A case for vegetarianism from the perspectives of health, morality, ecology and spirituality.
Founder of Nature’s Path Foods Arran and health writer Rosen present an elegant universal plea for compassionate dietary change on several levels: for the animals who suffer to become our food, for the millions of starving humans and for the preservation of the planet, which is being rapidly consumed to feed the meat addiction of wealthier nations. Supportive and staggering statistics from Environmental Defense and the EarthSave Foundation describe the massive quantities of crops, acreage and money it takes to support the meat industry, along with its impact on health and the environment. Shaded text boxes contain applicable quotes from famous vegetarians like Albert Einstein, religious texts, or medical professionals: “I don’t understand why asking people to eat a well-balanced vegetarian diet is considered drastic, while it is medically conservative to cut people open and put them on cholesterol-lowering drugs for the rest of their lives,” states Dr. Dean Ornish. Considering the authors’ backgrounds, it's no surprise that the strongest portion of their argument is their sharing of the significant nutritional benefits of the meatless diet, which include lower cholesterol, decreased risk for cancer and a longer life span. Spiritual rationale for the fleshless diet abounds in various religions, and the authors have dug deep to find supportive passages from each. However, in attempting to portray Jesus Christ as a vegetarian, the authors reach for corroboration using ancient literary evidence that contradicts most versions of the Bible. The brief chapter describing karma and our complicity in killing when we consume the flesh of other sentient beings would have sufficed. Wonderful quotes and legitimate arguments for an animal-free diet make up this manageable, convincing book.
Pub Date: May 24, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-60961-063-0
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Rodale
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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