From the back cover, penned by the poet: "Growing up, I relished hamburgers, chicken, steak, fish as well as dairy, and never gave any of it a moment's thought. Everyone I knew were avid meat-eaters. It seemed un-American to not eat meat. Then, one day, a young woman confronted me with an obvious question, as I was stir-frying ground beef for dinner: "What are you eating tonight, cow?" I was struck as if by lightning; the question cracked my consciousness wide open. By summer's end, I vowed to become vegan: I gave up meat, fish, fowl, and all animal by-products, forever. Family members poked fun at me; my beloved grandmother predicted that the meatless diet I adopted was nothing more than a fad. I have lived that so-called fad for more than 40 years. Why? Because I love animals, and take seriously Dr. Albert Schweitzer's clarion call to embrace a reverence for life--all life. We are all related--no exceptions--human and nonhuman alike. Will you dare to take the bold step of embodying a reverence for life in your own daily living? On your deathbed, you may breathe your last with a quiet dignity and peace for having extended love and compassion to all living beings."