The Inner Art of Vegetarianism: Spiritual Practices for Body and Soul
Adams, who has written on domestic violence and animal rights (e.g., The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory), intends to demonstrate that vegetarian consciousness is inseparable from spiritual practiceDeven though people frequently practice vegetarianism without mystical or religious grounding and engage in spiritual seeking without following a vegetarian diet. In the end, she fails to prove anything except how these practices work for her. The author describes the experiences that led her to vegetarianism, yoga, meditation, breath awareness, and keeping a journal and then explores each practice, offering exercises and further reading. She also lists the obstacles that vegetarians and spiritual seekers face when they "cross over." Although she offers thoughtful discussions of such generic topics as resistance to change, the imprecision of the writing reveals faulty thinking and the structure lacks coherence. Not recommended.DElizabeth C. Stewart, Portland, MECopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.