Sunday, January 28, 2007

Support Erik... Spread The Word


If you listened to Erik's recent podcast, you'll know that he has requested some support. Erik Marcus doesn't ask for donations (though I'm sure he would get much help from the vegan community if he did). What he asks is that we support him through sales of Meat Market. That way, we are not only helping him financially, but we can also get his important message out there!

Do you have an office where you can put a copy of Meat Market in a reading room, waiting area, or LUNCH room?! Imagine, someone picks up Meat Market and after 10 minutes of reading, starts to examine their lifestyle and food choices. Maybe they cut out meat, maybe they go further and cut out all animal products. Maybe they buy the book and give it to a friend. This is how we have to spread the word. So, I am buying a copy for my husband to bring to his office. I am going to buy two more copies for YOU. I want to hear where you can put these books so that people will get a chance to read them. I don't want them sitting on a bookshelf.

I've posted about Meat Market and Erik's work before (Please click through and read). In case you're worried that this book is too 'gory' to read, it's not. But, within those pages is powerful information that can initiate change.

Erik says in Meat Market (p.118) "When I was a teenager, my greatest ambition was to one day become a millionaire. In my twenties, as my primary ambition shifted away from making money and toward protecting animals, I adapted the millionaire concept for purposes of activism. I decided that I still wanted to be a millionaire, but not in terms of earning a million dollars. I wanted to be a millionaire in terms of keeping a million animals out of slaughterhouses."

I think you'll agree that this is remarkably admirable, and also, with our help... achievable. Most of us have $11 to spare. Imagine if that $11 translated into even just one other person turning vegetarian, or even better, vegan. If copies of Meat Market are put in front of enough people, this is more than possible.

Personally, I'd love to see Erik reach both goals - a million for him, and a million for the animals, because I know the more resources Erik had at his disposal, he could reach more people and have an even greater impact.

Leave a comment if you think you should be the recipient of one - or both - copies of Meat Market that I am ordering. Tell me where you can put the books so that they can be read by others. And, if you can, order a copy of Meat Market yourself.

17 comments:

Melissa said...

Good idea Laura!
Wouldn't it be cool to drop these off in dentist and doctors (Especially doctors) waiting rooms? I think that could make a big impact. And Dreena, I'll be picking up a copy at Chapters soon hopefully :)

urban vegan said...

Great post, Dreena. Thanks for raising awareness of Erik's very admirable goal and work.

angela said...

Hi Dreena - I am thinking about my daughter's school & how they bring in hot lunches once a month & how those hot lunches are from fast food places! (deplorable but that's another post...) maybe the teachers' lounge or the principal's office - or to the head of PAC to pass around...

bazu said...

Hi Dreena,
I already have this book, and I think you are doing a good thing by raising awareness about it like this. You are right, it is a very straightforward book. I could think of a few places I'd leave this: at the college library, or student lounge, maybe give it to a student group to use for a fundraiser (a raffle or something), possibly at our food co-op...
I can't wait to read other peoples' ideas too!

aimee said...

Your post id so timely. i just related this story to a friend and now i will relate it to you!

I was at the gym working out this morning and on the telly was Martha. her first guest was Forrest Whitaker (who is vegan-ish) and they made a beautiful salad. Her next guest was a french woman making a cassoulet (with some kind of bacon and duck legs). I was so repulsed I made a horrible face and couldn't even look at the t.v. The woman on the machine next to me asked if I was alright and I replied that the sight of those animals ruining perfectly good beans was making me nauseous. She just looked at me as if I were an alien!
People are always reading fluff at the gym. Perhaps they should be working-out their minds and hearts as well as their bodies!
Aimee

Peace, Love and Veganism said...

I don't have any brilliant ideas, other than what I've done before: leave them in the teacher's lounge where I work (I left fliers about Thanksgiving from Farm Sanctuary).I think leaving it at my gym is another good idea- that's where I left some of the other fliers!

However, I did buy Erik's other book, "Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating," which prompted me to be a better vegan. Then I handed it to my mom, who soon became vegetarian, and then gave it to my sister, a vet, who also became vegetarian (just this year!). Both women said it was the turning point in their lives. I think that both may someday become vegan. I can't imagine any other way of life!

Anonymous said...

Sometimes, I really don't like living where I live. For me to pass this around, I would have to translate it first... I so wish I could do just that. I feel like this province will always be behind the rest of North American in regards to veganism and animal rights and it saddens and angers me.

I will be buying the book and hopefully will find people I can lend it to.

Does it matter where we buy it though ? Can I go through Amazon Canada ?

I think that what you are doing is great Dreena <3

Anonymous said...

I belong to BookCrossing.com--a great way to share books. You register a book online, label it, then leave it somewhere for someone to read. When they pick it up and read it (hopefully) then they are encouraged to "journal" the find on the BC website, then leave it for someone else to find. Books have traveled the world this way. Think of all the folks Erick's book could reach! I'd start the book off in the student loung of a college in our town becauseI think the book might find a fairly receptive or at least curious audience there.

Dreena said...

Laura, that's bizarre! Good, but bizarre!! :)

Melissa, I agree... if these professionals are open-minded enough to have veg reading material in their offices. Good idea.

Thanks Urban Vegan, I hope this post brings more attention to Erik's life work.

Angela, I love that idea... are you interested in one of the books, then, to put in the teachers' lounge? - I think that is an excellent place to 'plant' a copy of Meat Market.

Thanks Bazu. Anywhere that college/uni students can have access to this material is ideal, since they tend to respond to the information and make changes probably more than older people that are more 'set in their ways'. Are you up for handing it to a student group?

Aimee, that's a funny story! Yes, most people at gyms are reading fashion or celebrity mags, and/or watching entertainment tv or sports! I love your frankness with her, no holding back with your disgust of ruining the beans!! Awesome. :)

Peace, love - I know Erik will be most pleased to read your comment. To think that you went vegan, and two others vegetarian from your one book. Yes, I can't imagine living any other way either! Leaving a copy in the teachers' lounge sounds good to me - let me know if you are still interested in doing so!

Thank you Gaia. You are taking steps to bridge that gap with your blog and doing translations of recipes and other information. I often think we are so 'ahead' of other provinces here in BC in terms of veganism, but really when I see how most people eat, we have soooo much farther to come, yes it can be discouraging, but we'll keep working on it! :) If you want to order his book, I think either way is fine, whichever is most convenient for you. I'm pretty sure amazon.ca carries it. If not, if you order through amazon.com, then go to vegan.com first and click through Erik's link there. Thanks!!! :)

Hi bookmama... I LOVE this idea! Esp starting it off in a student lounge - that would be perfect. Let me know if you are still game... :)

Peace, Love and Veganism said...

Gaia- I just had to say, I totally understand agree with you about people not understanding! I live in a very meat-oriented city, with only one truly vegetarian/vegan restaurant (that also offers meat). I often feel like I have to apologize for leaving out the fliers, and kind of do it sureptitiously! People just don't want to know the truth, because it's disgusting and sad. I constantly have people asking me, well, do you eat seafood...AFTER they find out that I am vegan, and they understand that means no dairy or eggs, etc!

But I don't mean to vent on this blog - just great to hear that I'm not the only alien out there! ;) Deena - I would still love a copy of the book. I also thought about putting a copy in the doctor's office. What a better place to have to read something, and what a better place to read about improving your health?

bazu said...

Hi Dreena,
Thanks to your post, I actually decided to get a copy of the book to leave in the student lounge or library. Thanks for the inspiration!

Anonymous said...

Of course, I'm game. It's actually a lot of fun to share books (any books) this way. It's also fun to hang around surreptitiously to see who picks it up.

Dreena said...

Peace, love & Bookmama, can you please e-mail me your addresses so I can mail the books your way? My e-mail is dreena@everydayvegan.com. Thanks!! :)

Bazu, thank you for helping out. I appreciate you pitching in, and I know Erik will as well. :)

Anonymous said...

It's great to see so many people who are enthusiastic about putting Meat Market into the hands of the public.

For those of you who have not yet listened to Erik's most recent podcast (Jan. 31), he had some helpful tips for people who are interested in doing just that.

First of all, if you'd like to donate a copy to your local library (which is an excellent idea), do not simply hand the book off to a librarian without comment (or worse yet, drop it in a donation bin). Instead, please encourage the librarian to put the book into circulation.

Many people do not realize that a *large* number of the books donated to libraries end up being sold to the general public to raise funds for the books that the library actually wants for its collection. There's nothing wrong with that, of course-- but over time, a library copy always reaches the hearts and minds of more people than a privately owned copy.

So to persuade a librarian to add Meat Market to its collection, be sure to emphasize the fact that it is meticulously researched and thoroughly detailed in its description of the factory farming industry. Also let the librarian know that the book already contains the cataloguing information that is needed in order to process the book into the library's system. (One less clerical headache, right?)

Finally, as Erik reminded us, if you want to maximize the value of your dollar as an activist, don't just buy books for your local library or for friends and family. Also consider donating money to veganoutreach.com and perhaps even leafleting for them on your local college campus.

For the amount of money you'd spend on a single animal rights book, you could easily purchase and distribute dozens of brochures on veganism, thus reaching more people for the same cost.

Thanks for supporting vegan.com, veganoutreach.com, and all the other great activist sites on the Web. And thank you, Dreena, for everything that you do. I'm a longtime lurker and am always amazed by your great recipes anad mouthwatering photos. : )

Emily

Dreena said...

Hi Emily. Thank you for covering off these key points from Erik's podcast. I was going to do the same, and you saved me the work - which, right now, is much appreciated! :) I hope readers and listeners follow some of Erik's suggestions. Thank you again for taking the time to add this comment. :)

Raylon said...

Dreena, thanks for posting on behalf of helping Eric spread the word about the plight of farmed animals. I just purchased 3 more copies (as I have read this great book) and will be mimicking your approach to distribution. I hope you do not mind that I have re-published your blog entry on our blog with some slight changes to apply to my situation. We dont have your readership, but even if 1 person buys the book after reading it, it will be worth it!

Dreena said...

Raylon... do I mind?! Not one bit! Thank you for reposting the information on your blog - every bit of exposure helps. Terrific, thanks.