Health Books

I found this book to be a fascinating, but very practical study of nutrition. It was presented in a way that is easily understood. It lays out a plan that the average person can apply to their daily life to change over to a healthy life style. I would say that reading this book was a life-changing event for me----I have also shared this book with my family and loved ones.

I looked into buying some books to discuss the Mediterranean/Crete/Omega diet. I did like this book the best compared to the others I had bought (Mediterranean Prescription, and The Anti-inflammation Diet and Recipe Book). This gave a worded description of how the author ate growing up and gave a concise way to think about what you are eating - think fresh and simple.
Like most "diet" books there are sections on why this works scientifically and some meal plans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is helpful but I did skim the first few chapters. There is also a "food pyramid" and many helpful tables as to what you should try to fit into your diet.
I have been following the advice of this book (adapting the meal plans to what is doable long term for my spouse and I) and I can honestly say that I feel good, calm, and not hungry. Plus I love it that drinking a glass of wine with dinner is acceptable!
For people who are looking for a face lift on your diet, I do recommend this book.

Nothing contained in the book that hasn't already been printed about food and etc. They advocate Canola Oil over Olive and that is the first I ever read that. Other than that I wouldn't recommend to purchase it.

I have Lupus and was looking for a cleaner, something different daily eat book.

I was surprised that this book was copyrighted in 1998. It seems that we have just now caught up with what she knew back then about essential fatty acids. That part of the book is very good and I am glad that we have finally caught up with her on this.

I haven't tried any of her recipes but I it seems that many of the recipes do not follow her traditional Greek way of cooking. I mean canola oil, for instance, certainly is not a part of traditional cooking anywhere. It is a relatively modern phenomena. She also uses white sugar and white flour in some of her recipes. Come on! These things were not part of the traditional Greek diet. And, really, do you think they used low-fat dairy products. Give us a break!

Great recipes, great information. Two RN's and my cardiologist all give this book a really big thumbs up! Plus, and this is a seriously big plus, you never feel like you're dieting.

This book was an amazing find for me. I have always been of the mind that bread baking is too much trouble and too much time for the results. But I wanted to try and fortunately happened upon this book. Not only can I now bake wonderful bread, but I also am gaining a deeper understanding of myself through the process of baking bread as I am guided by this book.

I know this may sound like a bunch of new-agey gobbledygook, but if you really want to feel like you're accomplishing something when you bake bread (especially if you are a beginning bread baker), this would be a good book for you. One of the things I like best about it is that it provides step-by-step instructions on how to bake bread in general, and then gives you the recipes to fit into the process. The book also tells you what kind of (basic) equipment works best. But it's also very open in saying that all of its instructions are merely guidelines, and the person reading it is left feeling free to deviate out of desire and/or necessity.

The Tassajara Bread Book is also an enjoyable read, and has some fantastic recipes in it (I use the egg bagel recipe to make Challah that is even better than the Challah from Trader Joe's!).

Hey, if you want to know bread and I mean the important stuff here it is, everything that was ever done with bread starts here...
Once you've got it you never forget it... I originally bought this book in 1971 and baked bread when I was in college.

There is nothing like that fresh baked aroma and taste...

Hey I could teach this!

Enjoy this great day~

Tom

When a classic book remains in print past the end of its useful life, what do you do with it?

I'm going to get one point out of the way right up front -- if you're a baking fan, you probably should get this book, as it was one of the most important influences on the rise of the modern American artisan baking tradition. I'm led to understand that it was also a major graphic design influence on much counterculture publishing (particularly the Moosewood Cookbook with handwritten pages, but the current edition has reverted to a more standard typeset layout. Though the author is a deeply religious Zen Buddhist and a vegetarian, religion and other dogmas do not dominate the book, making it palatable to all readers.

But there's an important thing about Tassajara that seems to get lost in the mostly deserved praised for the book -- Edward Brown is not and never was a professional baker, but rather a food generalist who happened to do quite a lot of baking. (The foreword, where Brown describes the naive, self-trained crew of a Tassajara-influenced bakery being laughed at by a pro, drives that point home.) Although the chapter on basic Tassajara bread is an exception, for the most part, this is not a technical bread book in the manner of Peter Reinhart's Crust & Crumb or Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Bread Bible, but a cookbook about bread in the manner of Beard On Bread. Again, this is fine. But if you're interested in baking like the pros, Tassajara will not be sufficient to your purposes -- apart from the first chapter, it's light on technique and baking science, and it uses volume measurements rather than weight, a big no-no for an experienced baker.

So that's how it goes. Tassajara captures for a modern audience a period where tastes were in flux and people were rediscovering the older ways after an overemphasis on modernity almost drove them to extinction. For that, you want this book. But if you're a pro in training, or an all-around kitchen geek, this book is only the beginning.

The Tassajara Bread Book has been part of my library for at least ten years. Upon first purchasing this gem with its gently textured cover and hand drawn sketches, I fell in love with the poetry that Edward Espe Brown, the author, offered in the opening of this cookbook.

His words, insights, and even the recipes themselves carry with them a humbleness and gratitude towards cooking, food, and life.

I'm amazed to say that only last week did I actually used one of the recipes (page 100, Bran Muffins) and it was scrumptious--not to mention helpful in getting things flowing (if you know what I mean!).

I intend to use many more recipes in the upcoming months. Next on the list is Corn Muffins (still on page 100--I figure why mess with a good thing).

I can't recommend this book highly enough. I've loved using it for more than three decades, and have never had a need for any other. Bread can be a little tricky, but with the Tassajara Bread Book even beginners will turn out perfect loaves. Using only this book, for years I was official bread baker for 34 of us sharing communal living--that's a lotta loaves.

For simple and nutritious meals, I also recommend Tassajara Cooking, a classic in vegetarian cookbooks. Other greats from the 1970s that have withstood the test of time are the New Age Vegetarian Cookbook and Laurel's Kitchen for basic fare; and Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking and the Vegetarian Epicure for the more adventurous. As of this writing they are all available from Amazon.

This book was amazingly helpful for information regarding weight loss surgery. It was practically my bible all the way through the surgery and right after. I listened to everything it had to say, plus my dietian, and i immediatly got apporived and moved right into surgery. A good buy if your serious about weight loss surgery.

This book has been most helpful and informative since I decided to pursue weight loss surgery. It is very easy to understand and gives you keys for the different componets so that you know what you are reading information, statistics, tips, ect. This book contains charts of information and helps to interpret many issue that need to be understood prior to WLS. I will continue to keep this book at hand to reveiw many times over the course of my journey having WLS.

This book is a blessing! Recently had lap-band surgery and this book has helped me understand so many things I was confused about. It is very informative for someone even considering suregery and will help you from the very beginning and continue to help way after the surgery. I recommend it highly.

This a great book to help you decide if this is for you.
It is not a story about anyone's life it is just filled with great helpful information.

This book takes the reader step-by-step through the decisions and consequences surrounding weight loss surgery. As with most books in this series, it includes points to consider. It suggests questions to ask yourself, your health care professional, and the people who will be affected by your decision. And it is easy to read, has lots of examples and a good number of personal stories to help you understand how real people have dealt with the conequences of their decsion to undergo surgery.

This book was quite an eye opener for my husband and I. We actually read it together and was able to identify many of the issues addressed. We feel armed with the knowledge of what we are dealing with (as knowing is 1/2 the battle), but we are still uncertain as to how exactly to deal with the narcissitic parent/family system in certain situations. We plan to continue reading about this topic, discussing how best to be in control of our own actions/feelings, and moving foward past the narcissitic upbringing. This book was definitely the place to start.

The book was very imformative if you feel you come from the type of family written about

I have read this book recently and am amazed at how much it is helping me become a better person. The stories are amazing, the analysis is genius. I can't but help recommend this book for people who are interested in learning about themselves and how to improve themselves.

I always knew my mom could be awful and my dad was passive, and that our household wasn't normal. But because there was no obvious abuse - no alcoholism, no hitting - and my parents paid for sailing lessons and an Ivy League college - I thought my adult problems were unrelated. Even after two consecutive therapists labeled my mother a narcissist, I couldn't make the connection between my upbringing and my chronic depression, indeciveness, insatiable desire to please others...until I read this book.

It's not a "blame-your-parents-for-everything" tract. "The Narcissistic Family" simply illustrates dysfunctional behavior with examples, articulates the impact of that behavior on the individual child, and explains the reasons behind it.

For instance: you know that your mother's yelling at you for low grades was crummy, and that you weren't really lazy or inept. But did you know that by getting angry, she was making YOU the problem? The normal response would be to investigate tutoring or time management or a different coarse load. (The problem is the homework, not the child.)

In a narcissistic family, the other parent responds by calming the narcissist (in my case, mom). The child's actual problem is ignored. The parents, essentially, are focused on their own needs. Before reading the Pressmans, I was never able to make sense of my parent's generosity and attention with being made to feel like an incompetent when I couldn't finish my homework on time.

Even if the term "narcissist" sounds harsh, read the book. At worst, it will be interesting and won't apply to you. At best, it will give your life-altering perspective.

This is one of the most dynamic books I have read that deals with the true nature of most people's early lives. It is easily read and understandable on the laypersons level. It is a tool you can repeatedly use - it certainly is not a toss-away book! I highly recommend it!

Great tool for travel or when you miss the studio. I am just a pilates student, so having something to hold my hand and direct me is needed, so just flipping through the deck in the suggested order has been great. I don't think its a beginners tool because the descriptions somewhat assume you already know the basics IMHO. I had a cheat sheet I made myself with little drawings and notes, but this is so much easier.

Joseph H. Pilates, the German inventor of the Pilates exercise method must be smiling in the heavens. The lifelong pacifist who was born in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1880... devoted his life to the study of physical education. He moved to the United States in 1926 and afterwards became active with the New York City Ballet. "Pilates; body in motion," by Alycea Ungaro of Tribeca Bodyworks is a treasure chest of Pilate exercises for a hard body.

Mr. Pilates passed away in 1967 but not without leaving behind his philosophy of form. He established six basic principles...breath, concentration, control, centering, precision and flow in order for men and women to attain, "the inherited birthright of physical perfection." This book is comprehensive. It includes an introduction and four exercise programs. The introduction and beginner's program are short...but the intermediate and advanced programs provide a wealth of drills.

Please be warned...this is difficult stuff (especially for the over 50 crowd)...even for those who frequent the gym on a regular basis. The key to success is to follow the instructions carefully and gradually work your body into shape. If you rush the program your body will be talking to you (with pain or soreness) the following morning. At the risk of being redundant...do not fast-forward the exercise unless you are in outstanding condition...the Pilates school of thought looks easy but is a challenge to master correctly. The photos in this slim book are excellent. Moreover, the narrative is clear and succinct. Highly recommended.

Bert Ruiz

This basic manual for Pilates is especially helpful because of the cautions about avoiding poor form while you're doing the exercises. The limitations of any book attempting to teach you how to do physical movements is offset by the authors' knowledge of what mistakes typical beginners make.

I'm training for a certain activity and was told that Pilates would be great to do because many people in the sport do it. I knew _absolutely nothing_ about Pilates. I asked around at local fitness clubs but couldn't find any instructors. Lacking local instruction, I bought this book based on the recommendations here.

The many pictures and instructions for the actual exercises were very easy to follow. However, the information in the introduction (including an explanation of the 6 basic principles) left me so very frustrated and confused! The book says to flatten your lower spine against the mat ('neutral spine') by 'lengthening' your spine without moving your hips or other body parts...but that's physiologically impossible! Does she not understand the basic mechanics of the body? And 'scooping' is described as feeling like a corset being tightened around your waist...which is only helpful if you've worn a corset before. Since the book implies that the exercises do little good if you don't have these principles right, the good, clear instructions on the actual exercises are probably useless to me because I don't clearly understand most of the basic principles.

I also doubt some of the claims of Pilates now that I've learned more about the system. I'm sure the system works fairly well at 'core' strength training for most people who use it, but some of the other claims seem a bit mystical in nature. If you love this method, that's great. If you understand the basic principles of Pilates, then this is probably a great book for you. Otherwise, I just can't recommend this book. I'll stick with "Straighter, Stronger, Leaner, Longer" by Renee Daniels which works the 'core' muscles as well as every last bit of the rest of your body.

Since I am away from home alot I can take the book with me to remember the moves. The book keeps everything simple and easy to understand. I understood the diagrams better than my pilates videos.

This book is extremely helpful for children with ADHD. It gives practical and fast working advice that is right on the money. It is a great place to start when looking for an alternative to drug therapy. I highly recommend this be the first book you read when you are learning about ADHD - it may be the only one you need. Thank you to Dr. Bob for all your research and clinical expertise that went into writing this book and for all the children you have saved!

Dr. Bob in his book is another one of those writers about ADHD who believes (sincerely) that supplements, food, good parenting, and so on is the correct answer for treatment of all types of ADHD/ADD. While certainly, the above would help almost any type of disorder, he never bothers to mention at ANY time when his idea did not work, (ie the vitamins failed to solve the child's problems)--so am I believe it is 100% successful?!! Amazing. My question for Dr. Bob is if pharmaceuticals do not work, then why can I name so many success stories from people who DO USE them. Oh, by the way, they do not work all the time. He is a convincing, good writer, he is just totally wrong. Also, he forgets that we now are seeing adults in their 40s still having the symptoms of ADD, who by the way had them first diagnosed in the 1-3rd grades. I would recommend his book, because it is well written and organized. And, all children do NOT need to take medications to modify their behavior. I do think our society at time has gone overboard with that notion. But his book is not the cure all with his omega oils and patented products he so often wants you to use. He has some very good ideas, and I took this into account. He says sugar impairs you immune system, which is abosolutely false, and has some other non sense he tries to pass on with questionable science to back it up. To me it appears as another one of those who believes you should avoid ALL medications at ALL costs no matter what. Also, how many cases a day does he "treat" for ADHD, and how does he deal with adults who have had it for so long. Does he, while flexing soft tissue as a chiropractor, take time out to express his feeling while giving a massage? ADHD/ADD is a long complex condition-- that foods and vitamins cannot "fix" so easily as this half life of 18 days he speaks about. It often involves moral and personal issues at home, that by avoiding sugar is just not going to cover. guyairey

My 5 year old son was recently diagnosed with ADHD. So, when I first saw the title of this book I thought it was a joke and I was hestitant about ordering it. But to my surprise it is a great book! The book does a great job of explaining (in plain english) what ADHD is, how to begin to heal the body and how important a sugar/ dairy/ gluten free diet is.
Upon his suggestion, I immediately, but graduately, changed my son's diet and found an hollistic doctor which we are currently working with. I have seen a change in his hyperactivity since removing the sugar and the fast food and he is even doing much better in school.
This book is an easy read, I read it in four days! I recommend this book to all parents!

When I first saw this book I thought... "18 days? Yeah, right." But I thought I didn't have anything to lose but a few dollars so I got it. We had tried all kinds of diets, vitamins, meds. Things would get better but not be entirely "back to normal".

I read through Dr. Bob's book, took notes, implemented some of the thoughts... I read the entry of one of the readers below that talked about the parasites and wondered if perhaps that was it for us too.

We had an appointment and saw a doctor. Parasites it was. Five days on a course of black walnut tincture and my daughter was a new child. She lost her diagnosis of ADHD the next doctor appointment we had. The teachers could not believe the difference. We are still in awe.

Thank you Dr. Bob. Without you and your book, my daughter would still be on Concerta. And the health of our family would never have been improved from your other recommendations.

For this and so much more, Dr. Bob:
THANK YOU !!!

PS We also HIGHLY recommend the daily devotional Dr. Bob has written. I don't have a friend who hasn't bought it after hearing some of the topics discussed in it - turning grey hair back, the hazards of peanut butter, better sleep, back pain solutions, bringing liver enzymes back to normal, migraines, and the list goes on and on with advice we had never ever heard before and my friends and I read A LOT of health books !!!

My 3 year old son had been out of control for a long time. He had many symptoms of ODD. He had a short fuse and got angry easily. He always whined and wouldn't sleep through the night. Both my husband and I were at a breaking point, but knew we did NOT want to go the medication route. I always thought our family ate pretty healthy; we would limited our kids sugar/snack intake and we weren't a milk drinking family so I didn't think that my son's 'attitude' symptoms were food/mineral deficiant related. Boy, were we wrong!
While reading Dr. Bob's book I compared my son's 'symptoms' to those in the book. Dr. Bob's book has been a lifesaver! We noticed a difference in only 5 days!
We started w/ the nigtly salmon oil, added flax, changed to soy and rice milk and we are beginning to add vitamins and whole food minerals. We even started the program for all 3 my children.
This book has added a bright future for our children and has given my husband and I the peace in knowing we are actually getting to the root of the problam instead of just medicating the problem. Thanks Dr. Bob.

I thought this book was very informative,and yet unusual. He reverses your brain by opening our minds to the the brain-washing we were programmed from many years ago.I thought this book is quite incredible. I would recommed this book and Allan Carrs book on How to Quit Drinking as well to anyone who is considering quitting.It's a MUST HAVE!He is an inspiration and genius!

I don't usually write reviews but all the positive reviews about this book helped me make the decision to purchase it and gave me hope. So I hope this helps you.
I ordered this book out of curiosity and was very skeptic about the outcome. It took me over a month to finish it and I doubted myself the whole time. Yet after I finished reading, I put out the last cigarette and felt immediate relief. The first couple of days were a little strange, because I used to plan my whole day around smoking, but it turned out OK.I have more energy, feel better and even endure the company of smokers easily, without being tempted. This book is about putting your thinking in a different perspective, adopting a non-smoker's frame of mind.
Try it even if you're skeptic about it. You have nothing to loose and so much to gain!
I am getting it as a Christmas gift for all my smoking friends.

This book is magic. It really really works. Not scary stuff, just makes you face the facts of why on earth do you smoke. I don't anymore!!!

My sister stop smoking with this book after many years of trying and given this book to all my friends and family to stop smoking.
Is worth every penny!
Probably the best thing you can do for you !

...and I am still free from cigarette smoking.

The writing style took a little getting used to, but I allowed myself to believe what it is saying, and I found that I was freed from my previously-held beliefs about smoking. "Cured" sounds far-fetched, but that's how I feel now. I smoked for 16 years, and of the many times I attempted to quit, this was the only successful method.

Try it, even if you don't feel ready to. After all, you can keep smoking while you read the book (indeed, the book instructs you to do so).

I ordered both of the George Stella cookbooks and am pleased with the selection of recipes and narrative of his story with the low carb lifestyle. I would recommend the purchase.

I am new to low-carb diets and Have lost 100 lbs in 5 months. I am approaching my goal and need recipes so I can maintain my weight loss. These recipes are easy.

I am not a cook. I don't know how to throw a meal together for a family, since I am single. But this is a great book for people who are tired of eating the same old thing with the Atkins diet. The recipes are easy and with practice can add flair to your cooking. I particularly like the sections that teach you how to make sauces and spice mixtures

I have been eating low carb for seven years. As a fibromyalgic with diabetes, I was a very sick woman seven years ago. A low carb diet and the treatment I'm using for fibromyalgia (Dr. Paul St. Amand's guaifenesin protocol as outlined in What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia)have together saved the quality of my life. It's hard to find good low carb cookbooks with recipes that are easy to prepare and easy to find ingredients. Both George Stella's cookbooks are right on the mark. I highly recommend them. Many of his recipes have become favorites for both me and my guests. I love to feed people, and no one leaves my table feeling deprived.

This book had raving reviews so I bought it as a gift for my sister who is pregnant and has gestational diabetes. To avoid taking insulin she's had to go low-carb but it's getting monotinous. Hence, the loving sister ordered her a cookbook because she loves to cook. After I received it and looked through it I was surprised at the number of recipes that called for "Sugar substitute - recommended: Splenda." Yikes! THE SUGAR SUBSTITUTE/SPLENDA RECIPES ARE MOSTLY IN THE DESSERT SECTION. Splenda is an artificial chemical sweetner which contains chlorine (a carcinogen) and a host of other chemicals. Although it has been approved by the FDA as safe (in short term studies only.) After reading George's response to my comments I think there are less recipes than I though calling for a sugar substitute (about 20%) and if he's right (which he should be) they are mostly in the dessert section. So this low-carb cookbook is mostly good for prego's if you ignore the dessert section. Just know in advance what you're getting!

Beautiful sweet touching book that helped me get me through some tough times. Celebrates the human spirit

Rachel Naomi Remen believes in the healing power of stories. She trained as a pediatrician and expected to practice traditional medicine much as her father and other male members of her family had done before her, but something happened to change her carefully planned course.

In the introduction to Kitchen Table Wisdom, Remen tells how her male colleagues frequently knocked on her office door to ask for her help with a crying patient. They believed that she, as a woman, would know what to do. Though she knew no more than they, she felt flattered that they came to her and felt that this helped her be more a part of their exclusive "Old Boys Network." She began to spend more and more time listening to patients share their fears and feelings of living with a terminal disease.

Since the age of fifteen, Remen has suffered from Crohn's disease. As she listened to her patients, she began to feel less lonely and isolated. Probably, her guidance and uncanny understanding of her patients stemmed from her familiarity with physical and emotional pain.

Kitchen Table Wisdom is a compilation of eighty-eight poignant stories that Remen heard over many years, as well as stories of her own life. Her stories demonstrate her belief that a larger process is at work in all our lives and that human beings are "unfinished, a work in progress." She believes we come into the world whole but lose faith in our wholeness and become discouraged by feelings of not being pretty enough, smart enough, etc. " ... our wholeness exists in us now," she writes, "Trapped though it may be, it can be called upon for guidance, direction and most fundamentally, comfort."

No retelling of Remen's stories can do them justice. One of my favorites is "The Question"--a story told by a patient named Tim (now a cardiologist) of his experience at the age of fifteen with his father, who was in the last stages of Alzheimer¹s disease. At the time, his father had not spoken for ten years and was totally helpless. Tim and his brother were alone with their father when he suddenly slumped over and fell to the floor. The brother was calling 911 when both boys heard a voice commanding, "Don't call 911, son. Tell your mother that I love her. Tell her that I am all right." With those words, the man died. An autopsy later revealed that Tim's father's brain had been entirely destroyed by the disease. Tim never stops wondering who spoke those final words. He tells Dr. Remen, "Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed."

The author believes that talking about and sharing one¹s feelings revives memories that can lead to important new insights about one¹s life, bringing about a healing that formal treatment is unable to offer. She says that Shamans believe illness is a direct indication of soul loss. The soul, she explains, is that which is aware of the sacredness we carry and the sacredness that exists in the external world as well. Losing our appreciation for our sacredness, living with sadness, with feelings of unworthiness can manifest illness.

"Life is the ultimate teacher...," she writes. "It is through experience, and not scientific knowledge or expert academic training alone that we learn our deepest lessons." In her lectures and writings, Dr. Remen likes to tell of a sign on the wall of a room in Florida where the elderly come to play Bingo. It reads, "You Have to Be Present to Win." And so it is in life.

by Duffie Bart
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

...from a very wise doctor. Gathering readers around her kitchen table, Dr. Remen takes an indirect but inspiring approach to those of us who sometimes prefer to avoid the doctor's office.

A truly healing book.

I am presurgery and this book helps to calm me and encourage me to think positively.

For years I refused to read this book after a friend's recommendation thinking that it would be another "feel good" attempt . Boy was I wrong! This book is one of the most extraordinary pieces of writing I have ever encountered. I have read it over and over again many times (the stories are short enough that allow you to read at your own pace). It has actually become sort of a "guide to Life" for me. Furthermore, as story-telling itself goes, is simply masterful. Dr. Remen is a powerful communicator and her wisdom goes beyond "new age". It is a groundbreaking work about mystery, awe and Life with a capital "L".

This workbook is awesome. It truly shows the biblical reasons for confessing our sin of overeating.
It has been a great help to me in my life!

I have not yet completed this study, but really think it is wonderful. The Bible Study aspect is really well put together and I have enjoyed the new thoughts and ideas it has brought to my life. It really changes the way you look at food and the satisfaction it gives you. I also recommend the website settingcaptivesfree.com where you can participate in the study online as an addition to the book. The materials are all A +++

I'm having a difficult time understanding a previous reviewer's comment that Mike Cleveland teaches in this book that his eating plan is the only acceptable approach (vs. Atkins, etc.). The following is a direct quote from The Lord's Table online course:

"Welcome to The Lord's Table! This course is a 60-Day program to help you gain control of your eating habits and to lose weight, if needed. Here is a suggested eating schedule to help you get up and running. The suggested eating days are like training wheels on a bike. Eventually you'll outgrow them, but they're helpful to get you started and you will feel more secure having them guide you. In The Lord's Table, this eating schedule is offered as a guide, not a requirement. Eventually you will develop your own schedule of eating that honors the Lord and produces weight loss or maintains optimum weight."

Doesn't exactly sound like he's saying his way is the only acceptable way to me - does it to you?

I find it frustrating that someone would not only misrepresent this author's teaching, but would cast aspersions on Mr. Cleveland's character as well. He "likes to toot his own horn" because he (supposedly) asked some who have been successful with breaking food's grip on their lives to come to this Amazon site and write a review? Sounds like getting the word out to me.

This is a wonderful program, with spot-on encouragement and firmly grounded Biblical teaching for those of us who find food has far too great a place in our lives. I highly recommend it.

One day I looked at myself in a full length mirror. As I stood there in my underwear my eyes closed in shame. I couldnt believe I allowed myself to get to this point. After three children, I felt like I would never get my body (any body) back. I fell on the floor in my bedroom and wept for God to show me what to do. Gluttony was my biggest sin. My idol. My obsession. I cried to God to save me from this incredible sin in my life. "I just want to eat when I feel hungry, I dont want to think about it every waking moment! PLEASE GOD!!!" After about 15 minutes I peeled myself off the floor and went to bed. The next morning I went to christianbooks.com and found The Lords Table. I did an Amazon search to see what the ratings were and I was flabergasted on how many 5 stars it was given. "What does this book say that all the others didnt?" was my first thought. But being obsessed with weight loss material I purchased the book. Now 25 days into the program I am down 18lbs but whats better than that. Is my walk with God. If you have come to a point in your life where its not about you anymore, but about God. Then this book is for you. You will gain control. Visit online www.settingcaptivesfree.com to be assigned a Mentor during your new walk with God.

This has been a very positive experience. It is more than a weight loss program. It is a spiritual growth developer. Weight loss happens as you grow closer to the Lord. It is wonderful. I plan to stay on it the rest of my life. I have lost 22 pounds but have a greater realization of approach to food.