health Books

This book was amazing.It is the story of four women in their fight against breast cancer.I couldn't put it down.I didn't want it to end.This book is not just about breast cancer.It inspires you to enjoy and appreciate life.I know a few women who have battled breast cancer and it made me feel closer to them.

I read about this book in People magazine and just had to get it. The book was even better than I could even imagine. Would recommend buying the book for all your girlfriends. A real tear jerker!

I have been a long-time supporter of breast cancer research and really enjoyed the tales of these women who were all diagnosed much younger than anyone thought possible. This book made me laugh and cry. While I was sad when it was over, I walked away inspired and uplifted. Would make a perfect gift for any woman in your life!

I had the pleasure of meeting Kim at a Komen event where she was the keynote speaker. I of course bought the book after her talk.
Nodies at Noon is a very honest account of breast cancer in young women. The four women each write their experiences on several poignant topics. While some issues are universal to all women going through the breast cancer experience, this book highlights certain issues unique to young women. Child birth and motherhood are two examples.
The book is bittersweet with one of the authors losing their battle with the disease, and one giving birth to a second child. Like Kim herself, the book is warm and thoughtful.
I would recommend it to anyone going through breast cancer or supporters of breast cancer patients.

I bought this for my mom, a breast cancer survivor. I had read a bit of it before I gave it to her and really like the style, very clever and real. My mom did say she is enjoying the book but would have rather had it while she was going through her treatments. She says that it is hard to go back to that place in time be it in films, tv, or books. She is very involved in helping other women going through treatments and says that she plans to use this book to help her new friends. Best of luck to those of you out there facing this horrible cancer or have loved ones in this situation, but you are never alone and there are always angels when you least expect it.

One Bite at a Time is the best cookbook yet I've seen that uses the current medically substantiated emphasis on vegetables to help the person fighting or preventing cancer to heal.Recipes contain no sugar or white flour and are full of fresh herbs and nutritional spices with gorgeous attractive color photos of the healthy foods easy to prepare and digest.

This book was referred to my friend who has cancer by a doctor., so I purchased it for her. I've decided to buy more to give to my family members for Christmas., as it has menus that can prevent cancer. It is a great book with really good recipies, I found it to be great for cancer patients who, like my friend are very limited on what foods they can eat. It's healthy eating, health food and good receipes !

This book was recommended to me by my friend - a gormet cook. Unfortunately, I am not. The recipes were nothing I was interested in learning how to cook and nothing my husband was interested in eating. It was too much to think about on top of everything else. If you have a lot of time to be in the kitchen or have been a gormet cook up to this point, I'm sure the recipes are wonderful. I just couldn't deal with it.

This is an outstanding recipe book and it is beautiful to look at. It is good for anyone who wants to eat healthy and delicious food. I have made about 10 recipes already and they are great. Besides the recipes, the author teaches. I have already given it to others!

One Bite at a Time is a cookbook by Rebecca Katz designed for cancer survivors and cancer patients. Its goal is simple yet all too difficult: to create food that fits within the dietary constraints of cancer survivors, nourishes them, and yet tastes so delicious to their altered taste buds and rebellious systems that they'll want to eat it. This food is also designed to be easy for them and their caregivers to make at home.

Ms. Katz set out on this course because she had family and friends who were diagnosed with cancer, and whom she wanted to help care for. She noted that many patients didn't know how to convert the limited lists of foods they were given into something they'd like, so she put her knowledge as a chef to work creating food they would actually enjoy.

She does more than that, however. She includes simple instructions for using a few basic ingredients to help you balance the flavors of any dish to your liking, so that however your taste buds have been affected, you'll be able to (with a little practice) make food that tastes good to you. She has incredible understanding of and empathy for the particular food and taste problems cancer survivors suffer, and that shines through in this book.

Here's the rub: the recipes in this book are so delicious and flavorful, and so healthy, that I'd recommend EVERYONE go out and buy a copy. That way, not only can you enjoy the benefits of these recipes and the information on flavors, but the next time you find out that a relative, friend, or neighbor has cancer (sadly, an all-too-common occurrence these days), instead of feeling helpless, you'll know exactly what you can do to help a little.

We made a fruit tart from this cookbook that was absolutely awesome. It focused on the fruit, and the crust incorporated ground cashews to give it a rich, satisfying taste that required absolutely no butter! (And if you don't have a tart pan on hand, a pie plate will work just fine.) There are recipes in here that make use of grains such as quinoa to beautiful effect---one of my favorite dishes incorporated both quinoa and couscous with vegetables, herbs, and seasonings. I could have eaten it for days without growing tired of it.

Perhaps best of all, an entire section gives caregivers and friends tips for helping out: reaching out to your friend or family member with cancer; understanding the cancer patient's difficulties with taste, digestion, and energy; building up a "culinary support team". This information is utterly invaluable and vastly insightful.

One Bite at a Time is one of those rare books I wish I could push into the hands of everyone I know and meet. It's the kind of book that's useful to everyone and that you'll want to already have on hand should the need ever arise. So grab a copy---you won't be sorry you did.

This is an excellent, straight-forward, sensitive book that deals with a topic that is difficult. It is written so that it can be easily understood and is incredibly helpful to victims as well as therapists who treat them. The author validates the victim's world and encourages the victim to get help and talks about the many males who have survived and are healing.

A thoughtful book re sexual abuse of people who are trying to get past the victim ideology. The writer has had much experience in treating these people and his suggestions are helpful.

As a spouse of a survivor, I read this book which also offered advice to partners and spouses. This book gave way too many examples and other info for the first 4 chapters. Most of us already have an idea of what sexual abuse against boys can entail, there were just way too many stories of survivors that were disturbing and difficult to read. It did however give important insight and ways to get help and help yourself but it came along with a lot of unneeded information. If you have the time and patience it is a good tool towards recovery.

I gave this wonderful book to my husband who is in recovery from childhood sexual abuse by his father. He cried and read , cried and read from start to finish. The book is empowering, healing and filled with truth that heals. I recommend it as an essential read for those in recovery and for those who love them. Kate

If you or a loved one have been the victim of childhood sexual abuse then this book is an excellent resourcee. It deals primarily with Male Survivors and provides great insight into how coping mechanisms have become a way of life. It allows survivors to carefully examine their feelings and relationship choices in a positive and affirming manner, and begin to make changes to a healty lifestyle. If you have decided to read this book, well done!!! You have taken the first steps to reclaiming your life!

I was just looking things up when I came across something that some one wrote in a review on Why Daddy, Why?...I would be more then happy to answer your questions. First of all if you go to the Berlin library and look up the old news papers, you will find out about the fire that took place when the Columbia Hotel burned down. But at that time it had changed names to Fournier's rooms.
My aunt Louise bought the hotel from my father. Her last name was Fournier.
I have pictures of the Hotel with fire trucks in front of the building putting the fire out.. Now theres just a big hole where the building use to be..with park benches..right on Main Street. next to the flower shop.
Second thing was the convent remarks. Yes some of the Nuns were very abusive.. I have scares on my legs where I was hit with rulers where the steal part went into my legs..also have the scar on my wrist where I tried to kill myself after being raped. And yes, my sister and I had numbers for our names..I was 64 and Cecile was 121.. Not all the girls were abused but many were.. your 65..10 years older then I was in the convent..The older girls were treated much better. Maybe because they were older and more mature. it was the younger girls that were put there that had no parents coming to see them that were treated much worse.. I'm glad that you were one of the girls that were treated better, I truly am. No child should have to go through such horrible things.
I have come in contact through my book signings with some girls that were in the convent around the same time I was and they too remember how bad it was but then again, there my age.
There are no exaggerations in the book..if anything there are things that I never wrote about.. Things that are to painful to deal with right now. Someday, maybe I'll be able to put that pain to paper.
I can understand your questions and I respect that. Please know that what is in the book, is the horrible truth and I'm glad I was able to write about it..
My precious mama died 4 months ago..she was my best friend.. my heart is hurting.. thank you for your review of 5 stars and thank you for believing that my father was a cruel man. if you have any more questions feel free to email me at my new address ( I've been taking care of my step father since mama passed away).. its, ej64@metrocast.net
I hope this was of some help to you. Emelia Hardy

I am from Berlin. I read the book. It is a great piece of writing. I believe the abuse with her father truly happened. However, having been a boarder at the convent in Gorham, during the 50's I had difficulty believing the cruelty of the nun in question. We were never abused, and we were never called by a number. They used our names. Also, I am 65 years of age and cannot recall the Columbia Hotel, nor do I know the location of the Fournier boarding house. I would love to talk to the author and get some of my questions answered.

This book describes unimaginable fear, pain and intimidation that Emelia and her family members suffered at the hands of their father. As well as, the nuns she went to live with when her mama had to leave and her father could not, or would not care for her any longer.
A father is someone who is suppose to protect his family from all evil. Unfortunately, not in this case. Her father physically and emotionally abused his family for years, until the day came when mama, after suffering her worst beating yet and was forced to seek a better life. Some will question how a mother could leave her children in that environment, and be so selfish as to look out for her self before her children. I say, read the book before you pass judgment. I call what mama did courageous and brave.
After reading Why daddy, why I was able to contact Emelia. Since the book was published in 2002, I wanted to ask her what happened to some of the people she talks about in the book. I will not tell of her responses, that's for Emelia to tell. I have had the Honor of getting to know Emelia. She has amazing strength and courage. She has no ill will towards her father, and in the last page of the book she says,"I have forgiven daddy". This is something I will probably never be able to understand. She assures me things are better now.
To all of you who have suffered or continue to suffer as Emelia has. May you find the courage and the strength to move on and find a better life.
I look forward to reading her children' book, The Adventures of Maureen and Maury to my kids, and I wish her all the best.

This is a book that once you start to read it, you can't put it down.It keeps you on the edge of your seat. You have to keep reading because you have to know what else is going to happen.
It's unbelievable what this family went through!.
It goes on to tell what the author went through being split from her other siblings and mother. What a terrible life this child had!
While living with nun's in a convent, it's hard to imagine that these woman of God could be so cruel! and Emelia tells it all!
The Author described in detail all the terrible things that took place in her life..and there were many things!.. Everyone should read this book!...alcoholics, child abusers, and wife beaters..then and only then, maybe they can see what there actions can do to a family and especially a five year old girl who grows up and ends up trying to kill herself when she was only fifteen from something that wasn't her fault!
The reader will be drawn into this true story and can't help but fall in love with this little girl.
The reader will find that this is a very easy book to read because it is written by that same little girl, Emelia.

My daughter never has been an effectionate person. She would come over to visit me and I always had to ask for a hug before she left for home. My heart would ache because of it. I bought this book, Why Daddy Why? and found myself hurting inside all the more because I wanted my daughter to love me the way the author of this book loved her mother. Never have I seena bond between a mother and daughter like this one and I mean never.
Even after the mother runs away during a beating that is unheard of in this day and age. Back 40 years ago I found out it was coman for men to treat their wife that way and no one knew.This bond stayed strong in the heart of this little girl even being sent to a convent with nuns that abused her and her sister that was already there. I could feel that her sister Cecile loved her sister and I could feel her pain also.
My daughter came over one day and saw the book on my table, she asked if she could take it and I said yes that I was finished with it. She came back two days later and I didn't here her come in the next thing I knew she was behind me and gave me a hug. She said thank you Mom for the way you took care of me when I was little. My daughter told me she never realized how forunate she was.
Now my daughter greates me with open arms because of your book Emelia. I think this book saved my life. Altho there was not many hugs for me growing up there was for my girl and now she knows why!!! Thank You Again Emelia

In my view, essentially Dr. Tuttle's research answers the question "Why are humans behaving so violently on Earth?" The World Peace Diet also answers the question of "What did humans eat before they invented tools and discovered fire?" He refers to humans, who we all know first lived in the tropics, as frugivorous herbivores. This is consistent with the Natural Health practioners with whom I study, and logic in my view.

After reading this book with an open mind, (keep in mind I had to get past my bad habit of criticizing), I realized the countless dollars tax payers could save just by collectively learning to think through a vegan paradigm of non-violence. This book has answered so many of my most burning questions. I feel like I can move on now to live my life with such a remarkable understanding of what's going on here!

I love how this book defines the word "veganism" as intended by the man who came up with the word in 1944. This definition is on page 27, and when you read it, regardless of what you eat presently, you will likely find yourself thinking "That's me; I am that way."

This book will change your life and eating. Will Tuttle is so thorough and convincing I can't see how anybody good read this book and not go vegan. This book is so important for our world and should go hand in hand with "A New Earth" by Eckart Tolle.Sp

Tuttle feels very strongly that veganism is the answer to many, if not all, of the world's problems and he argues passionately that all humans should adopt a vegan lifestyle. His basic thesis is fairly straight-forward: that by beginning to raise animals for food and other products, humans came to view animals as commodities to be exploited. This situation led to desensitization and a disconnection that humans have transferred to one another over the centuries and is the reason that human beings are capable of committing so many atrocities against one another.

It is a bold thesis and perhaps unique in its effort to so concisely explain why violence amongst human beings exists in the world, but it is also rife with oversights and gaps. Most of what Tuttle argues is more opinion and belief than "fact."

In a chapter on the dairy industry, Tuttle describes how cows are artificially inseminated, kept perpetually pregnant, and almost immediately separated from their calves. It is a powerful and sensational description. Tuttle goes on to argue that a cow's milk is not intended for human consumption, that it is biologically intended only for its calf and that, therefore, humans should not consume dairy products. This statement is specious. For if this logic were applied to plants, one would come to the conclusion that humans should not eat fruit or vegetables either. Of course, this would be preposterous.

Tuttle identifies many of the problems facing human beings today, but arguing that if all humans became vegans these problems would cease is going too far.

Chances are a reader who is already vegan will feel vindication after finishing this book. A reader who is vegetarian will likely feel some pang of guilt for not being vegan and contemplate taking that next step. An omnivore who reads this book is likely to be put off by its self-righteous tone, but may find it thought-provoking if he or she can get past that. A die-hard meat eater is highly unlikely to make it past page two before setting it down.

What sets this book apart for the many fine books about veganism is that it really gets to the spiritual roots of the issue. Dr. Tuttle writes eloquently and passionately, about the karma of eating. He challenges the reader to expand their compassion to every creature on this planet, and in enacting this in our daily lives via the food we eat, we can begin to experience a taste of limitless, transcendent love. It is a book about the transformation of our consciousness, and thus the transformation of the world. He shows how food choices are not a small issue, or a mere lifestyle choice, as they are sometimes made out to be. But rather, our food choices lay the foundation for the violence and exploitation rampant in this world.

He also exposes the culture's deep aversion to looking at this issue and sheds light on why it is so difficult to get others to see the brutality that composes our cultural diet. I was finally able to make sense of why people just seem to shut down when it comes to really looking at where meat comes from. It is our culture's dirty little secret. Deep down we have guilt over it, and we deal with this by either becoming aggressively defensive ("no one is going to tell me what to eat!") or just turning away from the truth and lulling ourselves into a state of denial. When we do this, we numb our basic capacity for empathy and kindness thus creating a more violent world.

Operating from the belief that everything is interconnected, he shows how when we treat animals in barbaric, exploitative ways it lays the foundation for the other ills in society. There is no compartmentalizing. The atrocities in the slaughterhouse don't stay in the slaughterhouse. The energy of the violence and suffering ripples outward like circles in a stream. He shows how human beings who work in slaughterhouses are turned into monsters by the violent work they do all day. One can only imagine how many families are destroyed, how much alcoholism, depression, domestic violence, and suicide results from the dehumanizing work of slaughtering animals.

This is one of the best books I've read, and a must-have for anyone looking to help alleviate the suffering of the world. There is no way I can adequately represent Dr. Tuttle's beautiful, compassionate book, so just buy it and read for yourselves!

According to Tuttle, everything connects and stems off of our cultural and inherited belief systems, of which we were born into. The fact that we never question or test these beliefs, rather just accept them because it is easy and comforting to do so, is a core factor that he is forcing people to attempt to step out of the box and acknowledge. His desperate plea is for people to begin to recognize that what we "do unto others" is ultimately what we in turn do to ourselves as a culture. By inflicting harm, fear, forced obesity, forced pregnancy, robbing animals and their babies, forcing ill health, as well as brutal methods of confinement and killing, we are creating the stage for the exact same devastating problems to be bestowed upon ourselves as a human culture. It is a very deep and powerful message, with astounding accusations and connections, which most people would never even consider linking together on their own. However, with careful analysis and consideration, these accusations all begin to seem completely realistic and perhaps hold much truth.

Dr. John Hinwood and this book "You Can Expect A Miracle!", have touched my heart and deeply inspired my soul! Reading this book and these miracle stories gives me hope, and shines light on a way of living, that as we all learn to look, experience, and expect miracles in our daily lives, we will make this world a miraculous and extraordinary place for us all! I read this book in one sitting! I couldn't put it down! And I have adopted handing out this book and Dr. Hinwood's inspirational Expect A Miracle cards to the people I meet and my loved ones in my own life! Both the book and Dr. John Hinwood are a miraculous, magnificent, and a fantastic model of hope, love, and miracles for us all! Thank you for this gift!

What an easy and inspiring read. It's one of those books you just want to keep reading and hope it never ends. Story after story of hope and possibility. It leaves you realising that you can make a difference in people's lives, if you just take a moment to care.

What a fantastic, uplifting and inspirational book. Such fun to browse through, and great to be able to just pick up at any moment and be reminded of the miracles that WILL happen in your life! We should all be expecting miracles and this book really reinforces this message.
Thanks Dr. John for your love and enthusiasm, and most importantly for sharing all of this with the world!

I read the book on a recent plane trip and begun using the Expect a Miracle cards that Dr John has on the back page upon landing at the car hire place, the woman behind the counter told me she was unwell and really needed the Expect a Miracle card in her life, my little bonus other than seeing a spark of hope in her eyes was an upgraded hire car.

This book will be an international bestseller with it's message of goodness, read it and start believing.

John Hinwood is a phenomenal man who wrote a phenomenal book. Who he is as a being is exuded in how such a simple act of giving away a card that says, "Expect A Miracle" impacts the world. The miracles which have come forth from his true love of people speaks volumes about him. I LOVE this book!

I have just received this book so I have just started reading it. From what I have read so far WOW. To have a Medical Doctor talking about energy medicine and what it can do for the healing process and joining it with his knowledge of medicine is great. It is not a replacement for an MD, but it will help with the healing process. By using the energy that medical science has discovered that is around and in you all of the time to help in the healing process. Anyone can do it. You do not have to be an MD to use this energy. It is there all of the time just waiting for you to use and it is bountiful, it never runs out. The book is very easy to read and very detailed in its directions on what to do and how to do it, what it is like to feel that energy around you and how to use it. You would not be sorry if you read this book, it could even change your life for the best life ever.

This is a very easy to understand book. It can be used by the novice or experienced person.

1. Life can heal itself. There exists a regenerative ability, force, and intelligence. There is a larger energetic template that directs cells to grow and differentiate. Colors of chi: red (boost overall energy, energizing no delicate organs, increase blood flow), yellow (promoting tissue growth, wound repair), Orange (remove constipation), Green (cleansing), Blue (stopping or reducing bleeding, pain relief, stabilizing), green-blue( relieving pain), Violet (cleansing and energizing), electric violet (cleansing and energizing - emotional disturbances). You can use your crown to project violet and electric violet chi. Throat to project green, blue, and green-blue. Tailbone to create red, yellow and orange (earth).
2. Meditation on Twin hearts a. sit with bowed head b. raise arms palms out c. Press heart energy point with finger to activate d. Feel feelings of love and compassion swell up. This can be done by bring up happy events. E. Activate crown by pressing with finger. Smile inwardly at crown. F. Palms facing outward in front of the body. G. Image the earth in front of you in the size of a small ball. Bless the earth with energy and goodwill . Feel divine peace within your heart flow to your hands and outward to the earth. H. See a beautiful golden light flow from your crown and your heart to hands and through your hands to the earth. I. Put your hands on your lap, palms up. Visualize a brilliant golden light just above your crown. J. Release excess energy to avoid congestion. K. Ground L. Give thanks.
3. Pre-surgery, general sweep with light whitish-green and light whitish violet, ten times with each color. Area to be operated on sweep with light whitish-green and light whitish violet, 10 times. Energize with light whitish green then light whitish violet for 5 minutes. Tailbone sweep with light whitish green and light whitish violet, 10 times each color. Energize with light whitish red for at least 5 minutes.
4. Post-surgery (2XPre-surgery) , general sweep with light whitish-green and light whitish violet, ten times with each color. Area operated on sweep with light whitish-green and light whitish violet, 50 times. Energize with light whitish green then light whitish violet for 10 minutes. Tailbone sweep with light whitish green and light whitish violet, 10 times each color. Energize with light whitish red for at least 10 minutes. Solar Plexus sweep with whitish green and light whitish violet, 100 times each color. Energize with white chi for 10 minutes.
5. Irritable Bowel Syndrome, solar plexus sweep with light whitish green. Energize with light whitish green, then light whitish blue, then light whitish violet.. Repeat process on navel.
6. Stress Relief, cord-cutting negative chi connection, sweep seven times with light whitish green then seven times with electric violet. Form a clear intent to sweep away any negative thoughts and emotions lodge in the solar plexus, front and back, for five minutes. Focus on between eyebrow, fronthead, and crown with energy color patterns. Optional perform Mediation on Twin hearts.
7. Clear, crisp pictures of your healing are helpful.
8. Establish clear intent.
9. Become sensitive to chi energy.
10. Energy aura has four principals: a. to absorb, distribute, and energize the physical body. B. a template for the physical body c. to control through energy centers d. to serve as protective shield against energetic contamination.
11. The unconscious mind controls the flow of chi throughout the body. The mind absorbs, assimilates, and distributes chi through out the body.
12. Functional boundary occurs when some emotional disturbance creates and energy disturbance. Energetic congestion can occur and health problems arise. All negative emotions are short lived if you don't resist them. We can feel the affects of fear in our body, racing heart, dry mouth, and tight stomach. Only after negative emotions have built to such intensity do they burst through.. If your mind clamps down on the smooth muscles of your intestinal tract, this can cause irritable bowel syndrome, vague abdominal pain, bleeding, diarrhea, or constipation. Denying or suppressing negative emotion gives it greater power.
13. Clearing, sweeping, energizing, and energy hygiene clear negative emotion energy.
14. You can clear negative energy with higher level thinking. Questions and answers will lead you to emotional root cause. Place light, nonjudgmental awareness on the uncovered emotion, trauma, or memory for a while.
15. Disposing dirty energy properly by visualizing you have a green fire burning in a bucket at your side, throw your dirty energy into it. When you are finished sweeping, extinguish the flame by visualizing a buck of water pouring on it. Or you can use a bowl of salt water.
16. Local Self sweeping : From a standing position, tap your throat, project green through fingertips, turn the dominant hand in slight cupped sweeping position, fingers pointing to the solar plexus, 4 to 6 inches away. Sweep with a tight counterclockwise motion, one per second, visualize green beams extending from your fingertips and penetrating several inches into the skin to scrape out grayish-brown dirty energy. Dispose the dirty energy.
17. Always project a pastel ring of color with a white center. Project a white disk with a pastel ring of colored chi. Dark colored chi are very strong energy and difficult to control.
18. Don't mix violet or electric violet with red, yellow, or orange. Both violet and violet electric are magnifying effects. Don't mix red and yellow. Dirty red and dirty yellow are the energy colors of cancer.

Excellent, well-written, easy way to understand. If you understand the power of energy, or want to understand it, this is your guide to a better life, physically abd emotionally.

easy to read and understand. won't take long before you are practicing on yourself, family and friends

As a "professional" dieter for many years I was a bit skeptical when I purchased the Automatic Diet. While it is true there is no magic formula for weight loss ( too bad), I did like the practical approach suggested in this book. Although a lot of the information is just plain old common sense, it provided a refresher course on the best way to succeed at any diet, simply but making simple but permanent changes to make your "diet" a permanent way of life, hopefully leading to permanent weight loss.

This book goes a long way to help us understand eating behavior and how to break unhealthy habits and develop healthy ones

After losing 40 pounds on Weight Watchers, tremendously improving my health, my appearance, and my pleasure in life, I started regaining weight and could not stop gaining. Rejoining Weight Watchers did not help. I kept gaining! I was at the point where I could not stick to a diet for more than four hours! I was desparate by the time I'd regained 25 of the 40 pounds I'd lost. Fortunately, I found Charles Platkin's The Automatic Diet and was able to turn things around. He explains not only what to do but also how to do it and make it part of a lifestyle I can comfortably live with. One week after starting to follow his suggestions, I was down four pounds and am actually enjoying my life while losing! Many of his suggestions are things I already knew but it was like taking an advanced course after completing a beginners course. I've read many wonderful books on fitness and nutrition, but Charles Platkin just puts everything together in a simple way that works and that I (or anyone) can enjoy living with!

"Muscle mass is the body's most ancient furnace." ~Charles Stuart Platkin

Charles Stuart Platkin's "Breaking the Pattern" helped me to analyze my self-sabotaging behaviors and again in The Automatic Diet, he presents strategies for overcoming negative patterns in eating.

The Automatic Diet presents ideas for promoting overall health, controlling weight and enhancing your self-esteem. Charles Stuart Platkin unveils misconceptions about weight control and shows you how to have long-term success.

The Diet Detective takes you through your eating behaviors and you can decide if you want to include behavior modification strategies to your everyday diet. Through self-analysis you start to break negative patterns and destructive eating tendencies. He explains how most diets deliver temporary results and most people gain the weight back. How is this diet different?

This is not a diet where you have to give up chocolate (Who could give up Leonidas Belgium chocolates?) or your favorite foods. What the author seeks to encourage is a healthier lifestyle. Since most diets don't bring the results we are looking for, Charles Stuart Platkin advises a lifestyle change. In most cases, he doesn't take away foods like popcorn and carrots; he shows you the best choice. There are a few lists of "items you ought to think about throwing out." These include the usual suspects - sugar, soda, ice cream. I was a little shocked to learn about the calories in the Starbucks Classic Coffee Cake.

I still think in moderation, you can handle a little ice cream, although I must say I feel terrible if I eat too much sugar in a day and it can produce the feeling of chronic fatigue for 24 hours. The author recommends good protein sources, a good variety of vegetables and healthy starch choices.

I am happy to see that another author is talking about the muscle mass issue, because this could help many dieters over the initial hurdles of initial weight gain when you start to exercise. The author also explains why a drastic reduction in calories triggers the body's famine-survival mechanism. This of course slows down your metabolism.

There are also ideas about "excuse busters" and self-talk is definitely your friend or enemy. My most recent self-talk to increase my exercise includes telling myself how good I'm going to feel after I exercise and eat my fruits and vegetables. Being proactive and buying clothes that are too small also seems to be good motivation. I also threw out any clothes that are too big for me, so I simply will have nothing to wear if I don't exercise.

Another idea is not buying anything that you know you should not be eating and buying lots of things you know you should be eating. Then, when you are home and hungry, you make better choices. Doing Yoga also seems to help because it generally puts you in a much calmer state of mind and you feel more in control of your choices.

If you are heading towards 40, then you may also want to read The Metabolic Plan to learn about amazing supplements and how you can stop the aging process, increase muscle mass and feel younger each year.

~The Rebecca Review

I wanted to rate this book 3 1/2 stars.

While it is true that virtually nothing in this book could be considered "new" as in groundbreaking, it is the way he presents the information systematically that makes all the difference between his book and all the other diet books out there. His plan is sound, and it does take into consideration that perhaps some of us would rather eat spinach than bell peppers, if we do have to eat our vegetables.

However, what keeps this from being 5 stars:

1. No end-of-chapter summaries, which would have been extremely helpful.

2. The index is not that great. You cannot, for example, look up specific notebook exercises, and would be well-advised to make up your own location list for them. It would be nice if this oversight were remedied in the next edition.

3. I was surprised he would steer someone towards buying several different types of low-cal/low-fat ice cream, rather than suggest something healthier like a frozen fruit bar or a sorbet. Often you just want something cold, not necessarily rich in fat. And he mentions in one appendix how great this one product is, despite having some coconut oil in it (an ice cream product), yet fails to mention that by making some of these treats (and indeed other foods) yourself, you can cut out a lot of the fat/sugar, yet still have a great-tasting food.

4. In line with #3 above, I was somewhat disappointed that even though he often pointed out that so-called "fat-free" foods have just as many calories (or more) as their fatty cousins, he also tended to recommend "calorie-bargain" substitutes that could also be objectionable due to their ingredients. A lot of low-cal foods are chemical-laden, and to use another example, even if you are an ovo-lacto vegetarian, you are still not going to want gelatin in your food. So, reading the labels for nutrition information is not enough--you will also want to check the ingredient list as well, especially if you go the substitution route, as opposed to real portion control.

5. His suggestions for restaurant eating made it not worth the effort to eat out. Here's a better solution: order whatever you want, along with a take-home container. Immediately package up 1/2 or 2/3 of your meal for yourself the next day, or give the container to your friend or another family member to take home.

6. The book could have been written in a more organized fashion. Good tidbits of information are buried in the middle of long paragraphs, which makes it hard to refer back to the book for specifics.

Bottom line, buy this book. Dr. Barbara Rolls (of Volumetrics fame) wrote an introduction, and in addition to her book I would also recommend reading Dr. Shapiro's Picture Perfect Guide to Weight Loss books. He too falls into the "Frankenfood" substitution trap from time to time, but his books with their photos dovetail nicely with the Calorie Bargain/Calorie Rip-Off concept in this one.

This is a very uplifting read on a gloomy topic. Hopefully you know Robert Schimmel from his Stand-up comedy act. I've seen Robert's comedy show 5 or 6 times, and consider myself to be one who recruits new fans to his shows whenever he comes to St. Louis.
I bought this book after one of Robert's appearances on the Howard Stern show. I thought this would be a good book to read on vacation on the beach.
So, here I am sitting on the beach, nice breeze, cocktail ready....I started to tear up after reading the first few paragraphs. What am I doing reading something sad on the beach???? I kept going and am glad I did. I couldn't put the book down. I couldn't wait to read the next word.
It was almost as if Robert was on stage telling us this whole story.

I would assume everybody has experienced a loss due to cancer or some other disease. I certainly have. This book walks you through the routine, highs/lows, emotions of that those afflicted go through.....Robert speaks almost as your relative, co-worker, or friend you may have lost.

Thanks Robert! I can't wait to see you!

I am not your typical book reader ,but after finding a book about your favorite comedian I could not resist.This was litterally the first book I read in over 20 years.I loved the book and was well entertained.I now have a more insight on how Robert's last decade really was.

It's always encouraging when someone beats cancer. And non-Hodgkins lymphoma is especially tough to overcome. Robert Schimmel had the advantage of age, good health, and caring support in his battle. And no doubt his determined sense of humor helped a lot too, besides bringing a welcome uplift to his fellow chemo patients. His book demonstrates that humor grows out of even the direst situation and that horniness survives all assaults.

There are no profound lessons in this volume beyond illustrating that mental attitude can make a bad time a little better. And whether attitude influences healing or not, it usually just feels better to be positive than negative.

I started reading after lunch today, and couldn't put it down. The writing is compelling and real, and inspiring in so many ways.
I am grateful that Mr. Schimmel lived through it all, and even more grateful that his book enriches our lives by reminding us about what really matters. As a survivor myself, and having lost many relatives to cancer, the book had my emotions all over the place...but through it all, the humor prevails. I can't remember ever reading a book that had me laughing and crying at the same time.

This book is in my collection after seeing him on Conan, and it's going to get a lot more readings from here on out. It's a keeper.

In many ways, Robert Schimmel is the Lenny Bruce of our times. After experiencing his performance at the Denver Comedy Works this past weekend, I read this memoir chronicling his deeply-personal, life-and-death battle with Stage III non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Bob is a stand-up comedian best known for his controversial sexual material and self-deprecating sense of humor, his HBO performances, and his appearances on The Howard Stern Show. His edgy style has gotten him into plenty of trouble. The networks are afraid of him, he confessed during his show. He joked about getting banned from Late Night with Conan O'Brien almost getting banned from The Hollywood Squares for making sexual jokes about Louie Anderson.

Cancer on $5 a Day tells the story of Schimmel's treatment and recovery following his cancer diagnoses in June, 2000. Bob was no stranger to cancer. He lost his son, Derek, to brain cancer at age 11. At the time of his diagnosis, Bob had just received the Stand-Up of the Year Award, and he was about to commence work on a new sitcom. His memoir reveals how Schimmel never lost his edgy sense of humor through this dark period of his life. He continued to laugh, even in the face of death, while receiving treatment at Mayo Clinic infusion center in Scottsdale. Even as his hair was falling out, Bob bantered with wig salesmen, inquiring about the possibility of a wig for his pubic area. The ultimate point of Schimmel's memoir is that, without a strong sense of humor during the tough times in life, you're pretty much f***ed (as he would say).

After his recent performance, Bob told me his battle with cancer changed his perspective on material possessions and the LA lifestyle. Although his doctors told him he would never have children again, Bob married his wife Melissa, and they have since had two children. Schimmel's inspirational survival story will make readers laugh and cry at the same time. Only a comic genius like Bob Schimmel could find so much humor in a possible death sentence. Recommended.

G. Merritt

I was given this book as a gift from my son. I read it on an airplane and laughed and cried so much that at the end of the flight, the man sitting next to me said, "you are quite an emotional lady!" I bought a copy of this book for the lady that helped me when I got stranded when the flight was delayed a day. She read one of the stories in it while I was changing clothes and I found her in tears when I returned. It's a great feel-good book.

In this collection of stories from and about mothers, there is something for everyone. Whether you need to be inspired, comforted, or amused, whether if you are looking for a laugh or a cry you can find a story for your mood. The Chicken Soup authors always know how to pick a collection of stories that truly brings the subject to light, a tear to your eye, and a smile to your lips! This time, what a worthy topic: mothers. As a positive psychologist in private practice I certainly know the powerful and permanent importance of our mothers in all of our lives!

I CAN NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN! Some real tear jerkers too. A must for all moms.

my family got this as a gift about 8 years ago. I don't remember much about it but I remember the stories about the mother losing her son during a skiing accident, the girl who bought her mom bobby pins for her birthday and the story where they're celebrating a grandmother's birthday and she dies at the end of the party after seeing her entire family at the celebration.

AFTER READING THIS I AM REASSURED THAT GOOD HONEST BOOKS ARE FINALLY MAKING A COME-BACK!!!!!!