In Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat (Scribner 2001), author Howard F. Lyman offers a compelling and credible case for eliminating animal-based foods from the human diet.

After more than twenty years in the fields of farming and cattle ranching, Mr. Lyman faced death from cancer and a turning point in his life. Out of feelings of guilt, he began asking himself whether he should continue with commercial cattle ranching or spread the truth about the harmful effects of chemically oriented agri-business practices and a meat-based diet on health and the environment.

In 1996, the former feedlot operator was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show and shared his insider's views on food production, the rendering process and the possibility of "mad cow" disease spreading to the United States. (According to news reports, the first cases of the illness were discovered in the U.S. in December 2003.) After Lyman's appearance with Oprah, a group of Texas cattlemen filed a $10 million lawsuit charging them with "food disparagement," alleging they had violated a Texas law forbidding someone from "knowingly making false statements" about agricultural business. Such laws, which are discussed in the book, limit freedom of speech and are as detrimental in their own way as is the consumption of meat.

In Mad Cowboy Lyman provides firsthand insights on the horrific operating conditions and techniques currently used in many commercial farms, ranches and slaughterhouses, clearly linking the use of pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, growth hormones, chemical fertilizers and the ground-up remains of other animals (used for feed) to the spread of cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol levels, osteoporosis, obesity and other ailments.

Along with health, the environment also suffers as a result of these techniques, which cause large-scale pollution of our air, soil and water, and in turn natural disasters such as floods and droughts. In addition, the author describes the government's powerful role in protecting large scale agri-business, which continues to leave many family farmers and the environment in the dust.

The fourth-generation farmer also provides abundant evidence supporting the view that a meat-based diet has a negative impact on our overall quality of life, citing various research studies and personal experiences to show that the best way to prevent environmental destruction and end world hunger is to adopt a vegetarian diet: "Let's not deny the facts or let our mind confuse the truth. Meat kills. A plant-based diet is the step towards a healthier lifestyle."

As Mr. Lyman faced death, he decided to turn his back on the destructive agricultural practices of his peers and instead direct his attention toward the light by spreading the truth and raising our awareness of health and environmental conservation. Thus he provides a shining example for us all.

Inspiring, informative and powerfully moving, Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat encourages readers to alter their diets and pursue a new path. The evidence presented also demonstrates that the human race will enter the "Vegan Era" either by choice or by force due to economic circumstances and environmental conditions. Many things can be imitated but nature can never be duplicated so let us strive to live in harmony with the earth and all its creatures!