I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the amount of information packed into a small value. It reenforced what I already knew and gave me more information about veganism, like getting food from a fast food joint or how to deal with family. My only issue was it's claim that cats and dogs could be vegan. I'm sorry, but has the author ever seen a cat? My cats would bring home birds, mice, cicadas, bugs on an almost weekly basis. You just have to look at that and their teeth to know that they are in no shape or form vegan and will never be.

Other than that, I'd recommend this book to the first time vegan or those thinking about veganism.

I would have rated this higher if not for the numerous typos in this book. That, for someone with 2 degrees in English, was the major drawback. I almost put it aside halfway through chapter 2.

That being said, I'm kind of glad I didn't. I found this be very informative and, at times, amusing. It has definitely made me consider the switch from vegetarian to vegan, I'm still just not 100% certain that I'll know enough to do it right. But this book has at least pointed me in direction that I need to look and I guess I have another book or two to track down.

I am not sure what this was supposed to be - a guidline for new vegans? An attempt to get more people to become vegan? An autobiography?

With the kind of smug attitude I am not sure either works. And no, sorry, drawing my attention to your sense of humor in the introduction while slamming those who criticised it in the first edition, only made
me notice how corny it is. Ok, i would have noticed anyway. Hard to miss with the 'i am
so perfect' attitude.

I skimmed to the end, i admit, but it was a quick read anyway.

This book isn't horrible, but it's just pretty pointless. So maybe it is horrible? Problem is, the authors give valid information, it just seems like it's weighed down with really pointless and not so helpful personal stories. Also, it seems like the book is mainly dropping titles to other books for more information. I guess I just feel like the authors could have simply published the appendix and called it a day.

Poorly argued--ranting but no logic. And with a great deal of inexplicable animosity towards vegetarians. This books seemed written by and for a small coterie of vegans that are less interested in making the world a better place and more interested in maintaining the purity of what they think the word "vegan" should mean.

If you're interested in the health benefits of a plant-based diet, read The China Study. If you're interested in a an overview of health, environmental and ethical reasons--written with a deep compassion that Vegan Freak lacked--read The Diet Revolution. And if you're interested in the philophical arguments for fundamentally changing the way we relate to animals read Peter Singer's Animal Liberation. There's no reason to waste time or bookshelf space with Vegan Freak.

Initially I became vegan for the health benefits of a plant-based diet. After reading, researching, and learning A LOT about the food industry and kind of "waking up" to the world around me, it is more for animals, health, and environment.

Vegan Freak is a great book if you are already vegan. I would not recommend giving this to your non-vegan friends to support your case on why they should follow a vegan lifestyle. It could be a bit intense and off-putting for the uninformed. BUT...the book DOES offer much insight into the vegan life.

I found that it also helped me answer many questions non-vegans ask me. And that is worth the read alone.

I was definitely not the target audience for this book. I was looking for books to eat vegan more often, and came across this book. I decided to read it even if it is more a guide on how to be vegan than a vegan cookbook or meal tips. I don't know why (probably the all or nothing attitude of the authors), but it has actually convinced me to never be vegan rather than the opposite. As a non vegan, I didn't learn much from this book, so I assume vegans will learn even less.

I didn't find this book as abrasive as some other reviewers did. The authors do take a very no-nonsense in your face approach to their veganism, the book is about becoming and living uncompromisingly as a vegan and that is stressed through the whole book. They are a little harsh on vegetarians but I expected that from reading other reviews and it didn't put me off at all.

This book is just an overview of what veganism is and what it means to be an ethical vegan. It is not as in depth as a new vegan might need. The book keeps a light conversational tone that makes it easy and quick to read and it has quite a bit of practical advice, from how to deal with meat eaters to what to eat and how and where to find food and clothes. I'd recommend it, especially as a supplement to a good book on vegan cooking and nutrition since that isn't covered in depth here.

Its a book for people who are considering going Vegan or already have been for years, helping you deal with sticky social situations like family, friends, and co-workers. It also covers basic things you want to avoid in shopping. If your considering going Vegan I wouldn't recommend this book. I would recommend something less harsh like Diet for a New America, by John Robbins or Becoming Vegan, by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina.

Vegan Freak is sort of an introductory guide to being vegan that focuses a lot on the moral reasons behind doing it. As a vegan, I read this book thinking I would learn something new about it, but a lot of the book seemed meant for someone who is considering going vegan. The focus on the moral reasons and the effects on animals is understandable, since it feels like it’s the main reason people go vegan; however, the book seemed to shame people who go vegan for health or environmental reasons. There were multiple times during the reading of this book that I felt the authors were being really dramatic, and while, again, I see where they’re coming from, the comparisons to the Holocaust or slavery got tiring after a while.

The first half of the book is mostly about convincing the reader to go vegan. It talks about what veganism really means and why you should do it, but it felt long and drawn out because it was a bit repetitive, also mentioning people becoming vegan as a fad and why vegetarianism isn't sufficient. I feel that the way the authors tried to convince the reader leaned more on aggressiveness than facts, but it still had some good parts.

The second half of the book was more about actually being vegan in social settings, which included how to answer questions about it, how to talk to people who hate you for it, and how it affects your lifestyle with your family as a partner. The next chapter is about vegan foods and what to eat to get certain nutrients. It mentions grocery shopping and has a detailed list of foods at different kinds of restaurants, which I think is really helpful. There are tips about doing your research before going to new restaurants and asking waiters about ingredients, and another chapter is about being aware of animal products in things you wouldn't normally think about, which is also nice. The last chapter closes the book by urging you to go vegan and stay vegan.

The book has a lot of good tips for being vegan but I think it’s only great for people already considering going vegan. The writing style is really accessible but I wouldn't give this to someone really against going vegan because the book isn't very lenient in its reasons for doing so.

2-3 stars. Sorry to report I didn't fall in love with this book. The tone is very direct and that definitely suits some people (I have friends who swear by this book), but Francione this, Francione that, etc. Maybe that's not a terrible thing, what do I know, I just haven't been won over by him thus far in life. I just know Vegan Freak isn't what I'm looking for in a book to recommend to the vegan-hopefuls I know. A lot of the gripes in this book are directed at commonly asked questions (from which dixxx do you get your protein?) so it's probably not ideal for people who are still in the stages of asking others those questions. It may, however, be recommended to newish vegans who are committed, but feeling alienated by the world. But why read a book when you can just get drunk with your vegan friends and hate on the rest of the world till sober time? Speaking of friends, the authors will tell you to ditch the assholes who won't accept you as a vegan, and they're right, but they should also include a warning that a lot of vegans are assholes, too.

Very disappointing. Spent several pages telling you what you'd find in the book, but didn't deliver. I also don't like the smug, "vegan police" tone. I found the same thing with their podcast. There are much better books out there. The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life: Cruelty-Free Crafts, Recipes, Beauty Secrets and More is a good Living Vegan For Dummies is another nice one. The best resource I've found isn't a book, but a podcast: Food for Thought with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.