Russell Simmons has done it again. Just like in Success Through Stillness, in which he distilled the practices of meditation into simple and easy to understand steps that anyone can follow, in The Happy Vegan Russells distills veganism into three easily digestible (pardon the pun) parts: compassion, health and the environment.
I have read a lot of books on the topic of veganism – you can see a list here. Some are about health and some about the animals. Some tie a bunch of topics together but none are as comprehensive at this book. Russell takes the three reasons why it is important to be vegan – for our own health, for the health and welfare of the animals and for the environment – and writes about them in a way that is not judgmental or harsh. He says it like it is and doesn’t mince words.
Russell describes the horrifying conditions in which animals are raised, how terrible it is for them, how terrible it is for the humans who work in those places and for those that eat them. He plaintively asks why anyone would want to eat any of the sh*t that comes out of these so-called farms or CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations). Great question.
The most profound aspect of Russell’s argument is how much slavery and the current situation that is considered animal agriculture have in common. It is a startling and brilliant comparison and needs to be understood – where certain food traditions come from, how the animals are treated and how much what has happened in the past influences how we think today.
We will never truly be free as humans if we continue to enslave and eat animals. Russell has done his part to educate people. This book is being release on Tuesday. Please read it and share with everyone you know. It is truly a game changer.