recommended products are hard to source in the UK.

That said, it's certainly reaffirmed the reasons I wanted to go vegan in the first place and I would say it is especially useful for those taking their first steps towards veganism.

I struggled to get through this and can't say I found the effort was worthwhile. I've been vegan long enough that I didn't expect to pick up too many strategies that I hadn't figured out for myself, but I thought I'd enjoy the read in any event. But mostly I was struck with how the authors seem utterly unlikable ... and that's to me, totally on board with their ethical position and arguments, and having faced many of the experiences they recounted.

A really comprehensive book on veganism without the academic style that some books are prone to. The approach is explicitly abolitionist and so ends up being kinda hostile at points, even if the tone is irreverent. Generally amusing and constantly refreshing, the details provided are explicitly practical, albeit well framed constantly by explanation and justification.

Their animosity as regards ovo-lacto vegetarians becomes quite abrasive and misses the point a little, I feel. If anything they're one of the groups most inclined to be converted, not a group of enemies to be riled against.