The cover of I'm A Vegetarian features three kids who appear to be about 11 to 20 years old, a clue that this book is written for "tweens" and teens. The writing style is simple, easy-to-understand, and fun-to-read, making it a sure winner for this age group. However, the book would appeal just as much to parents and younger children. The author and her husband have raised two vegetarian daughters, and her connection with what veg kids want and need to know is clear and strong. She has a knack for presenting facts and information that keeps your attention, and most importantly, will appeal to young minds.

The book starts by defining "vegetarianism," and includes quotes from kids of all ages explaining why they decided to become vegetarians. Interspersed throughout the chapters are quotes from famous people and interesting facts about animals, animal agriculture, the environment, and nutrition. Short activities help to illustrate the topic of each section. For example, to help children understand how much space a chicken is allotted in a typical egg-laying factory cage, the author suggests taking a ruler and a sheet of paper and tracing a six-inch square. This is a quick, easy lesson that really brings the point home.

Schwartz goes on to discuss how to deal with parents who aren't happy about having a child convert to vegetarianism and "other sticky situations," like talking to one's peers, handling holiday dinners, and getting decent veg food in the school cafeteria. She covers these topics by offering simple advice without sounding preachy. She keeps it upbeat and positive, which kids will appreciate, but which some may find unrealistic. Still, her saucy comebacks are priceless, and will allow veg kids to arm themselves with funny comments whenever they are put on the spot.

In the chapter "Food, Glorious Food!" Schwartz presents a history of vegetarianism and a primer on "new" foods, many of which are not eaten regularly within the standard American diet. She introduces soy foods including soymilk, tofu, TVP, tempeh, and miso, and includes information on lentils and quinoa, plus peanuts, chickpeas, and potatoes, all of which have interesting stories behind them. She even briefly discusses genetically modified foods.

Finally, after providing a general discussion of eating a balanced diet in the chapter entitled "Be Smart - Stay Healthy," Schwartz goes on to discuss nutrition in more detail. This section is so easy to comprehend that my 5-year-old enjoyed reading it with me. Provided are sample lacto-ovo and vegan diet menus, lots of meal ideas, and a handful of recipes to get you started. This title is highly recommended for new vegetarian kids as well as their meat-eating or vegetarian parents. It would also work well for vegetarian parents who want to teach their children aged 5 to teen about nutrition.

This book is written in a very fun, age-appropriate style. It highlights many of the concerns and interests of the young vegetarian. It includes jokes, recipes, information, comebacks, and even famous vegetarians. A great read for the young vegetarian, especially one you may be afraid of losing to peer pressure. NOTE: Although veganism is mentioned, the book focuses on vegetarianism, not veganism.

Although listed above as out-of-print, there are a few copies still available from the publisher. Please email them at: pstarvic@direct.ca

This book features seven Canadian Singer-Songwriters: Heather Bishop, Ferron, Marie-Lynn Hammond (http://interlog.com/~mlh), Connie Kaldor, Rita MacNeil, Lucie Blue Tremblay, and Sylvia Tyson (http://interlog.com/~quartett)

Great reading!

Although I agree with the other reviewers in that this is indeed a beautifully photographed and organized book, (for which I give it the four stars), I wasn't aware until I purchased it that this is not a Japanese recipe book-its Western cuisine presented in an aesthetically Asian manner. However, it does give a good history of bento boxes and the recipes are simple and delicious. If you are looking for authentic Japanese bento recipes, I recommend _Japanese Meals on the Go: Bento Boxes_ by Naomi Kijima.

What a wonderful cookbook. The recipes are simple and relatively quick to prepare. The artful photography, so excellently done by Wayne Nish, makes it easy for the user to duplicate the elegent presentation. Whether a romantic dinner for two or intimate dinner for four, use this cookbook for those special occassions. If you're a novice, try this one out when preparing for that special someone. Cooking such beautiful and delicious food doesn't get more easy than this! It is sure to impress.

Suggestion to the authors, next time add a few helpful hints along the way. The soft-shell crab batter was a little watery to really create the crisp batter. Adding ingredients slowly (club soda) with the instruction on the correct consistency would have been helpful.

By the way, leave it out on the coffee table. It is beautiful to look through and you won't forget how simple and fun it is to use!

This is the first cookbook in a long time that has sent me straight to the kitchen to start trying recipes. Am actually working my way right through the book trying every one! The authors have presented a beautiful, innovative book with very simple recipes of fresh healthful ingredients that are exciting to create and a joy to present to guests.

In the pages of their new book, Ellen Schwartz and Suzanne Stoddard relate this quote from Paul Hawken's, The Ecology of Commerce: "There is no polite way to say that business is destroying the world." While Hawken was talking specifically about the physical Earth, Schwartz and Stoddard are not so limited in their condemnation. Business is destroying the world and everything in it: democracy, living wages, healthcare, the nutritional value of food and even our sanity. We'll put it simply: If you agree with that mindset, you'll love this book. If you have any doubts that corporations constitute an evil empire, you won't. Nevertheless, we [...] recommend that dedicated professionals read this double-barreled critique of the corporate world, just to know how the other side sees you.

This easy to read book is for anyone who yearns to live a fuller more creative life and is wondering why they can't seem to be able to make any headway. It presents well documented, sometimes shocking, information you will never hear or read about in the media, interspersed with personal, relevent stories. It educates us as to how we are being manipulated by the media and by large transnational corporations and how this manipulation is affecting every area of our lives, from the emotional health of our children to the physical health of our bodies.

But the book doesn't leave you hanging, feeling helpless and depressed. It is filled with easy suggestions that we, as individuals, can do to turn back the tide and take back control. This book was a real eye-opener and I highly reommend it!