Book Review: How to Be Vegan

The vegan lifestyle has become increasingly popular in recent years, but many of the books on veganism still focus on recipes. I I was excited to be offered the opportunity to review a new book called How to Be Vegan, which focuses on the entire vegan lifestyle as opposed to merely snacks and recipes. It is penned by Elizabeth Castoria, former editor of VegNews, and covers a broad range of topics.

Pros:

• Beautiful, colorful layout
• Easy and fun to read
• Includes a healthy dose of humor
• Offers original content beyond diet advice
• Has many entertaining graphics and charts
  

Cons:

• Doesn't provide in-depth information on certain topics, such as beauty

Summary:
I really enjoyed this book. The layout is colorful and fun, and it feels more like a magazine than a book. The sections and short but sweet; Castoria doesn't linger too long on any one subject. She mentions animal cruelty but doesn't dwell on it, which I appreciate as a longtime vegan.

Castoria writes with a competent, entertaining voice. Her book reads like advice from a veteran vegan friend. She knows what it's like to make compromises and offers tips for how to navigate potential minefields like the holidays. I particularly enjoyed her vegan etiquette section and dating tips, which is something you don't often see a typical vegan book. However, she does still include plenty of information on diet as well as 50 simple recipes, which is a nice way to round out  the book.

Perhaps my favorite feature of this book was the full-color visual aids sprinkled throughout each section. I was pleasantly surprised by the "Should I Get a Burrito at the Airport?" flowchart on page 101, which seems to be included solely for entertainment purposes.

How to Be Vegan provides fun and entertaining advice on living a vegan lifestyle. It seems primarily aimed at those who are already considering a vegan lifestyle or are newly vegan. However, as a longtime vegan, I still found plenty to enjoy. The next time I hear of someone who's on the fence about going vegan, I'll be sure to recommend this book.

Disclosure notice: This product was sent to me free of charge by the publisher for review. No additional compensation was accepted and the opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links for Amazon.com.

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