YDV Book Review, yes it’s our FIRST book review!

Betcha didn’t know that we reviewed books too, did ya? Well it’s true, we love to read the old-fashioned way!  Today we’re reviewing, Vegan in 30 Days, Get Healthy. Save the World by Sarah Taylor. This book is a handy little how-to guide into the practical beginnings of veganism.  My first thought upon receiving the book was, this little book is jam-packed with a bunch of great advice and interesting information!  I think it would be a great book for a newbie vegan.  I like it so much in fact, that I plan to give one lucky reader a copy of the book.  More on that in a bit.

Incidentally, the dedication of the book is really lovely, I had to share it.

For every person who continually strives to do things better and do better things.

Yes, indeed.

One of the best parts about the book is that there is a give and take approach to becoming vegan- the goal being to be a full vegan in 30 days.  The book is broken out into days, removing things and adding things all at the same time- ensuring that the newbie won’t feel deprived.  But this book doesn’t just give you day to day instructions on what to eat, this book incorporates veganism into all other aspects of life.  Taylor takes on topics such as; meeting other vegans, learning how to say “No thank you, I’m vegan,” shopping and what to do in a conversation if someone wants to talk about veganism.  Things that, as a newbie, you may not know or have questions on.

I’m one of those, I-gotta-have-a-plan-because-then-I-will-have-a-goal-to-work-towards-and-that-makes-me-insanely-happy,  kind of person.  I tend to make a plan for something that I want to accomplish and work towards a goal.  Once I reach the goal, I reassess and recommit to a new goal.  This mindset has allowed me to accomplish all manners of things.  This book is set up in a similar manner, so I relate very well to it- and I think that most people would as well.

Here’s an excerpt from the book:

(This is excerpt is Day 27 – Learn how to say “No thank you, I’m Vegan” – page 72.  Taylor is at a dinner party and her friend had just realized that the vegan cake she had made wasn’t really vegan.  Taylor goes on to talk about how to deal with the situation, being a vegan.  And, it’s spot on.  The emphasis is my own.)

In this very touchy situation, many people would argue that  I should have eaten a little bit anyway.  After all, my friend had gone to so much effort, peeling apples with her kids into the wee hours of the night, and no one else wanted a near vegan pie!  I understand this point of reasoning, and if veganism was purely a personal preference for me, I probably would have done just that.  However, because I am a vegan for ethical reasons, I have a personal policy that I will never knowingly eat animal products. I believe that one of my roles is to set an example for others and to live out my values in public.  Therefore, there was never a question in my mind as to whether I would eat the pie.  The question was how to best handle the situation.

Taylor advises that you let your host/hostess know how much you appreciate the thought and kindness behind their actions.  And I couldn’t agree more.  I really like how Taylor provides compassionate solutions to common non-vegan situations.  Here’s some more samples of what you’ll find inside this book:

• Day 13: Take a tour of your local health food store
• Day 15: Try a new recipe
• Day 21: Meet other vegans

So much good stuff packed into 104 little pages!

My only criticism of this books comes in the beginning of the book.  Day 2 is all about knowing the basics of veganism and it’s here that Taylor says, “Honey comes from the nectar of flowers, and is produced by insects (bees), as opposed to animals.  Therefore, vegans differ on whether honey is a vegan product or not.”

Straight from Wikipedia:

Insects (from Latin insectum, a calque of Greek ἔντομον

[éntomon], “cut into sections”) are a class within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax, and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. They are among the most diverse group of animals on the planet and include more than a million described species and represent more than half of all known living organisms.

I want to take this time to remind folks that humans need the bees to survive.  By now I’m sure everyone has heard of this little thing called and ecosystem, right?  Well, we need the bees to pollinate our crops- unless of course Monsanto is developing another genetically modified self-pollinating seed- which, they probably are.  But I digress, on to the rating…

I give Vegan in 30 Days. Get Healthy. Save the World. 4 Goatz for being a great resource for new vegans. I’ll bump that up to 5 Goatz when Taylor realizes that insects are, indeed, animals too.

Disclaimer:  Views and opinions expressed here are those of YDV and derived from personal experience.  These opinions are not influenced in any way by the receipt of goods or services.  We will always notify you when a product has been given to us to review, test, use, or talk about.

Now for the fun part. Remember how I said I love the book so much that I am going to give away a copy?  Well, I am.  So here’s the deal.  I’m giving away one copy of Vegan in 30 days. Get Healthy. Save the World. to one lucky YDV reader.  To enter to win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this article with your tip or suggestion for a new vegan.  Let’s create a great list of awesome tips to help make it easier to go vegan!  The giveaway will last until next Friday (6/11/10) at midnight, plenty of time to get a great tip or advice put together!

My #1 tip for a new vegan?

• Don’t leave your house without a vegan snack in cases of emergency.  You never know when vegan food won’t be available to you, and being prepared will ensure that you never have to go hungry.  I make homemade trail mixes (or cut up veggies/fruit) to take with me when I leave my house.  Then, if I get hungry, I can snack on something vegan and healthy.

So, what’s your tip?