In 2004, BenBella published The China Study by biochemist T. Colin Campbell and his son Thomas Campbell II, a physician. The book, based on research concluding that a plant-based diet dramatically reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, has sold more than 715,000 print copies. In 2013, the publisher released a companion cookbook by educator LeAnne Campbell, T. Colin’s daughter, with recipes inspired by the earlier book’s findings.
Since then, “cookbooks, especially in the plant-based space, have become increasingly image-driven,” says Leah Wilson, editor-in-chief at BenBella. The China Study Cookbook has sold more than 85,000 print copies, but, Wilson said, there was a sense in-house that the look of the book was outdated. In June, BenBella is releasing a revised and expanded edition of the cookbook, with a revamped cover and new recipe photography.
