Becoming Vegetarian
Apr 2003, by Vesanto Melina RD, Brenda Davis RD
   Rating *****
Written by two Canadian dietitians, this is one of the best resources available. It covers the reasons behind the trend toward a plant-based diet, the scientific evidence in favour of vegetarianism and nutritional concerns such as protein, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and D.
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Becoming Vegan
2000, by Brenda Davis RD, Vesanto Melina RD
   Rating *****
Written by two Canadian dietitians, this is one of the best vegan resources available. It covers the scientific evidence in favour of veganism, tips on getting started, and nutritional concerns such as protein, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and D.
> Purchase from Amazon.ca or Amazon.com

Breaking the Food Seduction
Sep 2004, by Neil Barnard
“Why is it so hard to resist the temptation of chocolate? Because chocolate triggers the release of natural opiates in the brain. It's a drug coming back for more. Cheese also releases mild opiates during digestion – no wonder we crave it. In Breaking the Food Seduction, Barnard helps you understand and overcome your food cravings. He explains which foods "hook" us the most and why, and what to do to break free when you want to decrease the calories and fat that accompany these seductive foods. Cheese, for example, is about 70 percent saturated fat and has more cholesterol, ounce for ounce, than a steak..
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Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life
2009, by Brendan Brazier
Rating: ****1/2
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The China Study : The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health
Jun 2006, by T. Colin Campbell
   Rating *****
Referred to as the "Grand Prix of epidemiology" by The New York Times, this study examines more than 350 variables of health and nutrition with surveys from 6,500 adults in more than 2,500 counties across China and Taiwan, and conclusively demonstrates the link between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
   Customers say: “The information provided in this book has proven that a plant-based diet is the way to health and longevity for ALL human beings.“ “ This is got to be the best book on health and nutrition ever written. All info is backed by solid research, yet the book is easy to read.”
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Animal Liberation
Dec 6 2001, by Peter Singer
   Rating: ****1/2
Amazon customer say: “This book changed my life.“ “Animal Liberation is an extremely well written account regarding laboratory testing on animals and cruelty involved with factory farming. He writes a detailed account of the cruelty on modern factory farms... 'sanctuaries of pain'. A very strong case is made for becoming a vegetarian not only for moral reasons, but for environmental and health reasons as well.“ “I cannot stress enough what an amazing book Animal Liberation is.“ “This book is just the greatest! If you care for animals you need this book!” “Peter Singer employs no sentiment. He uses rational philisophical arguments to defend animals.“
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Fast Food Nation
Oct 2006, by Eric Schlosser
   Rating *****
“To a degree both engrossing and alarming... Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled the juggernaut of American cultural imperialism abroad. That's a lengthy list of charges, but Eric Schlosser makes them stick with an artful mix of first-rate reportage, wry wit, and careful reasoning.“
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Fast Food Nation - DVD
Mar 2007
The film, directed by Richard Linklater, boasts an all-star ensemble cast that includes Kris Kristofferson, Wilmer Valderrama, Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and Esai Morales. "The New York Times called it "the most important political film from an American director since Michael Moore's 'Farenheit 9/11'." See our full review.
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The Food Revolution
Jun 2001, by John Robbins
   Rating *****
"John Robbins seemed to do his homework, and cite long running, large sample base research to back up everything he said. The evidence of health problems, unnecessary cruelty and environmental damage from animal based diets was staggering and very hard to ignore." – Pat Wendorf (Veggie Challenge winner)

"I was amazed at the book, I couldn't put it down, it was like an obsession. I was astounded by the science and research that went into it, and I was stunned to see the devastation and pollution that the meat industry is causing. I read the book in 2 days, and I swore a solemn vow on that second day to give up meat." – Nathan (Veggie Challenge winner)
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Skinny Bitch
Dec 2005, by by Kim Barnouin and Rory Freedman
   Rating ***1/2
“What makes this diet easy to swallow is the book's tough-love attitude - part best friend counsel, part drill-sergeant abuse and a dash of sailor mouth, wrapped in a pretty chick-lit package.“
See our article: Behind the success of vegan bestseller, "Skinny Bitch"
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The Pig Who Sang To The Moon:
the Emotional World of Farm Animals
Nov 2004, by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
   Rating ****1/2
“The Pig Who Sang to the Moon reveals the possibility, if not indeed the strong likelihood, that farmed animals such as pigs, cattle, sheep and ducks are highly sentient creatures whose range and depth of emotions and feelings compare to those of human beings.“
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The Way We Eat – Why Our Food Choices Matter
May 2006, by Peter Singer
   Rating *****
“A no-holds-barred treatise on ethical consumption, this is an important read for those concerned with the long, frightening trip between farm and plate."
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Raising Vegetarian Children
Sep 2002, by Joanne Stepaniak, Vesanto Melina
   Rating *****
A great resource for parents of vegetarian children of all ages. Covers everything from basic nutrition to establishing house rules. Includes some great recipes. One of the most inclusive books on vegetarian children around. Definitely worth having in any parent's library.
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Plague Dogs
Feb 1986, by Richard Adams
   Rating ****
From the author of Watership Down, The Plague Dogs is a compulsively readable tale of two dogs on the run from an experimental research station. Richard Adams champions animals against the excesses of humans in this compelling tale of survival.
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The Jungle
Mar 2002, by Upton Sinclair, Jane Jacobs
   Rating ****
Upton Sinclair's gripping tale of immigrant wage-slavery is a solidly researched exposé of Chicago's ruthless meat-packing industry in the early 1900s. The Jungle caused a public furore upon its publication in 1906, and remains as relevant and powerful today as it was almost a hundred years ago.
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