The Compassionate Diet is a little book with a lot of information! In 150 pages, this book quickly covers all the major reasons to go vegetarian and more – from the health benefits, to the ethics and karma of eating animals, to meat production’s effects on the environment and contribution to world hunger, to a discussion of organics and GMOs.
Having read many books about vegetarianism, I didn’t find any of the facts in this book new or surprising. It gives a good, basic overview of the issues, but compared to other books about vegetarianism (like Eating Animals, Gristle
The section of the book that I found most interesting (because it is rarely covered in other vegetarian books) was the section about vegtarianism and religion. When discussing vegetarianism in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, it is obvious that all of these major religions would be appalled by the way animals are treated in our current food system.
“You must not use your God-given body for killing God’s creatures, whether they are human, animal or whatever.” -Yajur Veda 12.32
“By not killing any living being, one becomes fit for salvation.” -Manusmriti 6:60
“To become vegetarian is to step into the stream that leads to nirvana.” -Buddha
I did enjoy all the quotes that were used throughout the book, many from famous authors, philosophers, doctors, and scientists. (Y’all know that I love a good quote!)
All in all, I wouldn’t select this book if I were trying to convince an omnivore to convert to vegetarianism, but I do think it’s a good reinforcement and summary for someone who has just begun their vegetarian journey, or someone who is already familiar with the issues around our meat-production system. It certainly makes you more conscious of just how much our diet has an impact on – from the animals, to the environment, to our own health, and the health of everyone around the world. And consciousness about the issues is exactly what is needed to make a change.
Annoying disclaimers: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion. All links to Amazon are affiliate links.
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Breakfast: Evol tofu and spinach burrito – And, right now, PETA has a buy one get one free coupon for vegan Evol burritos!
Lunch: Chipotle burrito bowl (no meat = free guac!)
Dinner: Seitan BBQ sliders from Snack Bar
