Should We All Be Vegan? (The Big Idea Series) (The Big Idea Series)

Book excerpt: An insightful look at the arguments for and against universal adoption of a vegan diet and lifestyle. As concern grows over the environmental costs and ethical implications of intensive factory farming, an increasing number of people are embracing diets and lifestyles free from animal products. Should We All Be Vegan? gives a fluid and engaging account of the evolution of veganism. Over the course of four easily digestible chapters, food writer Molly Watson reveals the truth about veganism’s impact on our health, the planet, and the global economy. Chapters like “The Evolution of Veganism” and “Why Go Vegan Today?” examine the development of veganism from the earliest meat-free human diets to the rise in mainstream adoption of a plant-based diet and lifestyle today; “The Challenges of Veganism” surveys the nutritional and societal pitfalls of a vegan lifestyle; and, lastly “A Vegan Planet” envisions possible futures for veganism and their impact on the earth. Watson evaluates every angle of the debate on veganism in this primer, reviewing the evidence for its effects on health and assessing the ethics, environmental impact, and feasibility of adopting a vegan lifestyle worldwide.