Vegetarian America: A History
Vegetarianism in the United States didn't start with the hippies. Benjamin Franklin kept to a vegetarian diet in his youth, eventually adding fish and some meat to his diet in middle age. In 1838 the American Health Convention recommended vegetarianism as a healthful diet. The American Vegetarian Society was formed in the middle of the 19th century. This history reveals the widespread appeal of vegetarianism throughout the existence of the United States. The authors actually start their history well before the USA came into existence. There have always been vegetarians in the US, and this book helps flesh out their history.
Why this is progressive/liberal: Despite being practiced by people of many different faiths and many different political persuasions, vegetarianism is closely associated with liberals and progressives. This book explains why there's a lot more to the vegetable diet than than the desire to treat animals ethically.
You might also want to check out Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer.
No comments:
Post a Comment