health Books

Definitely a great book for a beginner juicer! You CANNOT imagine how great some juices taste! The recipes are simple and straightforward to make and after you see some of the recipes, you almost feel like trying new ones on your own. For those of you who have never tried anything other than bottled juice, this will definitely be a pleasant change. The only thing I find missing in this book (which is why I gave it 4 stars) is some kind of calorie count for the juices. It is certain that the primary source of calories for all juices (not smoothies) will be only carbs and they may not be too much but it will be definitely a lot easy to add a juice to your diet plan if only you knew how many calories the glass of juice contains. Since there is very little information for each of the juices given in the book (and a lot of empty space around it), it will be a real plus if approximate calorie count is added (since calorie count will depend on the quantity of juice extracted which in turn depends on the size of the fruit or vegetable). But otherwise, definitely recommended!

Just received this book with my new juicer. This book is great. It is well organized, grouping juicer recipes according to primary ingredients. It also gives ratings for each juice recipe according to its potential for boosting immunity, detox, etc. A great book for any juicer, novice or veteran.

What a great little book! As a beginning juicer, this book was exactly what I needed to put our family on the road to better nutrition. With few ingredients and a clear explanation of the benefits of each "concoction", we are thoroughly enjoying our first introduction to the juicing world. Highly recommended for not only its simple recipes but also for the attractive presentation.

I wont ever need another juicing book (nor do i want one). This book has everything a newcommer to juicing, like myself, or even an experienced juicer could use.
The recipes aren't too simple to where its like, "Duh, i know you juice lemons to make lemon juice.", but they aren't too complicated either. There is such variety in here that anyone is likely to find something that they would like. Natalie Savona even leaves helpful litle descriptions on each recpie of the juice (or smoothie) and even goes so far as to leave the vitamins in each recipie as well as a rating of 0 to 5 stars of the value it has pertaining to; energy, detoxification, immunity, skin health, and digestive health.
If you are into to juicing PICK THIS UP. I have read enough crappy reviews of other juicing books to fill this lengthy post up 100 times. Don't waste your money on anything else.

I just love this book. The first great thing is that it is spiral bound so you can leave it open to the recipe while you make it. There are hundreds of recipes for juices, smoothies, frozen fruit slushes, fizzy quenchers and even some fruit infused teas. Every drink has a side bar on the things it is good for ie: detox, energy etc. and in the back it lists various ailments and which drinks are good for them.On top of this all the drinks I have tried so far have been wonderful. I am very pleased with this book.

not a bad book but since i already knew most of the information in it, it wasn't as interesting as i hoped. Yeah, FDA is joke, most doctors prescribe antibiotics without even considering your illness or your medical history, sort of like free candy. Modern medicine became a sham since there are plenty of "alternative" or "natural" cures that work as well as most of medications that are being supressed. I have also had a negative reaction to antibiotics before and because of it stopped taking it altogether. Nothing new there.

This book begins as a personal story. One day journalist Stephen Fried was forced to rush his wife, novelist Diane Ayres, to an emergency room, when she suffered a severe seizure. She turned out to be suffering an adverse reaction to an antibiotic, Floxin, which she had been instructed to take for a minor urinary infection. "Bitter Pills" grew out of Fried's attempts to understand what had happened to his wife.

Fried, and his readers, soon discover that Diane Ayres' case was not unique, or even rare. Floxin is only one of legions of prescription drugs which can cause severe adverse reactions, which cause at least 45,000 deaths per year in the US (some estimates go as high as 200,000). It is a tribute to Fried's excellence as a reporter that he is able go beyond his dramatic personal story to give a comprehensive picture of what he calls " the hazardous world of legal drugs."

Fried reviews the history of drug regulation in the US, and ably documents the shortcomings of the current regulatory system, as well as the inordinate influence drug companies have on the process. Two of the many specific "hazards" he identifies are the desperate need for doctors to have an independent, reliable source of information on the drugs they prescribe (almost all the informatin they currently have comes from drug manufacturers), and the equally crying need for an effective system for reporting and cataloging adverse drug reactions.

I put this book down very impressed with Fried as both a reporter and a writer. He has clearly immersed himself in an important issue long enough, and deeply enough, that he has mastered it. He has then turned around to convey the complex issues involved to readers very effectively and without losing their interest. I look forward to work of similar excellence from Fried in the future.

"Bitter Pills" is the real-life version of "Strong Medicine" by Arthur Hailey. With a very personal beginning resulting from his wife's near death and slow recovery from taking ONE PILL (Floxin), author Fried went on to find whether there were other victims (many), and why the drug was approved in the first place. Interviews in profusion show why the FDA has its problems. Examples are given of the tendency of drug companies to defend their drugs at any cost regardless of evidence. The end of the book contains addresses of many drug companies, organizations to whom to report adverse drug reactions, and a sample form to send to the FDA. Well thought-out advice for patients (or their helpmates) to investigate drugs are given. A number of other good books on the subject are listed.
Fried is to be congratulated for doing a very accurate job with a minimum number of accusations. I did not find a single technical error in the entire book, and I have about 12 years exploratory drug development and teaching about it as a professor of medicinal chemistry.
Even Fried may not have realized how many drugs not discussed in his book shorten life, because they are tested and accepted based on surrogate endpoints for short periods. This may not be so bad for antibiotics that are taken for two weeks, but can be very destructive for drugs intended to be taken for 20-40 years.

I didn't know about Stephen Fried and "Bitter Pills," much less quinolone antibiotics, until I myself was, like Mr. Fried's wife, "Floxed," just a few weeks ago. I began my search for information on reactions to quinolones after four days of gatifloxacin (brandname Tequin) left me with tingling and weak arms and legs, difficulty swallowing and breathing, visual disturbances, headaches, dizziness, and more. I seriously thought I had a stroke or Guillain Barre syndrome or rapid onset multiple sclerosis, I was so sick.

Let me say that first, Stephen Fried's book is an excellent overview of the circumstances of adverse drug reactions to quinolone antibiotics. And with the increased visibility and use of Cipro, and the ease with which doctors dispense heavy-hitting antibiotics like Levaquin and Tequin, I'm sure I'm not going to be the last person to suffer a reaction and end up being "Floxed" and needing the information and reassurance provided by this book.

But it is also much much more. It's an expose of the pharmaceutical industry's fast and loose way of dealing with drugs, drug safety and the American public. This is not a rant -- it's an impeccably researched and detailed presentation of the intricacies involved in drug approvals and tracking of adverse reactions that exposes the limitations of the system, and the dangers those limitations present to us as patients and consumers.

As a patient advocate and spokesperson for thyroid and autoimmune disease patients, I know all too well the feeling of being held hostage to big pharmaceutical companies at the expense of my health and wellness.

Stephen Fried has finally exposed and explained -- clearly and without rancor -- how the drug industry really works, and his book, including the excellent appendix on how to contact pharmaceutical companies, report adverse reactions, protect yourself against bad drugs, and generally protect yourself as a consumer -- is must-reading for every empowered patient or health consumer.

I highly recommend this book to doctors, patients, and anyone who prescribes or takes prescription drugs.

I am another victim of a Fluoroquinolone, just like the author's wife. Take this book very seriously, because what doctors tell you is 'rare' is in fact extremely common. Levaquin (one of the fluoroquinolones) caused me to develop Fibromyalgia. For a time I had to use a walker. I was in constant pain for nearly one full year. Although the doctors say this is 'rare', three other women in my office of 30 people also developed Fibromyalgia after taking one of these pills. In my realm of family and friends, I have discovered nine others...each and every single one had a doctor telling them they did not know the cause of their pains. Each and every single one took a Fluoroquinolone pill before getting these terrible pains that never go away. No doctor will admit to it, and so therefore it goes unreported, and continues to falsely be considered a 'rare event'. There is a group of victims on yahoo that number more than 1600 from all over the world. Some have died or have family members who have died from these pills. Others are permanantly in wheel chairs or confined to bed from the pain. The pain these pills can cause is not like anything else you have ever felt. It's new and extraordinarily tortuous. I have been suffering for almost two years because of ten Levaquin pills. I am only in my 30s and before Levaquin was in great health. The information in this book is worth reading, because the Fluoroquinolones are the most prescribed antibiotic out there, and chances are you will be handed a prescription for one. You need to know the truth about these pills before you even take just one. The first pill nearly ruptured my eyes! The third pill decayed my ankle. The list goes on forever, even long after I stopped the last pill, and you can never be entirely the same after you're affected.

The first section of this book reads like a mystery thriller only it was true of the situation in London just 100 years before most of us were born. The rampant use of denial, obfuscation, and just plain lies by the medical and political power base is amazing. That is "big egos running wild"! They expressed themselves or failed to express like the EPA at the expense of the health and lives of many people. The book "Reclaiming Our Health" by John Robbins, 1996, shows it is still going on today. Just take note of all the repeated ads for pharmaceuticals you don't need on the network news broadcasts each evening. Critical thinking is necessary to protect yourself and your loved ones. Dr. John Snow was a Master of critical thinking, a gift to the human race! I have read approximately 2 to 3 books a week all my adult life and seldom read fiction. The best books are often first mentioned in a book I read. Elizabeth Royte's excellent book "Bottlemania" tipped me off to this book. Both are must reads. As stated in Royte's book, "We can live without oil, but not clean water".
Blessings on both authors and all their loved ones! They have served their fellow humans very well!

Engaging, enlightening -- could not put the book down. If you drink water you must educate yourself and read this book. Dr Morris weaves his points with medical research history and brings you to the present conclusion, our water is still not safe, millions still die each year from drinking it. His conclusions inspire you to do something about it locally and globally. Thank you for the references, too. I am inspired to read more about these topics and subtopics.

Robert Morris' book is great for anyone who is interested in issues of drinking water supply and safety. For that reason I give it five stars.

I was puzzled by a major omission. Morris mentions repeatedly that population growth is straining the water supply. Why is there no follow-up on this? In the book's conclusion, Morris makes seven proposals to guard against present and future threats to safe drinking water. Population control does not even appear on the list. It should have been #1. Without population control, most of Morris' proposals either won't be possible or won't work to reduce the problem. If we don't take steps soon to stabilize world population, waterborne disease may well become one of the major Grim Reapers doing it for us.

Morris also discusses how strained municipal and other local government resources are in the U.S., making it difficult to invest in necessary water infrastructure. I would like to point out that a major reason governments are so strained is that in the last few decades a huge percentage of local revenues has gone to automobile infrastructure--roads, highways, parking lots, and the like. America sooner or later needs to rethink its love affair with the automobile. For more on this, see Kunstler's book Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape and Shoup's book The High Cost of Free Parking.

I've recently finished reading "The Blue Death" which highlights early stuggles against cholera. Throughout this gripping book, I felt a resonance with a book I read as a child in the early 1940's titled "Microbe Hunters" by Paul de Kruif. De Kruif's description of Pasteur's struggles with rabies was also compelling...and scary! His book sparked my early interest in science. Perhaps, Dr. Morris' book will do the same for today's young people.Gene Primoff

This book is a great read. It provides an interesting and exciting history of the search to find the cause of cholera. It then goes on to discuss the status of drinking water in the US up to the present. Dr. Morris provides science to the reader in the form of a fast moving novel. I would reccomend it to anyone.

I really enjoyed reading Matthew Wood's herbal book.He weaves a good amount of history with his scientific herbalism.After i read his book,i felt that he was another former modern christian rediscovering his connection with the good Earth.He may have been labeled as a former 'Quasi-Pagan',or seemingly pagan,now a 'true Pagan'.Nevertheless,he presents the global history of the herbs quite well,in relation to what these plants and herbs can do to benefit people.It's an engaging reading that will please any serious herbalist-ethnoscientist.The more you know,the more you will later reap.-Alma Hutchens wrote,'Indian Herbalogy of North America',which has more medical information about 'Native Medicines'.Ms.Hutchens' book does not have a good historical perspective,yet does have many good medicinal antidotes.The bottom line is that any modern ethno-herbalist will more likely enjoy reading Wood's text on the history and uses of homeopathic shamanic botany.

Matthew Wood's book is a must-have for your bedside table and/or bookshelf. It's a serious and studied approach to healing through plants. This book and its contents have made a difference in our lives. Don't hesitate to buy it right away and read it; you won't regret having done so, and will feel better. My health has improved rather quickly, thanks to some of the recommendations made by Wood in this wonderful manual for health.

The author is very knowledgeable and gives a thorough background of each herb that he describes. He includes a lot of scientific information, as well as more mystical/spiritual and historical uses of each herbs, giving the book a nice balance. It was recommended to me by a fabulous herbalist and naturopath, and I must say that I'm very glad I listened to her advice as it's one of the best herb books I've seen.

Matthew Wood is literally a wealth of information. He has done an excellent job of providing information on several different types of herbs with usages, and just good information to have as a ready reference book. The diagrams, while they are not in color, still are excellent. This is one of my useful reference books that I would recommend to anyone who is serious about using herbs in their life.

Matthew Wood brings a variety of his gifts together as writer, historian, herbalist and a man of prodigious memory and herbal storytelling. This book stands out as my favorite herbal reference because it treats each herb to a whole chapter. Any lover of plants knows that there is much more to describe an herb than the usual sort of important lists of information most commonly shared in herbal reference books. This book helps one to get to know these 41 herbs much as you would know a friend or relative in their habits and ways of helping.

I pick up this book over and over simply because it is such good reading and I don't remember everything. If you like to learn through story and beautiful prose, this just may be your book! It fills a very unique niche of herbal literature.

The 41 herbs are quite available in the Midwest habitat and many overlap into other areas.

My only disappointment is that there is not a second volume to cover the many other herbs that didn't fit into the first volume.

My roommate owns a cat so I bought this book as a gift for her birthday. She let me borrow it when she was done and I have to say, I learned a lot of cats! The book is very informative but very easy to read. The witty illustrations that accompanied it was just perfect. I also own the Dog manual and enjoy it greatly myself!

If you are looking for an informative book that is easy to read and comprehend, and enjoyable, this is the one for you. It covers practically everything to owning a Cat!

A funny and great book for the first time cat owner, or anyone who loves cats.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" editor "Of A Predatory Heart"

I read the book from cover to cover - it's an easy read for an informational book. I used it for a good overview and also have a more detailed "reference" book that I refer to if specific problems arise with my cat.

I picked this book up because I am a cat lover. When I started reading the book I found myself laughing as well as learning things I never knew about the care and training of my cat. It is formatted to read similiar to a automobile manual, which I thought was very humorous as well as a neat way to organize the information. I think it is a great guide for anybody who wants to learn more about the care and detail of having a feline friend.

I have come accross many cat books, dog books, and dog or cat books that are written in a funny style. This is one of those rare books that actually manages to succeed in everything it aspires to!

Not only is this book recent (2004), inexpensive, and hillariously written and illustrated, but it has all of the basic information a cat owner would need in an extremely USEFUL format. Man, how I wish I had this book when I first got my cat! It covers all of the questions other books could easily overlook, such as how to hold a cat, proper grooming, socialization, etc.... The format is just so... organized, it's easy to get an idea of where everything is, and the funny mechanical manual format is brilliantly integrated so that it does not interfere with either readability or clarity.

The only deficiency of this book is the lack of detailed medical information. This is not a bad thing in itself, though, as it allows for a shorter, clearer book. I would strongly recommend you to also purchase a veterinarian-written guide to cat health that covers all of the common medical problems. This would allow you access to information about vaccinations, what qualifies as an emergency or needs veterinary attention, and at-home solutions to medical problems without constantly questioning your vet. Such books include "Guide to a Healthy Cat" by Elaine Wexler-Mitchell, DVM (great, recent, inexpensive book - the only lack is that it doesn't go into as much depth as it should because it tries to be easy to understand), "Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook" (a classic, in-depth book about almost every problem you might face - but not very up-to-date as it was written over 10 years ago), or "The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats" (excellent in so many ways, but does not go into problems not treatable at home except to tell you when to take the animal to the vet).

Product was delivered fast. Product was exactly what was promised, workbook, and 2 CDs. It provided exactly the information I was looking for, not only what is chakra but how to work with it.

I love this book so much. i wanted more info on chakras and i was going to take a course butthis book covered all of the details. i do the yoga exercises for each chakra and it works for physical and mental benefits. i am buying more books for my patients to have.

I bought this because I am a beginner in the realm of chakras. These 2 DVDs (in the kit) have given me a concrete basic off which to work.
The "workbook" gives me the opportunity to keep track of how I am doing/progressing.
Some people will find this far too basic but it is a perfect fit for a true rank beginner.

This is a good book for begginers. It shows how to balance your chakras, how they interact within them, how the non balanced chakra might manifest a specific condition..

This kit is wonderful and it forces you to do the work without skipping ahead, which is one of my tendencies. I have not yet finished all of the exercises, but the first exercise is incredible in helping you to get centered.

The recipient was very pleased with this book. The large type was ideal for those well into the golden years.

Great heart warming stories. This is my second copy. Gave the first one to a special friend

Bought book for my 88 year old mother. The large print enables her to read and the great stories and the humor kept her interested in this book. She really injoyed this book and now I have started reading it also and find it to be delightful.

It will bring tears to your eyes ... from many touching stories and a couple that will make you laugh til you cry.

Easy to read ... thought provoking, entertaining. Open the book anywhere and find a interesting, heart warming story.

Some stories will make you appreciate your blessings, some will make you look at life a little differently and some will just entertain you.

Something for everyone.

My mom bought me chicken soup for the kids, preteen and preteen 2's soul. I fell in love with the series. Well, my Grams and Grandpa's anniversery was coming up so I thought a rose bouquet, a card, and a chicken soup book would be perfect. I looked for a chicken soup book that would be for 60+ people and I found this! It's just great. But one thing thats not true: Anyone can read this and enjoy it! I am just a kid and I liked it. My grandparents definetly liked it. I recommend this book for everybody!

This book is full of short stories by veteranns about veterans. I must recommend this book for anyone that has any affiliation to a veteran, simply the best, short stores from all wars and conflicts that will cause you to swell up with love and pride. This is a quick read and a must read, it certainly gave me pride to have worn the uniform. Mike - Des Moines, Iowa

If you never really appreciated a veteran, you definitely will after reading this book. This book has so many wonderful true stories about American veterans. Some of us never realize what they have to go through. I loved the whole book - it's hard for me to say which stories were my favorites.

A truly wonderful book with numerous short tales about veterans.
Perhaps I am prejudiced, being a retired USN radioman. These
stories will uplift your spirits tremendously. Reading of the
selfless actions of veterans throughout our nations history may
add a new dimension to your life. What impressed me besides the
shear joy of reading these stories is that each and every one
was new to me. I suggest you keep some tissues nearby, this book
will truly tug on your emotions. I've sent this book to 3 others
so far. There's a huge series of Chicken Soup books. They all seem
to be written with the same care as this one.


UPDATE:

At the start of 2007 I had one of those V8 moments and decided to start a mission for myself. It would be pretty
easy. Simply it is to hand out a copy of this marvelous book to any veterans I might run across. Just a simple
"thank you for your service" gift. I carry three in my car's glove box. I usually order 10 at a time here. So far I've handed out 50 copies. I really get into this! I was beside a guy in a truck at a red light with a VietNam decal on the bumper. I yelled over and asked if it was his. When he nodded yes I asked him to pull over I wanted to give him something. He pulled into an animal vet parking lot. Give him one, he had been in the USAF. I typed up a short note and staple them inside the cover telling a little about my service and what my mission was. Now that I have blown my own horn way too much I would like to toss out an idea. How about doing a similar thing where you live? You meet the greatest folks and feel super when you've handed another one out.

Best Regards

This book was sent to me from a dear friend and I love this book so much. I think all Veterans will love it and heck anyone should. It is a book I will cherish always!

This book was given to me by a good friend. He thought I, as a Vietnam vet, would identify with some of the stories. It is one of the absolutely most enjoyable books I have ever read. I even slowed down my usual reading speed to savor the stories . Each day, in the sunshine of my patio, I read two or three stories. Every story got my full attention. I even found one story about a man I knew in the army. I adamently recommend this book to any veteran.

His method really did work to clear up my acne but my skin was also very dry no matter how much moisturizer I used. I've had moderate acne for about 15yrs and have tried everything like most other people. Right now I'm using just a basic cleanser (Cetaphil) and pure grapeseed oil as a moisturizer and drying agent and it's working out okay. I read about in Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair by Falconi which I highly recommend for natural skin care ideas. (Also you can get most of the info on Kern's website.)

Everything in this book, which basically explains the "clear skin" regimen, is available on Dan Kern's website (acne.org) for FREE, making this book a pointless purchase in itself.

That said, I have had some results with the "clear skin" regimen explained in the book, just not as good as others. Some things I've noticed after using the regimen:

PROS:

1) If you have never used benzoyl peroxide (2.5%) before, you will most likely get good results overall. You might even end up with a clear face, back, wherever.

2) You will appreciate Kern's empathy to the cause of acne elimination. Acne is very much an emotionally painful affliction, and empathy (not belittling) is sometimes the most important thing an acne sufferer needs.

3) When you are ready to begin the regimen, you can opt to visit Kern's website, which offers the regimen products (2.5% benzoyl peroxide, cleanser, moisturizer) at reasonable prices.

CONS:

1) Contrary to Kern's opinion, I personally have experienced my acne grow resistant to benzoyl peroxide (both 2.5% and 5% variations - 10% is too harsh). In my experience, the effectiveness of benzoyl peroxide waned after a few months, no matter how much of it I used.

2) Your skin can get seriously dried out by daily benzoyl peroxide use even with the "mild" 2.5% variation, especially since Kern eventually wants you to use about an ounce of it on your face. I used adequate-moderately heavy amounts of moisturizer after the benzoyl peroxide application, but personally there was just no escaping the dryness and peeling despite me having oily skin. Using less of the 2.5% treatment didn't help either.

3) Lastly, your clothes will bleach through benzoyl peroxide use, period. It's nice to have less acne, but when you notice your favourite clothes getting discoloured (ruined) in the process, it's almost not worth it in the end. Also, wouldn't you want to have clearer skin while wearing your favourite clothes? Sure, you could wear something under your clothes, but I personally found this to be an extra discomfort on top of my dried out face.

---

Still, I urge those who haven't used 2.5% benzoyl peroxide to try out the "clear skin" regimen. But instead of buying this book, I think you're better off buying the regimen treatment products on Amazon, or on Kern's website.

I urge you though to have realistic expectations with the regimen, as it may work at first but disappoint you afterwards.

Dan's skin care regimen is the only thing that has worked for my acne - I tried everything from Proactiv to oral medications like Acutane. I've been caking on makeup for most of my life, since age 13, but now I finally can leave the house without it. Yes, I still break out a little before my monthly period, but otherwise, I'm all clear.
Dan Kern should win an award for his method, he is truly helping people, and not one of these Guthy Renker infomercial companies out for money. No celebrity endorsements needed; the clear skin regimen just works. I wish I had found it years ago.

Happily, Dan Kern is not a corporation looking for profit: he's just a guy who had bad skin and found a way to manage it. [...] I bought the book as a small thank you to Kern for being nice enough to provide the info for free. If you buy products thru his site, he gets a kick-back -- and if you don't, that's ok, too. For this reason, he deserves the support. Kind of like shareware for books. And his easy if not always fun regimen has been working so far, so kudos.

I didn't read the whole book. I just went to web site acne.org and followed the program. Acne is now gone. I suffered from Acne for over 20 years and tried many treatment programs from Accutane, Retin-A, Microdermabrasion and a few others. Dan Kern's treatment program was the first treatment program that actually work for me in the long run.

The cheapest and fastest way I know how to check out the program is to order 1 tube of the 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide (from Dan's Web Site) and try it for 1 week following Dan's instructions. Yes, if you goto the web site, Dan also wants you to get a Cleanser and a Moisturizer. All products are needed but I believe the key product is 2.5% benzoyl peroxide gel from his web site Acne.org.

I strongly believe if you have Ance, using the 2.5% benzoyl peroxide gel with Dan's instruction, you will have a 95% chance of seeing improvement in less than a week.

I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed The Complete Idiot's Guide to Weight Loss. I believe that your book makes so much sense! I have already lost 10 pounds in a month's time by adopting many of the principles found in the book--eating 0-5, avoiding artifical sweetners and fake fat, and incorporating
more protien and less carbs into meals. I enjoy a small amount of dark chocolate every day or so...and I do not feel deprived at all! I am also exercising more, mostly cardio and yoga. Like many others, this has been a longtime struggle for me. I have tried Weight Watchers several times and found that I was more obsessed with food than when not on the program. In any case, I could go on and on like so many of your readers probably do. I just wanted to thank you and let you know that I loved your book, completely agree with your sensible approach, and will recommend it highly to others. Thanks!

I know everyone else is raving about this book, but I just don't see the big deal. In that it's one of the "complete idiot's" series, I was expecting something a little less "gimicky." However, these authors' diet recommendations remind me so much of The Zone, i.e., protein/carb/fat combo meals where the carbs are in the form of fruits & veggies. They note that our ancient ancestors didn't eat grains and suggest that we limit our consumption. I agree on the limits and like the new food pyramid where the grains are not the foundation; however, I do think eating whole grains shouldn't be discouraged to the extent that the authors discourage it. After all, barring those ancient ancestors, our more recent ancestors (i.e., those in the last few hundred years) have been eating grains, and America's obesity problem is just getting out of hand in the past 30 years, so we can't blame it on grains. The authors do have some common sense advice in the part of the plan that advises readers only to eat when hungry and to eat only until satisfied, not full (e.g., a portion about the size of your fist). The authors say that this is the way thin people eat, and we should emulate that if we want to be thin. I agree with that part. However, I was annoyed at the contradictions in the book. The authors continually suggest that we act and think "thin," but then they make suggestions for eating in a way that I've never seen any of my thin friends do. For example, the authors say that you can eat those cheeseburgers and that pizza, but when you do, eat the burger without the bun and the pizza without the crust. I've never seen a thin person do that unless for some odd reason that person didn't like bread (I don't know anyone who doesn't like bread). I think that suggestions like these perpetuate the dieting mentality. I would have prefered them to suggest eating a smaller burger or just one piece of pizza.

All in all, I don't think the book is harmful, but it didn't measure up to my expectations of books in the "complete idiot's" series. For those who like the concept of eating only when hungry (a concept I highly recommend), I suggest Seven Secrets of Slim People. This book advocates that type of eating, but doesn't suggest any food restrictions. The only aspect of the COMPLETE IDIOT'S guide that I prefer to Seven Secrets is their recommendation to eat breakfast even if you're not hungry. I believe this is necessary to get your metabolism moving in the morning.

I have been doing Weight Watchers off and on for about three years. I have gained and lost the same 10 pounds, and I have gotten nowhere near my "goal weight". Why not? No one mentioned the common sense guidelines that I got from this book in the first five minutes of reading it: eat according to your appetite and eat balanced meals that satify (rather than stuff) you. FINALLY! Very very great information about nutrition (with no hocus-pocus studies or extreme recommendations) and about how each meal should be balanced for maximum satisfaction and metabolism, and how to increase your physical activity (moderately) to support your weight loss. After only a few days I feel, for the first time in my life, a) satisfied after every meal, b) the excess weight coming off (already!), and c) completely confident that I can meet my goal weight without completely disrupting my life or suffering at the hands of the dreaded "WW points". I can do this for the rest of my life. Buy this book!

This book is really terrific! After over two years of living a "controlled carb" lifestyle, my husband and I began to get concerned about our health. Even though we lost loads of weight and kept it off all that time, we felt we may be doing our bodies long-term damage. So we tried low-fat for a bit, but started gaining weight and so we went back to low carb. Desperate to find a way to lose weight and eat healthy, we bought this book. In a nutshell, it shows you how to balance it all out. Through educating you about metabolism and even how to "get in tune" with your own body, this book puts it all in perspective. No fad dieting ideas, no gimmicks, just REAL answers to why we eat the way we do and how to eat right for the rest of your life! Exercise and stop being afraid of food! Eat when you're hungry! Enjoy real ice cream, butter and mayonnaise! Just do it right. This book shows you how.

This book is excellent. Written in easy-to-get language it manages to be both simple and yet detailed enough to go into a wide range of weight-management topics in significant depth.

I think books like this should be at least tax-free if not entirely free, as they are beyond being just self-help in the sense that they can potentially help relieve the burden that overweight/obese/unhealthy people have on our society. don't get me wrong - I mean no judgements there - I've been overweight and unhealthy myself and it's a problem which is still very much on the increase, both sides of the pond.

It's very educational and based on sound science yet you will hardly ever feel that you're 'in class' or studying; that said your knowledge of biology and the human body will definitely increase as a result of reading this book.

The real question - will it help me lose weight? Well, the answer is perhaps obvious - the book itself won't help you lose weight: your choices and behaviour will help you lose weight, but this book will definitely help you to understand how to lose weight (and why).

Buy it if

- you need to lose weight (duh)
- if you've lost weight with fad/crash-diets but know you're going to put it back on again
- want to learn more about the human body and basic nutrition
- want to teach and guide others in the subject (e.g. if studying nutrition/health on a medium level course)
- want to support someone who you know wants to lose weight effectively, safety and for good.