Generally good but fatphobia from punx is pretty unacceptable. Also does little to address the issue of food desserts/access to vegan food/financial constraints (eg working multiple low pay jobs with little spare time) and the way these make it harder to be vegan.

I wish i could like this book, but the first chapter was simply about the authors thrashing vegetarians ( like me) and non vegetarians, and being all moralistic about it. There was a total lack of insightful facts and plenty of assumptions were made. There were no positive information of how to steer positive change and encouragement towards being veganism without just being plain preachy. The book is just immature and ridden with anger, which unfortunately won't take them far if they want to impart positive change towards veganism.

I read the 2.0 version, by the way.

One caveat: Vegan Freak is clearly geared towards people in high school or college, so don't expect it to be the most mature writing style you've ever encountered. There is no reason to make an "eat out" pun twice in a book that's barely over 200 pages. Or once, for that matter. However, once I realized the target audience, I was able to appreciate the book more.

Basically, the points are:
1. Go vegan
2. Do it now
3. It's not that hard
4. Don't be whiny about it

Bob and Jenna Torres also only recognize the animal rights reason for veganism and look at the environmental and health factors as merely a bonus. So be forewarned, if you are not an ethical vegan, you will probably feel alienated by this book.

There were two things that bugged me. First, the foreword to this version included a lot of whining about bad reviews the first version of this book received, which I find to be bad form. Secondly, while the Torres(es) keep reiterating that under NO circumstances can you intentionally buy or consume a non-essential for life non-vegan item, they seem to make an exception for tattoos that use animal-based glycerin when there are alternatives. I'll admit that I don't know how difficult these alternatives can be to find, but I think it's silly to make an exception for non-vegan tattoos the same way you would make an exception for medicine or car/bike tires. It just weakened the argument for me a bit.

I think this is a really great crash-course in veganism, but I'd be hesitant to recommend it to anyone older than 21 or so because of the writing style.

Gets a bit preachy at times, but is interesting, funny and informative.

I wasn't really sure how to rate this one. On the one hand it's great, because it does have some very useful and very helpful tips and ideas, but I really didn't appreciate the almost 'cult-like' aggression in some of the chapters.

It did answer every question I think I had about becoming vegan (although I was already vegan when I read it), and had the best explanations for many, as well as those you get asked or teased about (so helpful with the whole 'lettuce have feelings things', lol). I could, however, have done without the obsession of getting everyone you know to go vegan. The authors say at one point you won't convince people by lecturing them, but then they seemed to advocate a lot of trying to convince people anyway, whenever you can. They talk a lot about how irritating it is to have people tell you how your choice to be vegan is wrong, and yet encourage you to (pretty much) tell people their choice to NOT be vegan is wrong.

So, it does explain the logistics of going vegan very well, so I am glad I read it, and I think it is worth reading, but could have done without the overal attitude of the authors.

A hilarious and practical how-to-guide for all those awkward moments when you find yourself having to defend being kind and just towards the most vulnerable beings among us. There are a lot of great philosophical arguments throughout to help you understand veganism and animal rights, but without language that's heady and tough to wrap your head around. Highly recommended for the newbie vegan, the seasoned vegan, and anyone who is vegan-curious!

I bought this book for advice on ' being vegan in a non vegan world' you know as the title suggests.

Having already turned vegan I didn't need to read the chapter about 'why to go vegan' Honestly it read as though it was written with so much anger. And was totally patronizingly.

I really disliked the section that gives 'bad reasons for going vegan' it was extremely preachy. WHY can't people have other choices for going vegan? whatever brings you there is good enough for me. I turned vegetarian out of a disgust for meat when I was too young to fully comprehend the politics involved. I stayed vegetarian though! I didn't go fully vegan mostly due to ignorance of what to eat and the politics of the dairy industry. But, also because I have severe allergies to nuts and a few pulses.

What is needed is positive encouragement and good information, sadly I don't think this book fulfils that need. Rather than telling people thier choices for 'going vegan' are bad how about real education about all the other good you're doing too.

Despite this rather bad review there are a few good pieces of advice on dealing with people towards the end. It's a real shame that there wasn't more of this throughout the book.

Good info. I wish it was a little more straight forward and not as chummy. I understand that some people have a problem how they describe omni and ovo-lacto vegetarians and I too have a problem with this. They are, in my opinion, too light on the cheese breathers. Also, I am vegan.

Some of the information is good, but I didn't particularly enjoy the snobbish, holier-than-thou attitudes of the authors. I think this book would turn omnivores and even vegetarians off to the idea of veganism based on the authors' communication style. The book is just not all that well-written.

This book 'is okay'. There were a few occasions when it made a point that really hit home, but there were also a lot of times it really riled me. The tone of the first few chapters is unnecessarily abrasive. Overall I felt that the authors would have benefited from taking a more considered approach to the topic. Compared to something like Safran Foer's Eating Animals (which is excellent), this book just seemed a little immature.

It's a shame that the best publicised book about 'Being Vegan' has taken this approach; I feel there is a real literature gap on this topic. Other reviews have suggested that this book is targeted at Teenagers, which would go some way to explaining the general 'attitude' of the book. However, I do feel that the black and white world view espoused by the authors is unsustainable in the long run, and at best may result in more people becoming the 'ex-vegans' the authors take pains to decry - or at worst lead them to crumple under the weight of their own inexorable world view altogether, lasping back to eating meat.

It is noteworthy that the authors themselves, after running the busiest vegan forum on the web and broadcasting regular podcasts for many years, seem to have vanished from public life altogether. They stopped putting out podcasts, and they allowed the forum hosting to expire despite community members offering to take over. Was it all too much?

First of all, I want to say that I am a selective omnivore which mean I eat - white or red - meat moderately, in sane way, and conscious. But prefer to stick healthy lifestyle with eats more vegetables as long as I can including eat meat or eggs or even fish if there is nothing else.

Lots of people are considering me as vegan especially when I am reading this awesome book. But reality say something else ... being a vegan is a hard work, lots of sacrifice, changing your paradigm and lifestlye. These are including your family and friends. My reading experience with this book including 21 days vegan challenge. A little bit of my experience during days being a vegan:

1>. E-1 : It's lunch time! and my stomach is eating itself.. so I went to the nearest foodcourt in town. Guess what??!! almost all foodcounters sell meat ... meat ... meat and meat ... there are some or even no vegan menu :( .. But finally I help my self with sugarcane juice until back home safe without fainting :D
(VEGAN DAY = SUCCESS)

2>. E-2 : made myself walk to supermarket again to buy some veggies.. I can't believe buying things can be so much fun like that again.. I bought shitake oyster sauce, silk tofu, lots of organic vegetables and mushrooms and raspberries for dessert. At home, it was the best cooking experience ever with my little brother :P (VEGAN DAY = SUCCESS)

3>. E-3 : Walking through supermarket alley, found Strawberries Soyjoy YIPPEEE! But not so fast, Sister! It's a soy bar full of eggs!! Goddamn ingredients..didn't see that thingy at first. So I can't help myself to eat it without mercy :D..(VEGAN DAY = FAIL)

4>. E-4 : No cooking at home but my Sister come home with capcay ..but apparently it's a horrible seafood capcay... I'm dead starving so I just ate it :D (VEGAN DAY = FAIL)

So if you want to be a vegan probably this is your Holy Bible (let's put vegetarian or ovo-lacto vegetarian aside of this OK! they are different creature). It is a good reading for everybody especially because you will love Bob and Jenna Torres' tongue twister. Last but not least, you will also find A - Z knowledge, tips and tricks of Vegandom and V Generation. It is also possible that you will be a vegan too in the end of book :p

I am happy at least I can be sort of vegan anytime I want. Poor little and/or big things called ethical and healthy reason made myself thinking about being a vegan or vegetarian since a few years ago. But since there is no pure vegan in this world, I am still consider myself as selective omnivore :D

HAPPY EATING!!!

The appendix is the most interesting and useful part of this book.

I was surprised to learn that most beers go through a finishing process that uses the swim bladders of fish. Who ever thought beer wasn't vegetarian?!! Is your favorite beer vegan? You can find out here: http://www.veganconnection.com/veganb.... Lots of wines include egg parts, dried blood, or pepsin (from pork!), although I have to assume that kosher wines do not. The ickiest is that white sugar is whitened using a bone byproduct from the meat industry. Yuck. Even some major brands of soy cheese contain casein (from milk). Holy moly.