The Summary:  Good afternoon everyone! I hope everyone's excited about the long weekend coming up—I sure am. Due to Monday being Memorial Day, discussion will be posted Tuesday, May 31, and it will be our first of the June read, Fear of the Animal Planet by Jason Hribal. I have already started reading, and it's very interesting. I hope you guys like it as well!

This week's final discussion of The Bond by Wayne Pacelle was great—thanks to all those who commented! It seems like everyone is very optimistic about the book in general, as well as the future of the animal-rights movement. There will always be wins and losses when it comes to important issues, but it's good to always stay positive.

I want to take this time to announce that next month will be the final month of the VegNews Book Club. It's been a full year of discussing fantastic books, and I want to thank everyone who has participated. We hope that you still continue to read books with animal-rights messages, as it's always important to stay informed. Thanks again for a great year of the VegNews Book Club, and have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig

The Gist: Good afternoon, and welcome to the fourth and final week of our discussion of The Bond by Wayne Pacelle. Next week, we will begin our discussion of Fear of the Animal Planet by Jason Hribal, which seems like a very interesting read. Be sure to get your copy, so you can join in.


We finished the book by reading the entirety of Part Three this week, which includes two chapters. There is also a small section entitled "Fifty Ways to Help Animals," which literally states 50 ways to help, such as adopting a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle, writing letters to the editor regarding animal-protection issues, and just registering to vote. All of part three is mainly about creating a more humane world, and in chapter seven, Pacelle first states different cruelties that are still going on in the US and world, and tells about the people who defend these ways. The cruelties he talks about mainly encompass the use of animals for food, clothing, and sport. Organizations, such as the USDA, support the factory farmers because that's where the money is, and the National Rifle Association (NRA) defends all types of hunting, even the hunting that really isn't hunting—pigeon shoots, for example—because they believe it is a human right. Pacelle explains that is not about rights, but tradition and an unwillingness to change, that keeps these cruelties going.


In the final chapter of part three, Pacelle discusses how we could go about developing a more humane economy. He reiterates the fact that most cruelties stem from our not wanting to change and move away from tradition, even though once we do, the humane way is always the best option. He opens the chapter talking about when he went whale watching with a group of animal advocates, and relates how whale watching is now the norm in the Northeast, just a little more than 100 years ago the norm was whale hunting. So many inhumane practices are insufficient and costly, such as animal testing, but due to the fact that it's the norm, it is still happening. However, things are getting better, and small changes are being taken to help animals. Such changes include the development of chemical birth control to stem the population of wildlife, and possibly even dogs and cats in the near future. Also, the use of new and improved scientific methods to test the toxicity of chemicals in consumer products, without testing them on animals. It is changes like these that are helping us move in the right direction towards a more humane world.


The Discussion: Here are three discussion points to help get the conversation started. I look forward to hearing from you!


1. What are your thoughts on the use of chemical birth control to keep the population of animal wildlife at bay?


2. Pacelle says that at the World Animal Forum in May 2010, they made several resolutions, including the worldwide ban on factory-farming practices by 2050. What do you think of these goals? Do you think they can be reached?


3. Overall, how did you like The Bond? Would you recommend it to a meat-eating friend? 


The Assignment: Due to the holiday weekend, next week's discussion will begin on Tuesday, May 31. Please read the introduction, Prologue, and chapter one for our discussion. See you then!


~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig

The Summary:  Hello VegNews Book Clubbers, and happy Friday! We are now at the end of the third week of our discussion of The Bond by Wayne Pacelle, in which we talked about companion animals and wild life, specifically National Parks, and if you have ever visited one before. Thanks for the responses! All who responded have an animal friend with unique backgrounds. I appreciate you sharing your stories with everyone. Regarding National Parks, most of you have visited one of these spectacular places, and have had great experiences there. I would love to go visit more myself—they are truly the wonders of the US.

We have one more week of our discussion of The Bond, which I look forward to talking to you about next week. Please have the rest of the book finished by then. Have a great weekend!

~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig

The Gist: Good afternoon VegNews Book Clubbers! It's a rainy day here in San Francisco, and I hope you guys are experiencing some nicer weather. We are now in our third week of discussing The Bond by Wayne Pacelle, which I hope you guys are enjoying. This week, we will be talking about chapters five and six.

Chapter five is all about companion animals, the bond we share with these animals, and the hidden cruelties of the commercialized pet industry. Pacelle begins with the story of Katrina, the devastation that it imparted to New Orleans, and how it separated many people from their companion animals. He talks about the rescue effort, and relates some of the individual stories of people being reunited with their animals. He uses the Katrina rescue story to show the connection we have with our animal friends, and how it is not easily broken. He then goes on to talk about where we get our companion animals from. Many people get their animals from puppy mills, which are terrible places, and exist only to make a profit. HSUS actually has led raids on puppy mills and discovered terrible conditions, such as dogs being stacked in wire cages, and being neglected. Many of these dogs come out of puppy mills with health conditions for the rest of their lives. Pacelle urges readers to adopt from rescue shelters. He talks about how rescue shelters are continually trying to adopt no-kill policies, but it is hard to do so due to the fact that there are so many homeless animals.

In chapter six, Pacelle talks about animals in the wild, and the human-animal interaction when it comes to the wild. At a young age, Pacelle was a ranger for the Student Conservation Association, which largely led him to where he is now. He says that at that time he was able to really connect with the environment around him, and he acquired a very strong respect for the wild. In the chapter, he talks about some instances—including the Yellowstone bison, Alaskan wolf hunting, the Canadian seal hunt, and hunting in general—where humans have shown a complete lack of respect for the wild, and what he has done, along with HSUS, to try to make things better.

The Discussion: Here are two discussion points to help get the conversation started. I look forward to hearing from you!

1. Do you have a companion animal? If so, where did you rescue them from?

2. Have you ever visited a National Park? Which one, and what was your experience like?

The Assignment: Please read the rest of The Bond for our discussion on Monday, May 23.

~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig

The Summary:  Happy Friday everyone! First of all, it seems that Blogger has been experiencing some problems, so unfortunately, some of our discussion has been removed, but we hope they will be recovered. It was a really good discussion, in which we mainly talked about Michael Vick, and how Wayne Pacelle came to the decision to work with him in HSUS' campaign against animal fighting, and whether we agreed with his decision or not. I also brought up the fact that since Vick's release from prison for his dog-fighting ring, he has been allowed to play in the NFL once again, which was very upsetting because playing in the NFL is a privilege, and one that Vick should have lost. We definitely had some heated comments regarding these issues, which totally makes sense. The situation with Vick was very upsetting for many, and not just animal activists. As we all know, animals that are more domesticated—dogs and cats in particular—are regarded very differently than other animals. When the violence of Vick's dog-fighting was exposed, it definitely struck a cord with most people—it's very hard to fathom that type of cruelty.

I want to thank everyone again for participating in this week's discussion, and sorry once again for the maintenance issues with Blogger. I look forward to our discussion next week, in which we will be talking about the next two chapters of The Bond.

~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig

The Gist: Hello VegNews Book Clubbers! I hope you had a great Mother's Day weekend, and enjoying your reading of The Bond by Wayne Pacelle. We still have some copies of the book on the VN Store, so if you don't have one already, be sure to pick one up!

For this week's discussion, we read the next two chapters, which are in the second part of the book. The first chapter talks about the abuses of the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company in Chico, Calif., in which HSUS investigated and helped to shut down. Pacelle also relates HSUS's fight to pass Proposition 2 in California, which addressed some of the worst confinement practices in factory farming. In 2008, the proposition passed, which was a huge step for the humane treatment of animals.

In the second chapter, Pacelle talks about the cruelties of animal fighting, specifically dog and cock fighting. Specifically, he talks about his work with Michael Vick, the NFL football player who ran a dog-fighting ring in Virginia, until it was raided in 2007, and Vick was sentenced to prison for 18 months. Near the end of his sentence, Vick contacted Pacelle and expressed interest in working with HSUS to help it's anti-dog-fighting campaign. Pacelle was very skeptical at first, but explains that he saw an importance in working with Vick to help get the message across about the cruelty of dog fighting, especially to the impoverished youth of America, who are more prone to these types of activities. Vick is still working with HSUS, and by the end of 2010, he had spoken to 10,000 kids in communities that are at risk.

The Discussion: Here are two discussion points to help get the conversation started. I look forward to hearing from you!

1. Do you think that it was a good idea for HSUS to work with Michael Vick after he did such cruel things to animals? Why, or why not?

2. As Pacelle mentions, animal fighting is very low on the radar for most people, even though it is quite prevalent. Why do you think this is?

The Assignment: Please read the next two chapters of The Bond for our discussion on Monday, May 16. And don't miss Pacelle on The Today Show tomorrow!

~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig

The Summary: Good afternoon VegNews Book Clubbers! Thanks for a great first week of conversation, in which we are discussing The Bond by Wayne Pacelle. Being the president of HSUS, Pacelle deals with animal-rights issues every day, which I'm sure gives him many stories to tell. I'm glad he wrote a book to share his experience with others, and to further help the cause.

I asked three questions last Monday to get the conversation started, and I want to thank Sock and Amy D. for participating this week! First, I asked if you think we could ever fully mend the broken bond between humans and animals. Both Sock and Amy D. agreed that we will never be able to fully mend it, but we can take steps to make it better. I then asked what you thought of Pacelle's writing style, and both readers have been really happy with it, and the fact that it is very straight-forward and realistic. I definitely agree—I find his style to be very easy to read. Finally, I asked for you to share your thoughts on HSUS, and both answers were extremely positive. As we all know, even within movements, there are differences, and in the past I have heard some people talk negatively about the organization. I think that they fear the fact that it is so big, and a bit more mainstream than other animal-rights organizations. It's important to remember that this is not a bad thing—HSUS has been able to make some very big strides in the animal movement because of its size and influence.

I want to wish everyone a happy weekend and happy reading! We will be discussing the next two chapters of The Bond this coming Monday, May 9.

~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig

The Gist: Happy Monday, VegNews Book Clubbers, and welcome to the start of May! I honestly can't believe we're in the fifth month of 2011 already, but I guess I need to accept it. We have now started our reading of The Bond by Wayne Pacelle, president of The Humane Society of the United States. This week, we will talk about the Preface, Introduction, and Part One of the book, which make up about the first 100 pages.

In this week's section, Pacelle discusses the connection between humans and animals. He explains how humans take that connection for granted and use their power over animals in a negative way, such as the use of animals in circuses, experimentation on chimps, the horse meat trade, and the slaughter of more than 50 billion animals for food.

Pacelle talks about his own experiences with animals, as well as the history of the human/animal relationship. The relationship can go in two very different directions—one direction being kindness, and the other being cruelty. We are able to treat our companion animals with such love and affection, but then eat a hamburger, which is made from another domesticated animal that was horribly abused until the moment of its death. Pacelle acknowledges these two varying relationships, and claims that it is time to take only one path—that of kindness.

He then goes on to discuss how animals are misunderstood, and are denied basic rights due to the power humans hold over animals. For example, we know that animals are intelligent, but they are denied this intelligence because it's a way for human beings to justify their cruelty toward other species. However, Pacelle writes that this view of animals is beginning to change for the better—as we can see with the increasing interest in vegetarianism, the many animal sanctuaries popping up, and the successes of HSUS itself. Additionally, he stresses that we have a moral obligation to help animals, since they can't speak out on their own.


The Discussion: Here are three discussion points to help get the conversation started. I look forward to hearing from you!

1. Do you think we will ever fully mend the broken bond between humans and animals? Why, or why not?

2. What do you think of Pacelle's writing style and voice?

3. What is your view of The Humane Society of the United States? Do you think they are doing a sufficient job of helping animals?

The Assignment: Please read chapter 3 through chapter 4 (two chapters) of The Bond for our discussion on Monday, May 9.

~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig

The Summary: Happy Friday everyone! I have recently arrived in San Diego, Calif., which is gorgeous. I hope everyone else has a fun Easter weekend planned as well!

Thanks for our discussion this week, in which we talked about our favorite books and movies with an animal-rights message, as well as animal sanctuaries and rescuing animals. As to the first discussion question, I recently received How to Train Your Dragon from Netflix, which I heard has a great animal-rights message. It recently won Best Feature Film from HSUS at the annual Genesis Awards, and I really look forward to watching it. Have any of you seen it yet? What did you think?

I'll now leave you to enjoy the weekend, and will pick up this Monday with our final discussion of Vegan's Daily Companion.

~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig

The Summary: Happy Friday everyone! We have now reached the end of our reading and discussion of Veganist by Kathy Freston, and thanks to Crystal and lulu for participating this week. We will be taking a break next week from the Book Club, which will give you time to get started on our April read, Vegan's Daily Companion by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. We have signed copies on the VN Store, so be sure to get your copy before the discussion begins!

Now to the Q+A with Kathy Freston! Kathy generously lent her time to answer six of the top questions I received from our readers. Here are the questions with Kathy's responses. A big thanks to Kathy for sharing her thoughts with us here. Happy reading and have a great weekend!

Catherine: I am "leaning" into veganism as you suggest. Over the last four weeks since I've read your book, I would say that I am leaning pretty hard! My challenge is my 16-year-old son. He truly believes that eating meat makes him a man. In fact, he thinks the more meat he can eat, the more manly he is. I've thrown out some of the horrors of the factory farms and slaughterhouses, but he tunes it out. I'm looking for any suggestions to try to reach my son and help him to understand the consequences to his own health, the animals he is eating, the planet, the people that have to work in the environment that produces the meat, etc. Do you have any suggestions?

Kathy: Bravo you for leaning in! Well, you have a two-fold issue with your son. One is that he's a teenager, and it's his job right now to rail against his parents and go his own way (I say that only half jokingly). The second is that pushing someone to see things the way we see them never works, it only pushes them away. How would you feel if someone were trying to impress their views on you; wouldn't you just get annoyed and resist even more? I would let the ethical side of the conversation just rest for a while. Your son might be interested in seeing how really fierce athletes like Mac Danzig (UFC), John Salley, Tony Gonzalez, or even Mike Tyson eat in order to be fast on their feet and recover quickly. They all attribute their strength and success in sports to being vegan (or veganish). This way, you've caught his interest, and he might be more willing to give meat a rest here and there. You can also win him over with hearty meals, like tacos with Gardein beefless tips; black bean burritos with guacamole, vegan sour cream, and Daiya cheese; or quinoa pasta with meatless meatballs and tomato sauce. In time, the ethical awareness will come (for many guys, it's a girlfriend that turns that light on), but for now just feed him well!

Jennifer: The personal stories in each Promise section are great. How did you find these particular people?

Kathy: The personal stories just streamed in—it's as if the book just wanted to be written! Some came from the doctors and nutritional scientists that I spoke with—those guys have changed so many patients' lives, so it was a matter of finding the people who wrote their stories well. And the undercover investigators and rescuers came to me through the different organizations like the Humane Society of the US, PETA, Farm Sanctuary, and Mercy for Animals. One of the leads actually came from someone at VegNews! It's a tight community, those who give their lives to animal advocacy, and everyone in it is so willing to help wherever they can.

Michael P: Which part of the book was your favorite to write and why? Which was most difficult and why?

Kathy: Hey Michael! I loved writing the afterward, actually, because that is all about how to make the shift. I love helping people find their way as they lean in to being vegan or veganish. I know what their questions and concerns will be because I felt it all myself when I began my journey into conscious eating. It can be overwhelming when you are new to the idea, so I love making it easy and practical. The hardest part was pulling together Promise 8, about reducing animal suffering. It kills me every time I read an account of what happens behind closed doors to animals destined to be our food. It slays me. But I figure that if the animals are going through it, the very least I can do is bear witness to it. And talk about it.

Karin: Who is the person who has surprised you most by leaning in to a vegan diet?

Kathy: I was really surprised to see President Bill Clinton go vegan! I mean, this is a southern man who clearly savored burgers and steaks every chance he could get his hands on one. And he's in those circles where it's not so easy to get vegan food (he's traveling and at conferences, working with diplomats, etc.). But he's a great icon to look to, because if he can change, anyone can!

Robyn: What's your all-time favorite meal?

Kathy: I love almost any kind of pasta. A big bowl of it, with a glass of red wine. Sheer heaven!

Anonymous: What are your plans post-Veganist?

Kathy: I have so many plans, but you never know what will work out! I'd love to do a TV show—make vegan fun and interesting and easy. And I always say I'm never going to write another book (because it's exhausting), but then I hear the little voice in my head spewing ideas and thoughts, and I know I have to abide! Anything that makes veganism more popular and accessible, I'm game.

Thanks again Kathy!

~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig

The Gist: Good morning VegNews Book Clubbers! We are in the third week of our discussion of Veganist by Kathy Freston, which I hope you guys are enjoying. Just a reminder, you have until this Wednesday to submit your questions for Kathy, which she will be answering at the end of next week. Looking forward to it!

We read three more "Promises" for our discussion today. First, "Promise" six states that by adopting a vegan diet, you are helping the environment by reducing your carbon footprint. We all know how completely wasteful factory farming is, and Freston reiterates that fact in this chapter.

Freston continues about the wastefulness of factory farming, which leads into the seventh "Promise." In this section she states that you will be helping to feed the global poor by adopting a plant-based diet. The amount of grain fed to animals to be slaughtered is incredible, and could be used to feed so many starving people. It's really hard to fathom.

Finally, the eighth "Promise" talks about the suffering of animals, and how by being a veganist, you can reduce that suffering. I don't want to go into all of the terrible details, because the plight of animals in factory farms is so dire, and it is a very sad subject to think about. I think it's important for people to read and learn about though, in order to get the message across. Freston features several personal and investigative stories, from such people as Gene Baur of Farm Sanctuary, Josh Balk of the Humane Society of the United States, and Nathan Runkle of Mercy for Animals.

The Discussion: Here are two discussion points to help get the conversation started. I look forward to hearing from you!

1. Being a vegan drastically reduces your carbon footprint. What other things do you do to reduce your footprint?

2. The stories mentioned in "Promise" nine are of some very courageous people, who put their comfort aside to help animals. What is the hardest thing you've ever done for a cause, be it for animal rights or another cause?

The Assignment: Please read the rest of Veganist for our discussion on Monday, March 21. And send in those questions!

~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig

The Summary: Hello VegNews Book Clubbers, and welcome to the end of week three of Skinny Bitch! I hope you guys had an enjoyable week, and are just as excited for the weekend as I am.

I asked a couple of questions last Monday regarding chapters 9 to 11 of the book, and I appreciate the comments and discussion that followed. First I asked if there any government agencies or organizations that you trust, and if you did, why. Those of you that did answer this question pretty much said that you do not trust any agency or organization. While I agree that trusting governmental agencies is difficult, I personally find organizations like the Humane Society of the United States and Mercy for Animals trustworthy. Any thoughts?

I then asked if any of you were following the meal plan in chapter 11. Most of you aren't following it strictly, but are definitely getting the main idea by looking it over.

As mentioned earlier, I hope you guys have a great weekend, and I look forward to discussing the rest of Skinny Bitch with you all!

~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig