VegNews Book Club

The Summary: It's been a great week for the VegNews Book Club, where we've been conversing about the first three chapters of Mad Cowboy by Howard Lyman. I have really liked the book so far, and though the book covers a serious and somewhat depressing issue, I appreciate the wit and humor that Lyman throws in throughout the book.

I brought up five discussion points this past Monday, and many of you answered each one with well-thought-out answers that helped to spark scintillating conversation. In the future I definitely suggest that you respond to other readers' comments, as well as my questions, so we can get a real dialogue going.

When I posed the question how Lyman differs from other farmers, responses ranged from him running his farm into the ground, his upbringing and education helping him to see the light, to his quality of life changing. These are all intriguing points and help to show who Lyman is, and why he chose to change his ways. It will be interesting to see if he talks more of why he changed and how he feels about his past.

There was a resounding "Yes" to my third question on whether you would give up your livelihood to speak your mind or tell the truth, but there were a couple readers who talked it through. For example, financial stability and homelessness were brought up. It may be hard for some of us to imagine not having a home. What if you weren't in a financial situation to quit your job, even if you didn't feel right about it? These are difficult questions, even hypothetically.

Finally, I really appreciate all of the participation this week, and look forward to more fascinating dialogue in the following weeks and months! If you have any other questions or discussion points for the first three chapters, please feel free to post them. On Monday, we will be discussing chapters 4 and 5 of Mad Cowboy. See you then!

~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig