Overview

Affectionately known as the Joyful Vegan, Colleen Patrick Goudreau has been a leading voice in compassionate living for over two decades, guiding countless people to achieve lasting health and purpose. Now, with A Year of Compassion, she shares simple, effective, and impactful actions we can all take to make humankind a little kinder—by protecting animals, supporting the planet, and optimizing our own health.    Colleen lives by the motto: Don’t do nothing because you can’t do everything. Do something. Anything. She knows we’ll never be perfect in this imperfect world, but with small, incremental changes, we can each contribute to big change. One week, you might declutter your fridge to cut down on food waste, while the next, you could store some basic supplies in your car to help an injured animal. Another week, you might explore eating by color to boost your nutrient intake, while the next, you can take steps to stop junk mail in its tracks.    Feel free to skip around, choosing your own sustainable adventure. Whether you read A Year of Compassion cover to cover or take it week by week, Colleen is there to encourage, inspire, and motivate, helping you become the change you want to see in the world.

Full Product Details

Author:   Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Publisher:   Island Press
Imprint:   Island Press
ISBN:  

9781642833461

ISBN 10:   1642833460
Pages:   256
Publication Date:   25 March 2025
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

Preface: A Means, not an End  Introduction: Compassion and Connection  How to Read this Book  Week One: Conduct a Personal Waste and Consumption Audit (zero waste)  Week Two: Eat Less Meat (plant based)  Week Three: Be Prepared to Help Sick, Injured, or Lost Animals (cruelty free)  Week Four: Adopt a Zero Waste Mindset: Stop Seeing Food as Garbage (zero waste)  Week Five: Eat by Color: Boost Nutrient Density (plant based)  Week Six: Keep Flowers Not Bees (cruelty free)  Week Seven: Recycle. Don’t Wish Cycle. (zero waste)  Week Eight: Eat Your Vegetables: Make Them Edible! (plant based)  Week Nine: Provide a Wildlife Habitat (cruelty free)  Week Ten: Go Back to Basics. Retro Reusables for a Greener Tomorrow (zero waste)  Week Eleven: Skip the Middle Animal: The Nutrients We Need Are Plant Based (plant based)  Week Twelve: Embrace Ethical Entertainment: The Case Against Animal Captivity (cruelty free)  Week Thirteen: Declutter Your Fridge (zero waste)  Week Fourteen: Take a 30 Day Vegan Challenge (plant based)  Week Fifteen: Humane Critter Control: Managing Uninvited Guests (cruelty free)  Week Sixteen: Drive Change: Choose Sustainable Transportation (zero waste)  Week Seventeen: Bake Better without Animal Products (plant based)  Week Eighteen: Provide Temporary Shelter: Foster Animals (cruelty free)  Week Nineteen: Let it Go: Downsize and Discard (zero waste)  Week Twenty:  Hydrate for Health: The Best Beverages for Your Body (plant based)  Week Twenty one: Wildlife Intervention: How to Know When Wild Animals Need Help (cruelty free)  Week Twenty two: Play the Dating Game: Understanding Sell by Dates (zero waste)  Week Twenty three: Build Muscle. Don’t Eat It. (plant based)  Week Twenty four: Stop Acting Like a Baby (Cow) (cruelty free) Week Twenty five: Your Fridge is Not a Compost Bin: Eat Leftovers (zero waste)  Week Twenty six: Don’t Supplement. Complement. (plant based)  Week Twenty seven: Conscious Companion Animal Care: Choosing Sustainable Products  (zero waste)  Week Twenty eight: Reduce Non Essential Plastic Packaging (zero waste)    Week Twenty nine: Cultivate Knowledge: When to Choose Organic (plant based)  Week Thirty: Garden for Good: Growing Plants without Animal Products (cruelty free)  Week Thirty one: Choose Clean Energy for Your Home (zero waste)  Week Thirty two: Know Your Numbers: Measure What Matters (plant based)  Week Thirty three: Buy Cruelty Free Personal Care Products (cruelty free)  Week Thirty four: Remove Labels: Transform Glass Jars (zero waste)  Week Thirty five: Eat Affordable (Not Cheap) Food (plant based)  Week Thirty six: Avoid Animal Cruelty When Traveling (cruelty free)  Week Thirty seven: Eat Local (for the Community not the Climate) (zero waste)  Week Thirty eight: Cook from Scratch (plant based)  Week Thirty nine: Step Into Compassionate Fashion: Leather without Animal Skins (cruelty free)  Week Forty: Zero Waste Entertaining (zero waste)  Week Forty one: Embrace Imperfect Produce (plant based)  Week Forty two: Take Part in Citizen Science: Join the Annual Bird Count (cruelty free)  Week Forty three: Reduce Junk Mail: Just Say No (zero waste)  Week Forty four: Try New Foods (plant based)  Week Forty five: Choose Animal Free Textiles: Alternatives to Fur, Wool, Silk, and Down (cruelty free)  Week Forty six: Vote for Animal Friendly Legislators (or Become One Yourself) (cruelty free)  Week Forty seven: Compost: The How To’s and the What Not’s (zero waste)    Week Forty eight: Eat What You Have: Planning for Success (plant based)  Week Forty nine: Volunteer for Animals (cruelty free)  Week Fifty: Prolong Shelf Life: Properly Store Fruits and Veggies (zero waste)  Week Fifty one: Eat Processed Foods. We All Do! (plant based)  Week Fifty two: Make Every Dollar Count: Donations with Impact  (cruelty free)  Afterword: Why I’m Hopeful  Acknowledgments  Resources and Recommendations  Endnotes  Index  About the Author  

Reviews

""A masterclass in living intentionally. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau offers practical, actionable advice that empowers each of us to make small changes with profound impacts--for animals, the planet, and ourselves. This book is a gift to anyone striving for a kinder, more sustainable world.""--Kathy Freston, author of 'Quantum Wellness, ' 'Veganist, ' and 'The Lean' ""If you want to make a difference while living a healthier, more meaningful life, read this book. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau offers friendly, inviting, and deeply impactful ideas to forge a truly compassionate life.""--Zoe Weil, President of the Institute for Humane Education and author of 'The Solutionary Way' ""This book had me from page one, from the concept that our goal is a life of compassion, imperfect of course, but brilliant and beautiful and necessary all the same. And these weekly focus points are agreeably accessible. They make sense in real life, as they help us create a kinder world.""--Victoria Moran, author of 'Main Street Vegan' and 'Age Like a Yogi' ""A life-changing guide for anyone seeking to align their values with their daily actions. With decades of experience as an advocate for plant-based living, Colleen arms readers with practical tips, inspiring insights, and achievable goals to embrace a zero-waste, plant-based, and cruelty-free lifestyle with kindness and ease. A must-read for those striving to make the world a better place--one compassionate choice at a time.""--Carleigh Bodrug, author of 'PlantYou' & 'PlantYou Scrappy Cooking' ""With all of Colleen's signature warmth and wisdom, this book is a heartfelt, practical guide to making the world kinder--for animals, the planet, and ourselves.""--Kathryn Kellogg, founder of goingzerowaste.com and author of '101 Ways to Go Zero Waste' ""A Year of Compassion is a roadmap for anyone who dreams of making a meaningful impact. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau shows that small, mindful choices can lead to profound change--for ourselves, the animals, and the planet.""--Paul Shapiro, CEO of The Better Meat Co. and author of 'Clean Meat' ""Colleen guides us through a year of simple actions that can transform how we live. A Year of Compassion proves that making a difference doesn't require perfection--just a willingness to try.""--Gene Baur, President and cofounder of Farm Sanctuary and author of 'Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food' ""Colleen has an incredible way of making compassionate living feel so approachable and doable. A Year of Compassion isn't just a guide; it's a source of hope and inspiration that gives you both the 'why' and the 'how' to make meaningful changes in your daily life. This beautifully crafted book is a must-have for anyone looking to live with more kindness, awareness, and impact.""--Toni Okamoto, author of 'Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy'

Author Information

For nearly 30 years, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's compassionate living philosophy has been propelling plant-based eating into the mainstream and forever changing how we regard animals and treat the planet we live on. A recognized expert and thought leader on the culinary, social, ethical, and practical aspects of living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably, she is an award-winning author of eight books -- including the bestselling The Joy of Vegan Baking, The 30-Day Vegan Challenge, The Joyful Vegan, and her newest book, A Year of Compassion: 52 Weeks of Living Zero-Waste, Plant-Based, and Cruelty-Free. Colleen is also an acclaimed speaker, a regular contributor to National Public Radio, and the host of all-inclusive luxury sustainable, vegan, animal-friendly trips around the world. Host/Producer of Food for Thought Podcast (one of the longest running podcasts), Colleen also co-founded the political action committee East Bay Animal PAC to work with government officials on animal issues in the San Francisco Bay Area. She lives in Oakland, CA with her husband David and their adorable cat Michiko.

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