Guest guest Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 This item comes from the IVU (International Vegetarian Union) via SoFlaVegans (thanks Fidyl!). I don't usually like to post long stuff here - but since we have been talking about some of these problems, I thought that I would post it to see if it helped anyone, inspired other ideas, inspired discussion, or whatever LOL Enjoy! Best, Pat ;=) Living Among Meat Eaters BY CAROL J. ADAMS When her landmark book The Sexual Politics of Meat was published, Carol J. Adams received numerous letters from vegetarians frustrated by the ways they had to defend their dietary preference to a world of meat eaters. Determined to curb these frustrations, Ms. Adams reached out to vegetarians who had experienced both positive and negative experiences with meat eaters, using their experiences to bridge the gap between the two groups. The result is LIVING AMONG MEAT EATERS: The Vegetarian's Survival Handbook. LIVING AMONG MEAT EATERS is the first book to methodically equip vegetarians for their interactions with nonvegetarians, guiding them through sticky situations with partners, friends, relatives and coworkers. Adams challenges readers not to look at the meat eaters they encounter as anti-vegetarian, but rather as " blocked vegetarians. " Once vegetarians recast their views of their fellow carnivores in this manner, they can develop certain skills to change the dynamic of the vegetarian/meat eater relationship. Ms. Adams explores the difficult situations meat eaters create for vegetarians-- including combativeness, expressions of guilt and anger, and various forms of sabotage--and provides new and effective resolutions for them. In LIVING AMONG MEAT EATERS, Adams offers long overdue tips on how vegetarians can coexist peacefully with defensive, neglectful, argumentative, needy, and " in your face " meat eaters they encounter and how to handle stressful situations, including: Assume your needs will not be met in any meat-eating context - airplanes, foreign countries, private homes, and restaurants. Always have a backup plan when eating out. Don't let any rudeness spoil your experiences. Respond to offensive behavior courteously, according to the rules of etiquette, and move on. You have a right not to answer questions you are asked and to stop a conversation that makes you feel uneasy Don't talk about your vegetarianism at a meal if people are eating meat. Learn the art of deflecting attention. Volunteer to bring something whenever you are invited somewhere Channel negative energy to the positive. Remember that following a vegetarian diet is always an affirmation of wholeness. Bring that sense of wholeness to your interactions with meat eaters. In addition, LIVING AMONG MEAT EATERS provides valuable information on how to handle social situations, including dining out, entertaining and holiday meals. Checklists, self-tests, and simple exercises are included to help vegetarians keep focused, and to top it off, over 50 great recipes. Sometimes humorous and always insightful, LIVING AMONG MEAT EATERS is the book every vegetarian who eats with, lives with, talks to, or cooks for meat eaters needs to read - a revolutionary new way to view vegetarians, meat eaters, and the great divide between them. About the author: Carol J. Adams is a nationally known writer and lecturer on the vegetarian lifestyle, frequently speaking at conferences and academic meetings and on college campuses across the country. Her landmark book The Sexual Politics of Meat was recently reissued on its tenth anniversary. She is also the author of The Inner Art of Vegetarianism series. She lives in Texas. LIVING AMONG MEAT EATERS: The Vegetarian's Survival Handbook By Carol Adams, Three Rivers Press, Price: $15.00 (original paper), Pages: 336, ISBN: 0-609-80743-9 Reviews of LAME - Adams (The Sexual Politics of Meat), a writer and lecturer on vegetarianism, offers advice to practicing vegetarians about eating with omnivores. She covers everything from how to answer the question, " Are you a vegetarian? " to tips for dining out and handling meals in a business setting. She also includes a selection of favorite recipes, adapted from classic vegetarian cookbooks. Adams argues that vegetarians today have it rough: " we see death in [meat eaters'] meals, they see it in ours. Attempts will be made to disempower your viewpoint. Your diet is the issue, but you become the target. " Point well made. " - Publishers Weekly Vegetarians abstain from eating animal products in order to lead a peaceful lifestyle, but when food choices clash, conversations and mealtimes aren't so harmonious. To aid in the discussion, Adams, author of the underground classic The Sexual Politics of Meat, offers vegetarians ways that can change the quality of their interactions with carnivores. She first asks, " Are you at peace? " because vegetarians who are insecure in their choices represent meat eaters' worst fear: that vegetarianism equals denial and scarcity. Once vegetarians know that the insecurity is not from within, they can see the verbal abuse and emotional blackmail as a sign of the meat eaters' insecurity. Then Adams lists various techniques, form deflecting sabotage to identifying subtext (˜If you loved me you'd eat this meat " isn't about food - it's about love), and suggests how these techniques may change work, living, and family situations. Besides her own experience, Adams shares stories gleaned from readers' letters - fitting in a book about social interaction. " - Library Journal " Vegetarians often get defensive and feel under siege when coworkers, parents, siblings, and friends challenge their selective eating practices. For them, Carol J. Adams' Living Among Meat Eaters may prove a real gift. Adams shows how using humor, being patient, and accepting the fact that general society values eating meat can deflect pointless arguing and begin to raise consciousness of others. She should know†" she lives in Texas, where identity is inextricably linked with steaks and chili con carne. Some may argue with Adams' generalization that meat eaters are simply ˜blocked " vegetarians. Nevertheless, her advice also brings comfort to anyone not omnivorous, including meat eaters who eschew pork or seafood or anyone keeping a strict Kosher diet. " - Booklist International Vegetarian Union - The Sexual Politics of Meat (book review) http://www.ivu.org/books/reviews/living-among-meat-eaters.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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