In terms of book release celebrations, you really can’t do much better than a giant promo on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Author Kathy Freston’s new book “Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World” will hit shelves tomorrow — as well as being featured as part of Oprah’s “Vegan Challenge” special. The health and wellness expert previously convinced the talk-show host to try the 21-day vegan cleanse that’s included in her 2008 book “Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness“.

Oprah walked away from that “cleanse” not a vegan, but certainly more conscious of her own well-being and the food she was consuming. It obviously left a mark, because she’s dedicating tomorrow’s entire show to veganism — as well as taking 378 of her staffers on a one-week challenge to eat an animal-free diet.

But back to Freston’s new book — because this is what people will scoop up once Oprah shines her light of approval down upon it. Not having read it, I can’t accurately grade it one way or another, but based on the summary it appears to be taking the right approach to getting people interested in going vegan.

From the book jacket:

“Kathy’s shift toward this new life was gradual–she leaned into it–but the impact was profound. Now Kathy shows us how to lean into the veganist life. Effortless weight loss, reversal of disease, environmental responsibility, spiritual awakening–these are just a few of the ten profound changes that can be achieved through a gentle switch in food choices.”

I’m a big fan of gradual shifts for people looking to change diets/lifestyles. Oprah’s decision to make her vegan challenge only a week gives me a bit of pause — I think a month would have been a more appropriate timetable — but hopefully a few will continue beyond the seven days.

Freston even got Bono interested in thinking a bit more about his food with the new book. “Kathy Freston writes so beautifully and convincingly that even this most carnivorous of rock stars finds himself staring at his bleeding protein with new eyes,” he remarked.

Unlike Silverstone’s “The Kind Diet”, this book does not contain recipes, choosing instead to be informative with why veganism might be right for you and how it’s helpful. Said one reviewer of an advance copy:

“For those of you familiar with her other books, Freston does not lecture, but kindly encourages the vegan lifestyle…she talks about “leaning into” it–in other words, slowly work towards becoming a vegan. That even a few meals a week is a good start.”

Will Freston’s book become the new “it” wellness bible to own? I’d love to think so — especially if the reviews I’m reading so far are really genuine and not some PR flak. I guess we’ll see how well Oprah and Co. present the veg scene tomorrow. Tune in after for our reactions!

To order Freston’s new book, jump here.

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About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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