I feel like Eric Lindstrom and I have a lot in common. Italian bloodline. Penchant for potatoes. Affinity for Vegetarian Summerfest. These are just a few of the things that made me feel as if I knew the author of The Skeptical Vegan well.
Lindstrom, an admitted meat lover, initially went vegan as a bet with his wife. This down-to-earth look at his own vegan origin story, peppered with facts about the way we use animals and how that use affects millions of lives – theirs and ours – is a great memoir for anyone open to living a more compassionate life.
As an eight-year vegan, I found myself chuckling at some of Lindstrom’s story, recognizing the notable vegans that are name-dropped, and nodding at the answers given to defensive omnivores. I appreciated the chapter on Angry Vegans. I have been one of them, and there’s a pretty convincing list of reasons why they exist.
Lindstrom’s voice is honest, snarky, and appealing. As someone who often straddles the line between junk food vegan and lover of kale, I find his approach relatable to those of us who aren’t drawn to a whole foods plant based diet – and let’s be real, most of the people we’d love to join us in this vegan philosophy are probably eating a less healthy diet than they’d like to believe.
There are wide variety of topics covered here. It’s not a long book, and it includes several recipes at the end, but it’s not lacking for any number of answers to “where do you get your protein?” or “what about cheese?” or “what do you stock your pantry with?” I was impressed that humane slaughter was discussed and dismissed, and I appreciated that none of the very real horrors of the animal food industry were glossed over. It’s possible to give people the truth in a matter-of-fact way, and that’s what The Skeptical Vegan book does.
Vegans may still be a minority, but there’s a huge variation in who we are and where we come from. It’s thrilling to me when another vegan story is told, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Lindstrom’s story to others.
Thanks to Skyhorse Publishing for a review copy of this book.
