In Meat Is for Pussies: A How-To Guide for Dudes Who Want to Get Fit, Kick Ass, and Take Names, John Joseph, singer of hardcore band the Cro-Mags, is profane, judgmental and obnoxious--as well as passionate, knowledgeable and well-intentioned--as he hopes to convince red-blooded American males (and anyone else who'll listen) that embracing a plant-based diet is imperative.
Joseph believes "eating defenseless animals doesn't make you tough, numb-nuts, it makes you a coward. You wanna eat meat? Then instead of purchasing factory-killed, slickly packaged animal parts, have some balls and tear one down with your bare hands and rip it apart." He's loath to use the word "vegan"--he believes it conjures images of people he doesn't respect--but that's the diet he espouses as the best way to care for our planet and our personal health. In addition, he explains how to interpret product barcodes to monitor the presence of GMOs or pesticides in our food and offers a quick way to check the pH levels of your blood (and fix imbalances with dietary adjustments).
Joseph also includes mental toughness tips, a 30-day workout from Aaron Drogoszewski (trainer to professional athletes), 30 days of plant-based recipes and an appendix intended to provide "peace of mind that... the food on my plate is not destroying the planet's ecosystem in some way or contributing to the torture of some poor creature." While one may question whether a punk musician has credibility as a nutritional guru, Joseph's personal experience and passion are convincing. Some readers may find his tone offensive, but others who might not otherwise consider a vegan lifestyle may be seduced. --Kristen Galles from Book Club Classics