Do you ever feel like a total freak? I think most vegans have felt that way at one time or another. Whether it is in the company of family who still believe you are going through a phase or friends who tease you about being a plant killer, going vegan can make you feel like the only compassionate person in a world full of ignorance.

That is why reading Vegan Freak by Bob and Jenna Torres was refreshing. Whilst I was reading I felt like I was in good company and not the only one who has to deal with meat-pushing family and friends. In fact there were many moments in the book when I found myself thinking, “Yes! I have felt that way!” The book is written in a conversational style and despite dealing with serious subject matter the authors have the talent of injecting a healthy dose of humor into their writing. Some parts of the book had me laughing out loud.

Vegan Freak appealed to me because it is aimed at people who are vegan, or who want to become vegan for ethical reasons. Sometimes it feels like all the books on veganism are about health, weight loss and spiritual benefits. I’m not knocking those things, but it was nice to read a book by people who are vegan for the same reasons I am – for the animals.

An important point that was drummed home throughout Vegan Freak was that “meek vegans suffer”. As a natural people pleaser I sometimes find it hard to tell people I am vegan. It’s not that I’m ashamed (quite the contrary), but I hate putting them out or making them feel bad. Vegan Freak showed me that I can be polite and still let people know about my dietary requirements. In ‘Chapter 2 – In Which We Get All AR On You’  the authors discuss the basics of why people become vegan and I surprised myself by learning something new about gross hidden animal ingredients that I wasn’t aware of before. I guess I will be checking ingredients even more carefully in the future.

If you have a sense of humor and you aren’t afraid of laughing at yourself you will love this book, but if you take yourself too seriously perhaps it won’t be for you. I noticed amongst the positive reviews on Amazon a few negative ones that didn’t seem to get the joke. It is important to remember that one book cannot cover everything on veganism and animal rights. Vegan Freak is not an in depth analysis of animal rights.  However, it does have a wonderful resource section, which has given me loads of new ideas for my book wish list.

So for vegans present and future who want to gain some skills for living in a non-vegan world I recommend you add this book to your vegan and animal rights collection and embrace your inner Vegan Freak.

Do you want to buy Vegan Freak? Click here.

I was lucky enough to win a copy of Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows by Melanie Joy Ph.D. from the latest issue of Vegan Voice. I was thrilled, since this was on my long list of books to buy.

The author provides a fresh approach to an animal rights book as she looks into the psychology of ‘carnism’ -  a lifestyle that enables us to love some animals and eat others. In this quote from the book, she explains why it is necessary to give meat eating a label:

“We don’t see meat eating as we do vegetarianism – as a choice, based on a set of assumptions about animals, our world and ourselves. Rather we see it as a given, the “natural” thing to do. We eat animals without thinking about what we are doing and why because the belief system that underlies this behavior is invisible. This invisible belief system is what I call carnism.”

I enjoyed the academic angle, which really delves into the psychology of why people can love some animals and support the abuse and slaughter of others. I think this book would appeal to vegans, meat eaters and those on the fence, because the author does not judge, blame or shame the individual.  However there is no way you will look at your meat dinner the same after reading this book. You may even feel quite angry at the way that those in charge take advantage of their powerful position and manipulate society for more profit.

In the chapter, ‘The Way Things Really Are” Joy describes the horrific realities of slaughter and factory farms. It was distressing to read, but by including this in the book Joy gives her readers the chance to open their minds and take ownership of their choices.

Despite the serious nature of carnism Joy keeps the reader interested throughout and once I started reading this book I couldn’t put it down.  I found myself taking notes throughout the book just so I could remember smart things to say to my carnist friends and family. The ideas were so logical and compelling I am not sure how anyone could argue with them.

I truly believe that this book could bring about change. Now has anyone got any tips on how I can get my carnist Mum to read it?

If you would like to buy this book click here

Where the Blind Horse Sings: Love and Healing at an Animal Sanctuary was such a joy to read that even when I finished it, I wanted to flick right back to the beginning and start reading all over again.

Where the Blind Horse Sings is by Kathy Stevens the founder of Catskill Animal Sanctuary, a farm sanctuary in Saugerties, New York. Kathy is a lady after my own heart, taking time every day to kiss all the animals and even sing to them. This is the book I chose to buy with the rest of my $30 Amazon book voucher and I am so glad I made that choice.

Kathy tells the inspiring story of how she bought a very run down farm in Catskill and with a lot of cleaning up and help from friends, she turned it into a haven for farmed animals who had previously been subject to all kinds of abuse.

We get to meet many of these animal characters and hear of their transformations. When they arrive at Catskill Animal Sanctuary they are often very timid and scared of people after years of abuse. In only a few days (sometimes just hours) the animals, who come to realise they are safe and surrounded by love for the rest of their lives, begin to take on a different attitude to life and that is when their true personalities shine through.

There is Paulie, the fighting rooster, who seemed aggressive at first, but with a little understanding grew to love humans and even enjoyed eating lunch with the sanctuary staff. There is Buddy, a completely blind horse, who came out of his shell at Catskill Animal Sanctuary. His previous owners said Buddy no longer wanted to live, but with some love he proved to be an adventurous and trusting boy. Along with the animals’ stories there are beautiful colour photos in the middle of the book, which show the life of luxury these animals now enjoy.

Whether you are interested in starting an animal sanctuary or just want to read a really great book you should check this out. It can’t fail to move you and provides an enjoyable education on the personalities of farmed animals.

Click here to buy it on Amazon

Click here to check out Catskill Animal Sanctuary’s website.

It is also encouraging and motivating to read about those who are taking action and bringing about change. So with that in mind I thought you may like to check out my top ten animal rights books. I own /have read all of these and can vouch for them, however if there are valuable books I have left off the list feel free to add them to the comments.

1. The Pig Who Sang to the Moon: The Emotional World of Farm Animals by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

I have read this book twice and not only does it provide the facts about animal emotions and modern day farming, it does so in a way that is thoroughly enjoyable to read.

Masson uses an extremely readable mix of scientific facts and anecdotes to draw the reader in and convey his thesis that farmed animals do indeed have a wide array of deep emotions. Each species of farmed animal gets a chapter of their own. We get an inside look into factory farming, which is, as expected heart wrenching. We also get a glimpse of how these animals act when they are in the comfortable environment of a sanctuary; a place where they can finally express their natural behaviors.

In the end Masson concludes that veganism is the only compassionate answer to the immense suffering that these sentient, deep feeling animals suffer. Everyone who cares about animals should own this book. If you ever have a chance you should try to attend a talk by Masson. He is a wonderful speaker (I saw him talk at the Cruelty Free Festival in Sydney) and his love of animals, compassion and devotion to change shines through.

You can watch a video of Jeffrey exploring the emotions of farmed animals here.

2. Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism by Mark Hawthorne

In a previous post I referred to this book as my personal bible. It is the kind of book that you should buy rather than just get out of the library, simply because you will want to refer to it again and again.

It does exactly what it says on the cover, it gives you practical ideas that you can use to be an effective animal activist. This book will be useful whether you have been involved in animal rights for years, or you are just getting started. There is advice on seemingly every aspect of animal rights activism. Not only does the author go into detail about how to do the actions, whether it be leafleting, organizing a protest, writing effective letters etc, he also shares stories of people who are already taking action. These stories are very inspiring.

I read this book for the first time all in the wrong order, dipping in and out of various chapters, depending on what was relevant to me at the time. My copy is rather tatty now, which shows just how much I have referred to it.

3. Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animalsby Karen Dawn

This book is one of my favorites. It covers the essential facts about many issues in animal rights, but manages to add wit and a fresh perspective to the mix. The book has wonderful colour pictures and uses cartoons and celebrity quotes to help illustrate the issues.

As well as learning a lot of new information, I found this book very entertaining. It was also my husband’s toilet read (men love to read on the toilet). That’s the thing about this book you can read it a bit like you would a magazine. It will make you laugh and make you angry, but it will definitely get you revved up and ready to take action. It would be perfect for a teenager and anyone who keeps up with current trends.

The use of celebrity culture makes it seem especially relevant to today’s generation. The tone is light and it would be good to give as a gift, as there is no sign of a lecturing tone that many people shy away from.

4.Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

If you haven’t heard of this book, then you must have been living under a rock. It has been featured in tons of magazines and on TV. It is a great accomplishment that this book made it into the mainstream, since it will have a wider readership than many animal rights books. That can only be good news for the animals.  As the title suggests the author examines every aspect of eating animals in our modern society. He provides various point of views, including animal rights activists, farmers etc. You really feel like you are getting the whole story.

The author also uses clever graphics to drive home his points. The book flows easily and reads much like a novel. I found myself unable to put it down. I am also trying to gather the courage to send a copy to my meat eating Mum, as I think this book would be very effective at convincing meat eaters to consider veganism (or at least vegetarianism).

Jonathan Safran Foer states that the book is not to promote vegetarianism (which is why I think it would also appeal to meat eaters), however since he provides all the facts the only logical conclusion to ease the animal and environmental suffering is veganism.

5. Animal Liberation: The Definitive Classic of the Animal Movement by Peter Singer

A friendly member of the animal liberation group I used to attend in the Blue Mountains gave me an old, well thumbed copy of this book as a gift. It was a wonderful read that shocked me, brought me to tears and moved me beyond belief.

If you have any questions on the whys and hows of the animal liberation movement, this book will answer your questions. Singer’s reasoning is so easy to understand and relate to that it makes you wonder how anyone could not be permanently changed after reading it.

This truly is the classic of the animal rights movement and should be on every activist’s book shelf.

6. Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food by Gene Baur

If you are familiar with this blog, you will know how much I love Farm Sanctuary in the US and how much I admire their work. I bought the hardback copy of this book, simply because I couldn’t wait for it to come out in paperback.

The book provides the reader with an inside look at life at the sanctuary, including how it all got started. As you can imagine, this book really appealed to me, as I am saving to start a farm sanctuary myself.

The book is thoughtfully and beautifully written. The author gives us a look at life at Farm Sanctuary where the rescued animals can live life to the full and express their natural behavior. This is in sharp contrast with the other world he describes; the world of factory farming, slaughter and animal abuse.

We get to know some of the residents. We see these lucky animals in their new home and hear of what their life was like before.

Throughout this book we come to realize how important organizations like Farm Sanctuary are and just how important education is when it comes to animal rights. Anyone who loves animals will enjoy this book, even those who are not yet vegetarian or vegan.

7. Portrait of a Burger as a Young Calf: The Story of One Man, Two Cows, and the Feeding of a Nation by Peter Lovenheim

This is not an animal rights book, but I will add it to the list of valuable reading anyway. I got this book out from the library not knowing quite what to expect. All I knew was that this book would tell me more about the meat and dairy industry and it would be from the point of view of someone who is not an animal rights activist, a vegan or even a vegetarian.

Despite being written from a carnivore’s point of view this book was very telling for me. It shows how many dairy calves end up in hamburgers and the process of how they get there. The book focuses on ‘good’ farmers, ‘good’ slaughter houses etc and everything is given a ‘good’ light. However as he has to mention some facts about how they treat the animals this book still has quite an impact.

Lovenheim describes the everyday procedures on the farm such as castration, de-horning and branding that to this day (years later) I still have a powerful image in my mind of a suffering calf whenever I see dairy products. He talks of the intense fear and pain in the calf’s eyes as these procedures were brutally carried out without anesthetic. The interesting thing is that this book shows the ‘good’ side of farming and it is still sickening. If you read this book and you are reasonably compassionate to start with you will be put off of dairy products for life. However, keep in mind that the author is not allowed into the big slaughter houses and does not experience true factory farming, so it is somewhat biased.

8.Free the Animals : The Story of the Animal Liberation Front by Ingrid Newkirk

I loved this book so much, I bought the CD set as well, so I can listen to it whilst I work. It tells the story of the controversial Animal Liberation Front. I think it should be made into a movie, because it combines action, emotions and hard hitting reality.

One woman enters into an underground camp to train to be a part of the animal liberation front and she transforms from an everyday woman into a freedom fighter for animals. We also hear about the first action packed raids, where innocent animals are freed by these modern day heroes.

This book is a true story and it hooked me in so much I couldn’t put it down. Goodness knows how many times I have read/listened to this fascinating and adventurous tale. It is inspiring beyond belief and whilst you will learn more about animal rights, this book is not a list of facts. It is a riveting read.

9. Committed: A Rabble-Rouser’s Memoir by Dan Mathews

Dan Mathews is Campaign Chief for PETA. He comes up with many of their headline grabbing protests and as such has a lot of exciting stories to tell. The book is very entertaining, fun and witty throughout with positive and upbeat experiences in animal rights showing that it is possible to deal with such an overwhelming issue with humor and still help to bring about change.

I know some animal activists take issue with the way PETA do things, but this book will provide you with some insight into their methods and it is a great read too. I think even those who are not yet involved in the animal rights movement would love this book.

Mathews has energy and passion that can’t help but inspire you tohelp animals.

10. Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect and Inhumane Treatment Inside the US Meat Industry by Gail A. Eisnitz

This is a truly shocking read and is a book that is often quoted by many other animal rights books. Eisnitz takes an in depth look at the meat industry and the horrors that it encompasses. Despite the horrific content I feel that everyone should read this book. As animal activists we will be better informed and feel more than ever that we are ready to fight our hardest to bring about change for animals. For everyone else perhaps this book is hard hitting enough that it will help them view the plight of farmed animals differently. A very well researched and written book. If you feel this is too much of a tough read just imagine the animals who had to live through the horrors Eisnitz describes. Get informed and take action.

Remember if you have read any great animal rights books, fiction or non-fiction, recently you can add your reviews in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you.