This is one of those books that contains a life changing message. If you are ready for the message, it will hit you between the eyebrows. If not, it will pass you by, but not without touching a chord somewhere in the core of your being.
Author John Robbins was the heir to the entire Baskin- Robbins fortune. But he gave it all up and chased the dream of a brand new diet for the biggest meat consuming nation of the world. He called it a Diet for a New America
This well researched book is hefty with 400 pages of solid information. It is basically divided into three sections. In the first section, we are made aware of the humane side of animals. Through the narration of several incidents, the author makes us aware of how kind and gentle these creatures are and of how we have gone out of our way to kill and eat them.
In the second phase, Robbins comes down heavily on meat consumption. A non vegetarian diet makes us aggressive and unhappy. It leads to weight and health problems. Through an impressive body of research, he shows how it can proved beyond a shadow of doubt that vegetarianism is our optimal diet.
In the last phase of a Diet For a New America, the author shows how we are exhausting our natural resources in order to feed our love for meat. Here, Robbins makes the startling revelation that for every one person who turns over to vegetarianism an acre of trees is saved every year!
If you’re wondering about balancing vegetarian food with proteins, don’t worry. Robbins debunks several myths concerning the amount of protein we need. According to the author, relinquishing animal food and become vegan is not only healthy for us, it is also supremely beneficial to the environment.
Diet for a new America Review
If there is one thing that the book does, it is this: it catches you by the scruff of the neck and forces you to think about your lifestyle choices and consider the impact you are having on the environment and the world. Some people love Robbins’ book, others hate it, but no one can be unmoved by it.
The information provided in the book has been well researched and the author offers many evidences to give credence to what he is saying.
Interestingly, science also agrees with the findings that Robbins makes – that humans can lead a healthy life without meat and that a plant based diet is healthier than a meat based one.
Pros:
- Very well researched
- Impassioned and interesting
- Encourages a healthy way of life
- Awakens awareness of the environment
Cons:
- No specific recipes
- May lead to protein deficiency
- Too lengthy
In conclusion
This is not a regular diet book and weight loss is the least of its concerns. Instead, it moves on to loftier ground.
We are using up too many resources to feed our love for meat. Animals too deserve the right to live. Killing them merely for the sake of food is a heinous practice. Alternately, turning to a plant based diet can save the Earth and improve the health of its residents. Most of us know these facts but prefer to indulge.
If this book can make you rethink your food choices, then, it has more than done its work!
