An opening disclaimer: the authors of Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World are paying for ad space here, they sent me a free review copy of the book, and VP is mentioned a few times in the appendix. Still, I once got vegetables from my garden for free, and y’all are still trusting me on this whole “veganism is awesome” kick, so I’m guessing we’re cool. Read on for the review…
Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World
By Bob Torres and Jenna Torres,
Foreward by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Tofu Hound Press, 2005
$12.95 US
Vegan Freak is written by not one, but two vegans with PhDs, but it doesn’t read like a textbook or an academic paper, unless they’ve started adding F-bombs to the mix since the days when I was a student. It’s not a big vulgar swear-fest; I’m just saying that it reads in a very conversational tone. It’s like “hey, we’re vegan, you might be, or you might not be, but here’s what sucks and what rocks about it.” It’s a survival guide in a world where, most of the time, if you’re vegan, you’re viewed as a freak.
Most importantly, the book’s funny. That counts for a lot in a world filled with books that detail how bulls have their testicles removed. Those books are necessary and vital and all that (and there is a chapter in Vegan Freak called “In Which We Get All AR On You”), but as you may have guessed from reading VP for a while, I’m a fan of humour as a learning tool. As just one example, there’s a section on reasons to go vegan, and better still, a list of reasons not to go vegan, including this gem:
Others become vegan because they think it is cool, different, and radical, and that it’ll make them stand out and draw attention to them. For the record, there are easier and more effective ways to draw attention to yourself than going vegan. An old roommate of ours used to take great pleasure in pulling down his pants in front of people, bending over, and rhythm slapping his butt cheeks until they were a shiny, pimply red. This used to get him lots of attention, and we suspect that for some people, this is easier than veganism (though you might check with your local ordinances to see if this is legal where you live).
If you thought that was funny, or if you knew (or better still, *ahem* used to date) someone like that, you owe it to yourself to get this book. There’s more to it than just what I’ve mentioned, of course, such as information on navigating the grocery store, surviving social situations (including sexual ones), vegan beer, and a bunch of other stuff. If that wasn’t enough, there’s an extensive appendix of resources for more information.
Bottom line: you could do a lot worse for $12.95 US, and since I’m pretty sure there’s some kind of gift giving season coming up (because in North America, there always is), you might as well just go ahead and buy 3. Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World is an informative, educational, “funny ’cause it’s true” read. You can snag yourself a copy through their website VeganFreak.com.
As an added bonus, if you’re in the Toronto area this weekend (September 9, 10, 11), Bob and Jenna will be at the Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair. They’ll be doing a workshop (“Going Vegan the ‘Cold Tofu’ Approach”) at noon on Saturday, followed by a book signing at 1.
