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A Year of Compassion: 52 Weeks of Living Zero-Waste, Plant-Based, and Cruelty-Free
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 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.
Colleen lives by the 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.
- GenresNonfictionSelf Help
211 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 25, 2025
About the author
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
8 books412 followersColleen Patrick-Goudreau’s compassionate living philosophy is propelling plant-based eating into the mainstream and forever changing how we regard animals.
A recognized expert and thought leader on the culinary, social, ethical, and practical aspects of living compassionately and healthfully, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is a speaker, cultural commentator, podcaster, and award-winning author of seven books, including the bestselling
*The Joy of Vegan Baking
*The Vegan Table
*Color Me Vegan
*Vegan’s Daily Companion
*On Being Vegan
*The 30-Day Vegan Challenge
*The Joyful Vegan
*A Year of Compassion
She is an acclaimed speaker and beloved host of the inspiring podcast, “Food for Thought,” which was voted Favorite Podcast by VegNews magazine readers several years in a row. She launched a spin-off podcast called Animalogy in 2017. Along with fellow advocates, she recently formed a political action committee called East Bay Animal PAC to work with government officials on animal issues in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Colleen shares her message of compassion and wellness on national and regional TV and radio programs, including on monthly segment on Good Day Sacramento and as a monthly contributor on National Public Radio (KQED). She has appeared on the Food Network, CBS, PBS, and FOX; interviews with her have been featured on NPR, Huffington Post, U.S. News and World Report; and her recipes have been featured on Epicurious.com and Oprah.com.
Colleen lives in Oakland, CA with her husband David and two cats, Charlie and Michiko.
A recognized expert and thought leader on the culinary, social, ethical, and practical aspects of living compassionately and healthfully, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is a speaker, cultural commentator, podcaster, and award-winning author of seven books, including the bestselling
*The Joy of Vegan Baking
*The Vegan Table
*Color Me Vegan
*Vegan’s Daily Companion
*On Being Vegan
*The 30-Day Vegan Challenge
*The Joyful Vegan
*A Year of Compassion
She is an acclaimed speaker and beloved host of the inspiring podcast, “Food for Thought,” which was voted Favorite Podcast by VegNews magazine readers several years in a row. She launched a spin-off podcast called Animalogy in 2017. Along with fellow advocates, she recently formed a political action committee called East Bay Animal PAC to work with government officials on animal issues in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Colleen shares her message of compassion and wellness on national and regional TV and radio programs, including on monthly segment on Good Day Sacramento and as a monthly contributor on National Public Radio (KQED). She has appeared on the Food Network, CBS, PBS, and FOX; interviews with her have been featured on NPR, Huffington Post, U.S. News and World Report; and her recipes have been featured on Epicurious.com and Oprah.com.
Colleen lives in Oakland, CA with her husband David and two cats, Charlie and Michiko.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 18, 2025
I’m so excited to have received an advance copy of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s new book, A Year of Compassion!
As a health coach, I often see people who want to live a more compassionate and sustainable lifestyle, but they get overwhelmed with lots of info and too much work to do. Colleen makes lifestyle change easy with this book! She shares 52 weeks of simple yet impactful steps to living a healthier and kinder lifestyle for ourselves, the animals, and the planet.
You can read the book one week at a time or from cover to cover (like I did!). Some of the chapters include:
• Conduct a Personal Waste and Consumption Audit
• Be Prepared to Help: Finding Sick, Injured, or Lost Animals
• Adopt a Zero Waste Mindset: Food is Not Garbage
• Eat by Color
• Recycle. Don’t Wish-Cycle
• Provide a Wildlife Habitat
• Skip the Middle Animal: The Nutrients We Need Are Plant-Based
• Declutter Your Fridge
• Take a 30-Day Vegan Challenge
• Bake Better without Eggs
This book is for everyone who wants to live a more compassionate lifestyle.
As a health coach, I often see people who want to live a more compassionate and sustainable lifestyle, but they get overwhelmed with lots of info and too much work to do. Colleen makes lifestyle change easy with this book! She shares 52 weeks of simple yet impactful steps to living a healthier and kinder lifestyle for ourselves, the animals, and the planet.
You can read the book one week at a time or from cover to cover (like I did!). Some of the chapters include:
• Conduct a Personal Waste and Consumption Audit
• Be Prepared to Help: Finding Sick, Injured, or Lost Animals
• Adopt a Zero Waste Mindset: Food is Not Garbage
• Eat by Color
• Recycle. Don’t Wish-Cycle
• Provide a Wildlife Habitat
• Skip the Middle Animal: The Nutrients We Need Are Plant-Based
• Declutter Your Fridge
• Take a 30-Day Vegan Challenge
• Bake Better without Eggs
This book is for everyone who wants to live a more compassionate lifestyle.
June 1, 2026
Only going with a 4 because there were several ideas that didn't exactly resonate with me at this point in my life. Those chapter's I felt I was forcing myself to finish. All great intentioned changes we can make in our lives but I'm just not there yet. CPG herself acknowledges that not all the ideas in this book are going to resonate with everyone and that definitely proved to be true for me.
That being said for the content that did resonate with me, it really did. Those chapters gets an easy 5. It inspired me to try veganism and to implement waste-reduction measures in my home.
Certainly a worthy read for those who wish to tread more gently on this planet and are interested in zero-waste, veganism or being an advocate for animals.
That being said for the content that did resonate with me, it really did. Those chapters gets an easy 5. It inspired me to try veganism and to implement waste-reduction measures in my home.
Certainly a worthy read for those who wish to tread more gently on this planet and are interested in zero-waste, veganism or being an advocate for animals.
April 29, 2025
In her latest book, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau succeeded in outlining clear actions that we can each take to minimize our respective environmental footprints. The chapters were easy to digest and focused on a variety of topics across the zero waste, plant-based eating, and cruelty-free categories. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
June 28, 2025
What good will you do today? Or rather, this week?
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's A Year of Compassion is an absolute gem, perfectly embodying her signature kind and approachable style. This book is a powerful antidote to the "everything is awful" narrative, instead highlighting the abundant opportunities we have to make a positive impact. As Colleen herself famously says, and a quote I try to live by, "Don't do nothing because you can't do everything. Do something. Anything." If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the desire to help but unsure where to begin, this book is filled with countless anythings to inspire and guide you.
What truly sets this book apart is its emphasis on effectiveness over perfection or Instagram-worthiness. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, a long-time advocate for veganism, courageously and honestly pivots to championing animal product reduction rather than strict elimination. She understands that widespread meat reduction will create a far greater and more achievable impact than converting a smaller number of people to full veganism. This pragmatic approach is both refreshing and deeply impactful.
"A Year of Compassion" is designed with flexibility in mind. You can read it cover to cover, tackle a chapter a week as intended, or simply jump to areas that resonate most with you at any given moment. Each chapter offers a concise background on a particular issue, providing just enough information to grasp its importance without overwhelming you with disheartening statistics. Then, it seamlessly transitions into clear, actionable solutions, ranging from small, everyday steps to ways you can contribute to systemic change. This makes the book incredibly achievable and approachable for everyone.
The book's broad appeal stems from its comprehensive coverage of plant-based living, zero-waste practices, and cruelty-free initiatives. The cruelty-free sections go beyond going vegan to focus on wildlife coexistence, preservation, and ways to help companion animals.
Even as someone who has followed Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's work for years and already prioritizes these areas in my life, I was thrilled to discover new insights within these pages. For example, the final chapter on philanthropy opened my eyes to the importance of inspiring it in children. I hadn't considered this before, despite my own work in the nonprofit sector. Her suggestion that the practice of tithing shouldn't be exclusive to religious offerings, but rather something we can all incorporate to support the issues and organizations that matter most to us, was another new idea for me.
"A Year of Compassion" is a truly inspiring and practical guide for anyone looking to infuse more kindness and purpose into their daily life. It empowers you to ask, "What good will I do today? Or rather, this week?" and provides the tools to answer that question with meaningful action.
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's A Year of Compassion is an absolute gem, perfectly embodying her signature kind and approachable style. This book is a powerful antidote to the "everything is awful" narrative, instead highlighting the abundant opportunities we have to make a positive impact. As Colleen herself famously says, and a quote I try to live by, "Don't do nothing because you can't do everything. Do something. Anything." If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the desire to help but unsure where to begin, this book is filled with countless anythings to inspire and guide you.
What truly sets this book apart is its emphasis on effectiveness over perfection or Instagram-worthiness. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, a long-time advocate for veganism, courageously and honestly pivots to championing animal product reduction rather than strict elimination. She understands that widespread meat reduction will create a far greater and more achievable impact than converting a smaller number of people to full veganism. This pragmatic approach is both refreshing and deeply impactful.
"A Year of Compassion" is designed with flexibility in mind. You can read it cover to cover, tackle a chapter a week as intended, or simply jump to areas that resonate most with you at any given moment. Each chapter offers a concise background on a particular issue, providing just enough information to grasp its importance without overwhelming you with disheartening statistics. Then, it seamlessly transitions into clear, actionable solutions, ranging from small, everyday steps to ways you can contribute to systemic change. This makes the book incredibly achievable and approachable for everyone.
The book's broad appeal stems from its comprehensive coverage of plant-based living, zero-waste practices, and cruelty-free initiatives. The cruelty-free sections go beyond going vegan to focus on wildlife coexistence, preservation, and ways to help companion animals.
Even as someone who has followed Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's work for years and already prioritizes these areas in my life, I was thrilled to discover new insights within these pages. For example, the final chapter on philanthropy opened my eyes to the importance of inspiring it in children. I hadn't considered this before, despite my own work in the nonprofit sector. Her suggestion that the practice of tithing shouldn't be exclusive to religious offerings, but rather something we can all incorporate to support the issues and organizations that matter most to us, was another new idea for me.
"A Year of Compassion" is a truly inspiring and practical guide for anyone looking to infuse more kindness and purpose into their daily life. It empowers you to ask, "What good will I do today? Or rather, this week?" and provides the tools to answer that question with meaningful action.
October 31, 2026
Games played and toys cherished often feature animal characters. Early on we learn animals feel fear, pain, happiness, affection, and sadness just like humans. We are taught to respect their space and read their reactions.
“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.” - Mahatma Gandhi
If we want to protect natural resources, decelerate biodiversity loss, decrease carbon emissions, eliminate pollution, and end deforestation, we need to omit consumption of eggs, meat and dairy. Living cruelty free is seeing fellow animals as Earthlings who share our planet, and are deserving of our respect.
Help sick, lost, or injured animals. Eat by color through natural phytochemicals. Keep flowers, not bees. Embrace ethical entertainment, reduce food waste, choose sustainable transportation, and complement rather than supplement through your foods. Eat local, choose sustainable products, animal-free textiles, and reduce junk mail (call 1-888-5-OPTOUT or visit dmachoice.org, yellowpages optout.com, and catalogchoice.org). Finally, properly store food to prolong shelf life.
Make every dollar count and donate with impact- join the effective altruism movement, consult charity evaluators, and take the 10 percent pledge. Take advantage of matching gifts, consider donor-advised funds, and create legacy giving.
Be hopeful because you live in a democratic country. Remain hopeful because scientific advances can reduce carbon emissions and restore habitats. Know that you live in an economic system that empowers visionaries that offer you a choice. Hope through acting on your faith, and choose to take action towards change.
“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.” - Mahatma Gandhi
If we want to protect natural resources, decelerate biodiversity loss, decrease carbon emissions, eliminate pollution, and end deforestation, we need to omit consumption of eggs, meat and dairy. Living cruelty free is seeing fellow animals as Earthlings who share our planet, and are deserving of our respect.
Help sick, lost, or injured animals. Eat by color through natural phytochemicals. Keep flowers, not bees. Embrace ethical entertainment, reduce food waste, choose sustainable transportation, and complement rather than supplement through your foods. Eat local, choose sustainable products, animal-free textiles, and reduce junk mail (call 1-888-5-OPTOUT or visit dmachoice.org, yellowpages optout.com, and catalogchoice.org). Finally, properly store food to prolong shelf life.
Make every dollar count and donate with impact- join the effective altruism movement, consult charity evaluators, and take the 10 percent pledge. Take advantage of matching gifts, consider donor-advised funds, and create legacy giving.
Be hopeful because you live in a democratic country. Remain hopeful because scientific advances can reduce carbon emissions and restore habitats. Know that you live in an economic system that empowers visionaries that offer you a choice. Hope through acting on your faith, and choose to take action towards change.
April 7, 2026
A practical guide to sustainable and plant-based living. Each week has a different challenge focused on zero-waste, plant-based, and cruelty-free. Examples include composting and reducing junk mail, (waste-reduction), eat less meat and vegan challenges (plant-based), and buy cruelty-free personal care products and volunteer at an animal shelter (cruelty-free). The goal of the book is not necessarily to adopt every single practice but to identify ways that you contribute and actionable steps to reduce your footprint. A great read for anyone who cares about sustainable living, climate change, or vegetarianism/veganism, providing practical steps to implement change in a way that is meaningful to each individual.
January 29, 2025
I'd give this book different ratings based on who will read it. If the issues in the title are already important to you, much of the information in this book will likely not be new to you (so 3 stars). There are a few new helpful tips and tricks here and there and if you need to be re-inspired, this would be a great read. This book would make a perfect gift for someone who needs a better understanding of how these issues affect the planet, our health, and well-being (so 5 stars for that reader).
June 28, 2025
Another amazing hit. This book offers everyone something, because if you cant do everything, don't do nothing. Do something, anything. And everyone can do something. Some of the things dont apply to me (i dont need to eat less meat, im already plant-based) so i read that week and then move on to the next. But this format and the kindness are really an amazing gateway for people wanting to adjust their life and live toward their values.
August 21, 2026
I do not know whether this book is overly repetitive or contains information I have read elsewhere. The footnotes were very helpful. That way, I know the author didn't pull this information out of thin air. However, I am curious about how they know that the average American makes that much waste per day, week, month, and year. Is it a guesstimate?
October 18, 2026
Some of these chapters were a bit ridiculous and unrealistic, but I liked the general idea of taking small steps to improve our environment. Thankfully we're already making the biggest impact with our diet.
Things I don't want to forget about this book:
- Make sure to plant flowers for pollinators!
- Bring more veggies into the routine again!
Things I don't want to forget about this book:
- Make sure to plant flowers for pollinators!
- Bring more veggies into the routine again!
December 18, 2025
I picked this up for the "Zero-Waste" in the subtitle, and found this term is used as an asperation, not an achievable goal. Well, yeah ... I think I'm doing as well as, or better than, the author in that category. Not so for the author's main passion, veganism. I'm all for eating fewer animal products, and was inspired to try out cashew milk, vegan butter and "eggs" made from flaxseed meal. All of them are decent imitations when it comes to appearance and texture, but I find them pretty tasteless. Also, my version of eating "cruelty-free" is to avoid factory farmed animal products. If people didn't eat chickens, eggs, etc., wouldn't keep many farm animals as pets--most would never be born. Maybe that would be better overall, but I'd prefer reforms to the way animals are treated.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews