MY RAW FOOD LIBRARY
The books here are the raw vegan/living food recipe books that I have collected over the years, as well as books that I think have enough raw/living foods recipes to rate their spot on my small bookshelf.
CLASSICS: EARLY RAW FOOD BOOKS
I believe my collection to be very complete.
Mrs. Richter’s Cook-Less Book With Scientific Food Chart
This is the earliest raw food recipe book I have heard of. The first edition was published in 1925. My copy is a second edition, published in 1948. In the 1920s, Vera Richter and her husband, John, opened the first raw food restaurant in America in Los Angeles, CA. Mrs. Richter’s Cook-Less Book is a collection of the recipes used in dishes served in her restaurant, Eutropheon.
Live Foods
This was my first raw food book, way back when. It was published in 1967, by a couple who had studied the works of Arnold Ehret and just felt their way along.
Health-Giving Life-Saving “No-Cook” Book
John Tobe, born in the early 1900s, was a naturalist, researcher, author, and farmer on Vancouver Island. He was very interested in natural health and proper diet, and published a number of books on these topics, in addition to a newsletter,“Live to be 100″. He wrote The No-Cook Book during a new wave of interest in raw food lifestyle in the 1960s.
Eydie Mae’s Natural Recipes
Hunsberger cured herself of cancer, following Ann Wigmore’s regimen, wrote a book about it, then went on to write this recipe book in 1976.
Recipes for Longer Life
Classic, simple recipes from the early pioneer in raw food lifestyle.
The Uncook Book
Another early raw food recipe book
Fit for Life
Dietary concepts based on natural hygiene (proper food combining). Dr. Doug Graham has said he was inspired by this book.
Survival in the 21st Century
The current edition is a re-issue of the 1979 first edition (the one I have). Very hippie-dippie, but some good information.
RECIPE BOOKS I GO TO
When I am looking for some new inspiration, I always go to these books first. They inspire me, and, sometimes, they already have the recipe I’m thinking of.
Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen
Great recipes, food preparation information, and lifestyle tips.
Ani’s Raw Food Essentials
More great recipes, food preparation information, and lifestyle tips.
The Raw Truth, 2nd Edition
Good recipes
Sproutman’s Kitchen Garden Cookbook
Chockful of information on sprouting, as well as recipes for the sprouts (including the best Rejuvelac wine recipes I have seen)
Raw
Gourmet-style, mostly complicated raw food recipes. Delicious reading, and some easy and wonderful recipes not found anywhere else. The ten or so recipes I use regularly make it worth the price (I bought mine used)
Living in the Raw
My first “modern” raw food recipe book. I had questions, and Calabro was very kind and patient about answering them for me when I wrote to her. When I want to try something new, I usually check this book first, and some of my favorite things to make come from this book.
Rawsome!
Great recipes, food preparation information, and information on ingredients. One of my go-to books.
How We All Went RAW
Very interesting book with some good recipes
The Complete Book of Raw Food, 2nd Edition
An anthology of recipes by a number of famous raw food chefs, this is a good way to get to know the chefs before you check out their cookbooks.
The Raw Food Revolution Diet
Useful nutritional information, some very interesting recipes. I do check back with this book from time to time.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw
Despite its name, this book actually does have a lot to offer. It is a good place to start, but even veterans like me can find interesting information and recipes. I have this on my primary shelf, for quick reference.
BOOKS ON FERMENTATION</>
As far as I know, there are no other books than these that you could possibly need if you are interested in making cultured/fermented/pickled foods or beverages. Please be aware: Wild Fermentation is the only ALL RAW book on this list. Despite that, all three books have a number of raw, natural, simple, and, above all, delicious recipes for raw vegan cultured vegetables, fruit, and beverages.
Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods
Very good, very thorough, easy to follow, with good recipes. I always go back to this book when I am trying something new. It is the only book on fermentation that is devoted to raw fermentation.
Truly Cultured
I tracked this book down because I’d heard it was the best book on natural sauerkraut and pickle making. Although it is not completely raw vegan, it contains a good bit of information on fermenting, or culturing. The sauerkraut recipe I learned from Truly Cultured has formed the base for all of the various sauerkrauts I have made.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fermenting Foods
Although this book is not even vegetarian, the sections on vegetable and fruit fermentation, as well as the section on non-alcoholic fermented beverages, are very good and useful. Although the book recommends using whey (dairy) for the probiotic fermenting agent, it does give a vegan substitute (water kefir), and I have found that the whey can also be substituted with an equal amount of water in which probiotics powder has been dissolved.
DIETARY/NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Most raw vegan recipe books give you a primer on raw vegan nutrition, but the books in this section are very serious about the nutrition info. They do offer recipes, but the primary focus, as I see it, is nutrition, which is important.
Fit for Life
Dietary concepts based on natural hygiene (proper food combining). Dr. Doug Graham has said he was inspired by this book.
The 80/10/10 Diet
, Dr. Douglas Graham
Dr. Graham’s ideas on food combining and diet. I do not necessarily agree with everything he says, but this remains a good reference book.
You Are What You Eat
Interesting introductory raw food book, with good information on nutritional healing diets.
Nature’s First Law: The Raw-Food Diet
Interesting information on raw food diet.
The Living Foods Lifestyle
Wigmore-based nutritional healing information and recipes.
Ani’s 15-Day Fat Blast
A very interesting approach to weight-loss and detox, with raw vegan recipes at its heart. The plan is actually a well-thought-out raw vegan take on a low-carb, high protein diet.
LifeFood Recipe Book: Living on Life Force
Raw food lifestyle information and recipes.
Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future
Interesting read. Useful information.
Eating for Beauty
Interesting read. Useful information.
The Juicing Bible
Amazing collection of raw juice recipes with nutritional/medicinal applications.
OTHER BOOKS I HAVE
I have collected a number of books. I want to list all of them, in fairness. We all relate to recipe books in different ways. These are books that I have but don’t look at much except for very late at night when I am just absolutely out of either ideas or reading material. On the other hand, they might be exactly the ones you need.
Raw Foods on a Budget
Interesting approach, very good ideas, and interesting recipes.
Rawmazing: Over 130 Simple Raw Recipes for Radiant Health
Among the usual re-worked recipes that we see versions of in almost every cookbook, there are quite a few very nice, unique, tasty-sounding recipes in Rawmazing. One thing I find interesting is that she uses sprouted wheat in a number of recipes –something we don’t usually see in raw recipe books.
Ani’s Raw Food Desserts
Fantastic book, amazing recipes. The only reason it is in this section is that, for the most part, I don’t do desserts. If you are looking for the one book that is going to bring you loads of desserts, this would be it. I expect that, if I want to make a dessert, I will find the recipe in here. There are also recipes for things like chocolate (candy). All raw, no guilt.
The Everything Raw Food Recipe Book 
NOT ALL RAW VEGAN! Contains recipes for dairy. Nevertheless, interesting information, some interesting recipes
Everyday Raw Express: Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less
Some good recipes, some interesting takes on old recipes. The “30-minute” part is misleading: it does not count sprouting, fermenting, or dehydrating.
RAWvolution: Gourmet Living Cuisine
Fancy recipes. I was not impressed and I do not use this much, if ever.
The Sunfood Diet Success System
Raw food nutrition information. I don’t care for the poetry, but you might. I am offended by the marketing.
Living Cuisine
Interesting fancy recipes, food preparation tips, and an “encyclopedia” of fruit and vegetables. Food prep tips and the fruit and vegetable information is valuable, but I don’t often have, if ever, the occasion to use the recipes.
Raw: The Uncook Book: New Vegetarian Food for Life
Very fancy, delicious-sounding recipes, good if you have a personal chef. Definitely a good read when you have gotten to that point where you want to learn how to do more things, just to see what can be done.
Dining In The Raw
Lots of recipes.
The Raw Food Gourmet
Just didn’t really turn me on. It might be good for you.
Raw Foods Bible
I do not remember why I bought this book. It is one of the worst examples of self-publishing I have seen (the writing is criminally bad). Why do I keep it around? Probably because, if I ever get around to finishing my own raw vegan book, it will be an inspiration to keep me from doing less than a stellar job with the writing and formatting .
NON-RAW BOOKS FROM WHICH I DRAW INSPIRATION
The books here are books which do have some raw recipes, but which are not at all raw-living foods focused. These are books which have given me inspiration.
The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor
Although I live in New York City, I’m from the South, and sometimes I crave Southern-ish foods! I’ve come up with a “pulled barbecue” recipe, but there are others to be found. I found this book at my sister’s house, and, inside, I found a number of recipes which are already raw, or which can be converted to raw easily.
PRETTY SMART RAW FOOD IDEAS 
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