24 Vegan Books You Should Read

What should a vegan read?

There are so many reasons to adopt a plant-based diet—for the animals, for the environment, for your health, or even just for the love of cooking with plants. And that means there’s an incredibly diverse array of vegan books on the subject! Our picks cover a wide variety of topics—plant-based recipes, investigations into factory farming, and even the philosophy behind veganism.

Veganism is different for everyone. And books will be, too. Find the book that speaks your language—the one that makes you feel passionate, determined, and excited to learn more. Find the book you can’t put down. Find the book that will have a profound impact on you for the rest of your life. It just might be waiting for you in this list!

Best vegan books

Animal Liberation by Peter Singer

You’ll hear Animal Liberation referenced all the time in literature about veganism and animal rights. That’s because this book is considered essential reading for animal rights activists, and for good reason. Singer was one of the first philosophers to lay out a moral argument against speciesism, or discrimination based on species. Although the book was published in 1975, Singer’s arguments are just as sharp and relevant today as they were then—drawing inspiration from other liberation movements including civil rights, feminism, and more.

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

If you want to venture deep into today’s factory farming system (and you’re not afraid to face the truth head-on), this gripping book is the place to start. In clear and capable prose, Foer takes you on a journey into the enormous sheds where broiler chickens are kept, into powerful conversations with anonymous animal farmers frustrated with the way things are, and into a new way of thinking about what food means and why it matters. This work is especially compelling because it doesn’t attempt to convince you of anything—but by the end, you’ll find yourself convinced.

The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory by Carol J. Adams

This 1990 classic draws a groundbreaking parallel between society’s oppression of women and its systemic exploitation of animals. Adams points out an age-old link between patriarchal values and meat eating—arguing that objectification, fragmentation, and consumption are common themes in the way our society portrays, treats, and discusses women and animals. Veganism, Adams argues, is therefore a way to challenge patriarchal society. This provocative read has been changing minds and starting conversations since its publishing date.

Newly released vegan books

This is Vegan Propaganda (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You) by Ed Winters

A vegan educator known as “Earthling Ed,” Winters explains why veganism is such an obvious choice to protect our health, fight the climate crisis, battle infectious diseases, and honor the animals with whom we share our world. His argument makes you wonder why everyone isn’t vegan already—which, after all, is a compelling question in itself.

The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma’s Kitchen by Joanne Lee Molinaro

Recipes intertwine with stories in this intimate bestseller, too personal to be called a cookbook and too pragmatic to be called a memoir. From Joanne Lee Molinaro, known online as @thekoreanvegan, this James Beard 2022 Award Winner explores the wealth of connections between food and identity—reimagining the Korean dishes Molinaro grew up eating and infusing them with rich stories about her family’s history. As The Washington Post puts it, “Molinaro somehow makes you want to laugh, cry, march in the streets and devour every damn thing on her plate.”

Once Upon a Time We Ate Animals: The Future of Food by Roanne van Voorst

This new read is just as intriguing as its title. Renowned anthropologist Roanne van Voorst paints a future where we’ve stopped eating animal products—pointing out that many once-normal human practices have gradually become unthinkable, time and time again. Thought-provoking, hopeful, and transformative, the book persuades us that a vegan future is both possible and necessary.

Best vegan books for transitioning your diet

How Not to Die by Gene Stone and Michael Greger

For those who say, “show me the science,” here it is. Evidence-based and research-backed, Greger and Stone provide expert recommendations for living a longer and healthier life—including the Daily Dozen, or the twelve foods we should be eating every day for health and longevity. This book presents the facts about how a whole-food, plant-based diet can prevent and reverse disease, allowing the evidence to speak for itself.

The Whole Vegetable by Sophie Gordon

This stunning collection of recipes is a hearty celebration of everything a plant-based diet has to offer. Organized by season and designed to help you mitigate food waste, Gordon’s creative and beautiful recipes place fruits and vegetables center stage, getting you excited about all that plants can bring to the table (and your tastebuds).

Vegan books for beginners

Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism by Melanie Joy

As readable and accessible as it is powerful, Melanie Joy’s work gets at the root of why we eat some animals and not others—the incongruous mindset Joy coins “carnism.” This revolutionary read challenges ingrained ways of thinking and exposes uncomfortable truths about how social conditioning can override our deepest moral beliefs.

Be More Vegan by Niki Webster

Written specifically for young people interested in being “a little more vegan,” this friendly book is packed with helpful hints, recipes, and insights into all things plant-based. If you’re looking to make a gradual transition to a plant-based lifestyle, this is a welcoming place to start.

Easy vegan starter cookbooks

Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero

From grilled yuca tortillas to asparagus and lemongrass risotto, this classic pretty much covers the gamut of delicious plant-based fare. Moskowitz and Romero present over 250 veggie-centric recipes, all paired with helpful cooking notes—so it’s almost like you’re cooking with an experienced chef at your side. No wonder people call it "The Joy of Vegan Cooking.”

Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes by Bryant Terry

(Well, really any of Bryant Terry’s books.) As a food justice activist, James Beard Award-winning chef, and author of the successful cookbook Afro-Vegan, no one’s more qualified to guide you through vegan cooking. With Afro-Asian recipes centered around the freshest ingredients at the market, the book covers the fundamentals of cooking with simple, plant-based ingredients. Maybe the coolest part? Each dish comes with a suggested soundtrack.

Vegan books bestsellers

Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health by Gene Stone

This #1 bestseller presents definitive research that a whole-food, plant-based diet is the best way to prevent chronic disease and live longer. And if that weren’t enough, the authors also provide over 100 recipes and tips on making the transition to this way of eating. Filled with success stories and insights from leading researchers, Forks Over Knives is an empowering entry point to the world of plant-based eating.

An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong

While it’s not specifically about veganism, this New York Times bestseller will leave you feeling connected to animals in an entirely new way. Pulitzer Prize–winning science journalist Ed Yong takes you on a tour through Planet Earth as experienced by animals—revealing new sights, sounds, vibrations, smells, tastes, and more. From the messages in birdsong to the countless smells dogs discover on a walk, Yong shows us how animals can help us better understand our world.

Best vegan lifestyle books

Decolonize Your Diet: Plant-Based Mexican-American Recipes for Health and Healing by Luz Calvo

Age-old culinary traditions intersect with easy, convenient dishes in this more-than-a-cookbook cookbook. Calvo celebrates and reclaims long traditions of cooking with indigenous plants—like squash, beans, corn, and herbs—and explains how food can provide a powerful connection to health, ancestry, and spirituality.

Plant-Based on a Budget by Toni Okamoto

Created from her popular website, Okamoto’s book is packed with recipes that can be put together on a budget—and cooked in 30 minutes or less. With wisdom and authenticity, she proves that cooking on a budget doesn’t mean you need to compromise your health—and that it’s possible to make the transition to plant-based eating with grace, ease, and grocery money to spare.

Vegan kids, pregnancy, and parenting

The Everything Vegan Pregnancy Book by Reed Mangels

Covering everything from vegan nutrition to how to field questions about your vegan pregnancy, this book gets great reviews from moms and dads-to-be. Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, LD, FADA, is a nutrition advisor and instructor at The University of Massachusetts Amherst. She walks you through the fundamentals of nutrition, communication, and planning a vegan-friendly birth—leaving you feeling prepared, empowered, and confident.

The Smart Parent's Guide to Raising Vegan Kids: Lessons for Littles in Plant-Based Eating and Compassionate Living by Eric C. Lindstrom

This is the definitive guidebook to raising ethically vegan children. Lindstrom draws on his own experience raising kids—one on the Standard American Diet, and four on a vegan lifestyle—to create this helpful and hilarious guide. Practical and realistic, his recommendations cover everything from birthday parties to road trips to getting your kids to eat their vegetables.

Veggie and animal activism

Beasts of Burden: Animal and Disability Liberation by Sunara Taylor

An animal advocate and disability activist, Taylor pushes us to think deeply about the divisions between human and animal in a process she calls “cripping animal ethics.” Rather than shy away from these questions, Taylor argues, we should recognize the ways disability justice and animal justice can be entangled—and use these connections to find strength and solidarity in the face of oppression. A beautifully written mix of memoir, science, and philosophy, this read challenges us to recognize and claim our own vulnerabilities.

APHRO-ISM: Essays on Pop Culture, Feminism, and Black Veganism from Two Sisters by Aph and Syl Ko

Questions of race, animal advocacy, and feminism intertwine in this accessible, vibrant read. Aph and Syl Ko draw on pop culture to analyze modern-day social movements and provide new ways of understanding the connections between various forms of oppression—offering a new path toward collective liberation.

Books on veganism and the environment

Eat For the Planet: Saving the World One Bite at a Time by Gene Stone and Nil Zacharias

Recycling, carpooling, switching out your lightbulbs. These are all ways to help the planet—but, as Stone and Zacharias argue, there’s a much more powerful way to reduce your carbon footprint. By making small dietary changes to adopt a plant-based diet, you can help fight climate change and build a more sustainable food system for all of us.

We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast by Jonathan Safran Foer

Another great read from Foer, this book explores the connection between the climate crisis and the food on our plates. Both a memoir and investigative report, this direct, hopeful read explains how even cutting back just a little on animal products can result in huge changes for our world. You’ll leave this book feeling empowered, educated, and equipped to help drive large-scale change with your next meal.

Children’s books

V is for Vegan: The ABCs of Being Kind by Ruby Roth

Written for three- to seven-year-olds, this read explains the basics of veganism with the help of simple rhymes and sweet illustrations. The book introduces kids to key food groups (grains, legumes, vegetables) and gently covers all the reasons we shouldn’t eat animals. This book is a great starting point for parents hoping to empower their children to share their beliefs in a non-vegan world.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

Yes—this beloved children’s classic makes the list! The touching story of Charlotte and Wilbur not only encourages us to appreciate spiders, but it gently points us to the truth that every animal is “terrific,” “radiant,” and deserving of compassion. Reading this with your child can open up important conversations about how we interact with the unique, emotional beings who share our world. A pig farmer himself, White said of the book:

“A farm is a peculiar problem for a man who likes animals, because the fate of most livestock is that they are murdered by their benefactors. The creatures may live serenely but they end violently, and the odor of doom hangs about them always… The theme of Charlotte's Web is that a pig shall be saved, and I have an idea that somewhere deep inside me there was a wish to that effect.”

Conclusion

Wait. You’re still reading this article? Go visit the library already!

But before you go, there are lots of quick actions you can take to make a real difference for animals suffering in our broken food system. Visit our Fast Action Network to get started!