Lifestyle Books

I have read several books on related topics. This book brought it all together for me in a way that was both practical and inspiring. It's an easy read that I can 'lean into' day after day for support as I try to find my own way. It's also small enough to fit into my purse. I very seldom leave home without it.

I am new to inspirational books but found realistic information applicable to me in this small wonder. The writer has accomplished her goal by cultivating my thoughts in many ways. I find myself reaching for this book often and so will you.

A pleasure to read, easy yet very fulfilling. This book achieves its introductory goal of presenting extremely important information in a digestible, accessible format. The "unorthodox" paragraph structure, which uses headnotes similar to those found in legal research, is ideal because even the most intellectually endowed person can find themselves challenged for clarity and attention span during times of personal questing. Lillie Goodrich brings it all together and down to earth, seamlessly weaving together concept and practice to make real life improvement attainable. Instead of putting words in the reader's head, she quiets the noisy mind so that the inner voice can be heard. Then she provides the incentive to listen and answer that call.

I'm telling all of my friends to read this delightful and well-written little book. The author suggests reading one chapter a week and taking time to put the ideas into practice between chapters. It's hard to do because the book is so easy to read that you won't want to stop! Each little chapter is a meditation on a specific idea for enriching your life experience. The author does a great job of weaving her own life experience into the book and outlines a wonderful spiritual roadmap for leading a happier and more satisfying life.

Lillie Goodrich has written a book of simple & profound wisdom. I return to it again and again for practical advice on how to approach any problem. So much packed into such a little book! It's the perfect gift for anyone!

Reviewed by Robin Gix for Reader Views (10/06)

"A, My Name Is Andrew" takes you through the entire alphabet. Throughout the book, you are introduced to many different children who tell of their activities. The writing is clever and fun. The sounds of the verse and the multi-cultural information, is refreshing. The story bounces along and keeps a captive audience. The illustrations are brilliant and beautiful. This book also features a glossary at the back. "A, My Name Is Andrew" is a great book to start teaching your children the alphabet and words.

A My Name is Andrew is a delightful romp through the alphabet. Each letter is its own story and my children each have their favorite. Beautiful illustrations enhance the smart verse. Kudos to McManus for creating a readable alphabet book! I even learned a few things in the glossary!!!!

Stop what you're doing and buy this book immediately! By far one of the best children's books to come along in a long time. Forget about Madonna's attempts at children's literature, this is the one to watch! Brilliantly written and beautifully illustrated. An absolutely clever, and charming example of a learning-storybook. Keep them coming, Mary!

I am a grandmother of soon to be 15, WOW!!! I found it very inspirational that a Grandmother wrote such a wonderful book. Her grandchildren are very lucky!! I hope she keeps writing! I have read it to all my grandchildren and they love it. It is a great book to read when you want some quality time with the kids. Great Job Mary, from one Grandma to another

I happened upon this book quit by accident, when looking for a birthday present for my nephew, Andrew. I purchased it because of the name and was pleasently surprised as to how well written it was. My nephew, whom we call Drew loves his book and has taken it to school to show it off to his friends. Also as a nurse,I taken it with me to work. Many of my co-workers have also purchased for themselves. It truly appeals to a very broadspectrum of people. The glossary in the back is a great idea for young children to start enhancing their vocabulary, you can't start to early. I truly hope the author is planning another book,I will be watching for it. Job well done, Mary McManus Burke!!!:-)

Born and raised in New York, this song always pulled on my heartstrings. Since Billy Joel, a master story teller, has put this famous song into print for kids, it has even more special meaning. The illustrations are fantastic, from the details of the lights of Times Square to the majesty of the Empire State Builiding, there is barely a corner of the city that is not captured in a colorful, realistic fashion. The pages are fun to look at (the Broadway theatres boast variations of the actual shows) and any native will appreciate the subtle story each page tells. This is great book to introduce a child to New York City, and a special keepsake for grown ups, whether residents or visitors here.

I was a little disappointed at first in the book only because I thought there would be more of a story of someone in New York City with the song as a basis. Error on my part since the book was the "song". However, my niece age 5 whom the book was for was delighted and loved it. Each picture I read and described to her (I must admit she did a couple of twirls to the CD playing) was enjoying it and found all the pictures very descripitive with the song. As a New Yorker myself I was able to explain it with a little story of her "Aunt Re Re" in the Big Apple who has over the years been to all those illustrated sites.

If you like Billy Joel, you will like this book/CD. I am a big fan of Billy Joel's and have always wanted to visit New York. The book provides some great scenes of New York with labeling of all the featured sites. Makes me want to visit New York even more. It's a little goofy that a little dog is featured on all the pages, but small enough that you can ignore it and silly enough that you can enjoy it. It is a book that my two toddler children and I enjoy every day. They love the colorful pictures, and I love Billy Joel's bluesy, soulful music.

A cd single of the song accompanies musician Billy Joe's book of the same name New York State Of Mind, which receives illustration by Izak and imparts a passion for New York, from the Empire state Building to Central Park. From movie stars to newspapers and ice skating, New York State Of Mind imparts a fun and simple appreciation for the city's many offerings.

"New York State of Mind" has always been one of Billy Joel's most passionately-performed pieces. When witnessed live and in person, the song is a glowing tribute to all East Coasters and specifically to New Yorkers, from one of their own. But even the recording on the Turnstiles album is powerful. It pays homage to the concept of "home."

Joel's lyrics transfer nicely onto the pages of this picture book. The main characters, two small dogs, may remind some folks of the pair from "The Lady and the Tramp," another city story. Izak's illustrations portray the metropolis in fall or early winter, with leaves on the ground and ice skaters at Wollman Rink. Each double-page spread visits a specific location in the city, and each are identified by name. Look closely to find the irony in the signage. Theater-goers are standing in line to see "Movin' Out!" on Broadway. And the ice rink banner reads TROMP instead of TRUMP. Play the accompanying CD (containing the Turnstiles version of the song) while reading the captions, and you'll hear the soulful strains of the saxophone just as a sax player appears on the page. A captivating new book for children and adult fans of NYC and/or Billy Joel, particularly poignant in these post-9/11 days.

This is a lovingly executed book that celebrates a diverse group of centenarians. A marvelous tribute.

This book is a gem, as are all of the wonderful people whose stories are told! Congratulations to all of these 100+ year old folks. The stories are told with great humanity and love. It makes you realize how insignificant the little things in life are. The photos and life stories are touching. The author/photographer did a wonderful job representing a cross section of people with varied backgrounds. Go out and talk to one of these inspirations, they have seen a multitude of change in their lives and transcended bias, segregation, wars, poverty, etc. It's a real life history lesson.

(...) when I saw the finished product I was in awe of what she had achieved! The stories are so inspirational they bring me to tears every time I read them, and I'm still (re)reading them. The college professor who reduced his work week to "only five days" when he turned 100. The lady who decided to go help others in South America when she was in her eighties. They're all here. Every character is such a powerful person and it is very clear from their stories what it takes to be a survivor in this world and beat the odds on longevity. The adversities that most of these people would have felled a lesser person. Read this book and learn how to grow "old" with grace and dignity. In a word - stubbornness!

As someone who is sixty-ish, with a mother in her eighties, I am aware of the down-side of the aging process. Liane Ekelis's "On Being 100" filled me with renewed faith that old age can be rich and vital. These are real people. Their moving stories are told in their own words. And the photographs are superb.

Personally, I found this book very inspirational. For Christmas, I gave "On Being 100" to all my friends (and I have many) who've been cringing as they approach the fifty-year mark. I figured that once they saw the wonderful photographs of people more than twice their age and read about how these centenarians had conducted their lives - often in face of extreme adversity -- they would feel inspired rather than defeated. Most did report back to me that the photographs, which exude the joie de vivre and determination of their subjects, deeply moved them. Additionally, they liked the anecdotes and detailed biographical information, which not only tell about the people, but also open a window on history. Several friends said they felt encouraged and inspired, and I couldn't agree more. Really, how could anyone whine about life after fifty when "On Being 100" makes it clear that it's possible not only to live beyond 100, but to embrace all 100 years with gusto.

I am an English teacher who has been looking for YA books to read in the classroom. I used to teach ninth grade but am now moving down to eighth grade, which is incredibly disappointing because I won't be able to read this book with the younger students. I loved, loved, loved Iggy! There are moments of beauty so poignant that they almost brought tears to my eyes. I found myself talking to Iggy--"No, Iggy, don't do that!" Rarely do I get that involved in even adult literature books. I think any teacher who deals with difficult students should be required to read this text. I wish young adult writers would take the swear words out of their books so I could read them with my eighth graders!

I LOVED "Saint Iggy", and I don't say that lightly. Iggy was lost from the start. He was born to a drug addicted mother and an alcoholic father. Although there was no physical abuse he was raised in a roach infested drug house and basically left to raise himself. He didn't have the good fortune to be intelligent or talented and was never taught to think before acting. His impetuous nature gets him into trouble so many times that he gets kicked out of school. With no place else to go, he goes to get help from an adult friend that needs help even more than Iggy.
This book should be required reading for every teacher, or other adults who have contact with young people. It does a great job of portraying how a young man from unfortunate circumstances views the world and himself and will help you view some of these kids with different eyes.

Randy "Igmund" Corso is a third-year freshman with a colorful track record at school. When you have a record like he does, teachers can lie about you, and no one believes you, especially not the court system that's supposed to decide if you're expelled from school or not. With the way everyone treats him, you'd think he's a bad kid, but he's not. He attends class, sometimes. He doesn't use drugs, even though he was born addicted. He does his best to stay away from his father's drug dealer Freddie, who is always knocking on their door looking for money.

With his dad most likely passed out drunk or high at home and his mom "visiting someone" somewhere, Iggy doesn't have anyone to tell when he gets indefinitely suspended from high school for an offense he didn't commit. Even the social worker can't get through because the phone has been disconnected.

With a few days until the hearing, Iggy turns to his friend Montell, a law school dropout from the rich side of town who is investing his time in pot and philosophy. Iggy needs a plan to straighten out his life, but that's more difficult done than said for a 16-year-old with no skills or money who has just been kicked out of school. His makeshift plan is to:

1) make a plan
2) get out of the projects
3) do something with my life
4) change everyone's mind about me
5) get back into school

During the week before Christmas, Iggy drags himself around the city looking for answers and enlightenment. He keeps thinking about his principal, who told him to "do something that contributes to the world." That seems like such an easy thing to do until he tries it.

How exactly can one kid do something to contribute? What if he's never had any examples to follow? What if the only differences he can make are too small for anyone to notice? And does it even matter if people notice?

Author of the Printz Honor Book FAT KID RULES THE WORLD, K. L. Going has put together another enjoyable read. The contrast of Iggy's dark urban world against Mo's posh lifestyle provides the story with an ideal backdrop for a grim hero like this to emerge. An entertaining novel with more depth than you'd imagine at first glance, SAINT IGGY takes the life of a fringe-living outcast from the projects and makes him someone unforgettable.

--- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

Randy "Igmund" Corso is a third-year freshman with a colorful track record at school. When you have a record like he does, teachers can lie about you, and no one believes you, especially not the court system that's supposed to decide if you're expelled from school or not. With the way everyone treats him, you'd think he's a bad kid, but he's not. He attends class, sometimes. He doesn't use drugs, even though he was born addicted. He does his best to stay away from his father's drug dealer Freddie, who is always knocking on their door looking for money.

With his dad most likely passed out drunk or high at home and his mom "visiting someone" somewhere, Iggy doesn't have anyone to tell when he gets indefinitely suspended from high school for an offense he didn't commit. Even the social worker can't get through because the phone has been disconnected.

With a few days until the hearing, Iggy turns to his friend Montell, a law school dropout from the rich side of town who is investing his time in pot and philosophy. Iggy needs a plan to straighten out his life, but that's more difficult done than said for a 16-year-old with no skills or money who has just been kicked out of school. His makeshift plan is to:

1) make a plan
2) get out of the projects
3) do something with my life
4) change everyone's mind about me
5) get back into school

During the week before Christmas, Iggy drags himself around the city looking for answers and enlightenment. He keeps thinking about his principal, who told him to "do something that contributes to the world." That seems like such an easy thing to do until he tries it.

How exactly can one kid do something to contribute? What if he's never had any examples to follow? What if the only differences he can make are too small for anyone to notice? And does it even matter if people notice?

Author of the Printz Honor Book FAT KID RULES THE WORLD, K. L. Going has put together another enjoyable read. The contrast of Iggy's dark urban world against Mo's posh lifestyle provides the story with an ideal backdrop for a grim hero like this to emerge. An entertaining novel with more depth than you'd imagine at first glance, SAINT IGGY takes the life of a fringe-living outcast from the projects and makes him someone unforgettable.

Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

Copyright 1997-2006, [...] All rights reserved

There's something about Christmas in the city. The lights, the shopping, the darkness. December is the darkest month of the year. KL uses wonderful imagery to describe the life of Iggy, who you care and root for, but it is December, and Iggy is surrounded by darkness.

Yet, around every corner, a light.

It's refreshing to read a book where drugs play a role, but don't get a hundred pages in the protaganist's head or with his/her friends trying to decide what to do. For Iggy, there is no decision. The answer is simply no.

Having been born addicted to crack, he spent his whole life watching drugs destroy his parents. Now, as a teenager, he sees his worthless dad, strung out on the couch each day, and his mother - missing because she is possibly with the local dealer, Freddie.

Iggy wants to do something "good". After a misunderstanding at school in which Iggy's so called reputation causes a teacher to vastly misinterpret his intentions, Iggy is kicked out of school. But first he is given a lecture by the principal which sticks in his thoughts. Haunts him. Wakes him up to the world in which he is perceived, and makes him ache for an answer.

He doesn't have access to things others take for granted, namely money. World peace would not cross Iggy's mind. In his world, he imagines himself saving a kid from a drug dealer. Or, perhaps he could simply find his mother, and with her, the world itself would be good once again.

So, Iggy forms a plan...

Iggy Corso is one of the most detailed characters I've ever read. I would swear if I were to visit the city I would find him walking down the street, or sitting at the barber's getting his hair cut.

This book isn't the typical teeny bop pink fantasy. It's a rare literary masterpiece for the teen market. I hope it gets the attention and the audience it deserves.

i really love this book a lot. I read it only one day because i liked it so much. i love that is about real issues and about a kid around my age. But it's also amazing only 17 being on top of the drug game! now that's hard to find in real life. but i like that it's so realistic to make you feel that you're really there, and you're always hanging back on the last sentence to see what happens next. It's a book you don't ever want to put down. The author says this is her 1st novel, so i'm looking forward for more books to come from her.

I thought that this book was outstanding because of the honesty it had. I enjoyed reading about real life things and something that I could relate to because of the boy's age.

Ty Johnson knows how to survive in the real world, to take care of problems on the spot. He has everything in control and knows the way to run things. He's intelligent, patient, and skillful, everything he needs when he inherited his father's business. Everything is running smoothly for Ty and that's the way he wants it.

But then a series of struggles and obstacles ruins the way Ty does things. Not only does he have to take care of a competitor who wants to run him out of business, but he has to deal with school, the only thing his mother wants him to focus on. That could be especially difficult when a girl like none other, Alyse, enters his life and makes him feel happy for once. The hardest part is trying to hide from his mother, and almost everyone new he meets, that he is involved in dealing drugs, the business that Ty's mother hoped to forget after Ty's father went to prison for it.

Ty starts to question every action he does, from the moment he entered the business. With so many problems to handle, can Ty get through it all?

Allison van Diepen takes on a risky plot that so many teens have heard about, but never knew much about, and pulls the reader in. STREET PHARM is a true coming-of-age story that causes the reader to be at the edge of their seat, quickly turning pages, and in the end wanting more. A quick, fast-paced read that is necessary for all teens to read.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

"Street Pharm" is an excellent novel,especially for teenage males.It's
the gritty,powerful story of a young and very successful drug dealer who
decides to change his life.The book is violent and raw,but brilliantly
written with fully developed characters.It is an astonishing debut by
a talented new author.I can't wait to see what she does next!

I am adult who enjoys reading good teen lit and this book qualifies. While I did not really care for Ty in the beginning of the book, you can slowly see his progression into "the real world" and it is a joy to go through it with him.

I also liked the honest look at the street life and the fact that the author did not make it sound like a romantic thing.

The writing is good and the storyline goes at a steady stream. I would be interested in reading a second book in this series to find out how Ty and Alyse make on and how Ty deasl with his father.

The only thing that would have made this book better would have been if it had been a true story.

This is an enjoyable read.

It is a shame this is out of print. It was a favorite when my daughter was little and I too would buy several copies a year as gifts.

had this book twelve years ago for my son and it was MY favorite book.....i now have a new little one in the house and my son's 12 year old book is tattered and taped and beyond further repair. time for a new one. i'll be buying extras for friends who are having babies too !!!

this is the most adorable childrens book i've ever had the pleasure to read to a child or myself...lol !!!

I would probably buy a half a dozen copies of this book every year to give as gifts to my friends who have new babies. This
book is so cute, babies just love the poetry, and the surprise ending. The drawings are beautiful.

Teeny Tiny Farm is a sweet little book with rhymes. It's size is perfect for toddler hands, and my kids never got tired of hearing about a day on this little farm. The illustrations are cute and remind me of Fischer Price plastic people. We carry this book in the car, to restaurants, and use it at bedtime. Kids will start imitating the rhymes after a few readings because they are catchy. I would recommend it highly.

I thought I was the only nut who read this adorable book to my kids! Both my daughters love it, and I, too, replaced the torn, munched-on copy with a new one for our second daughter. The rhyming is EXCELLENT for even the littlest ones. We have also given it as a gift several times.

A young boy and his family have gotten up early to take a long car-ride to visit Grandma and Grandpa. But this is no ordinary visit, for the grandparents own and operate an apple orchard, and they need help with both the picking and the selling. They pick all afternoon until the wagon cart is full, stopping occasionally to sample some slices and some cider. A steady flow of old friends and new customers visit the farm stand the next day, and the apples sell at a brisk pace.

Bright illustrations and crisp text do a nice job in expressing the delicious aromas and tastes of the various types of apples. Along the way, children can pick up a simple lesson about natural resources and human resources in a small family-owned business. The various suggestions for tasty dishes made with apples may also leave readers with a distinctive hankering for something sweet.

This is a staple in our fall repertoire, but is also a favorite all year long. My daughter has been asking for this at story time for two years now and neither of us ever grow tired of it. It's a great book to form "mental movies" with--the text invokes all the senses as you read the smells, sights & sounds of autumn. Reading this book always makes us want to go make an apple pie to finish it off. I highly recommend this book. Buy it, curl up with your kids, and breathe in the wonders of apple picking time.

This picture book is wonderful for fall story times (pre-school through 2nd grade). I'd recommend bringing some apples along with you though because the colorful illustrations and evocative descriptions will leave you and your listeners hungry for more!

Apple picking time in Michigan is very special. We even have dwarf trees for little ones to reach. Preschool storytimes love the flow of the story and the bright colorful illustrations. You can almost taste the sweetness and sense the crispness of the apples. Up, Up, Up!: It's Apple-Picking Time would make a great felt board or puppet presentation. Take it from a grandmother and a children's librarian, Jody Shapiro's story of picking and selling apples and time spent with different generations within a family fits the bill

In this hurried world, Jody Shapiro's lovely book "Up, Up, Up! It's Apple Picking Time" (beautifully illustrated by Kitty Harvill) captures perfectly the warmth of extended family life and the wonder of new experiences. It's a simple story told in sensory rich language; giving us red, green, yellow and pink apples, "cool and crunchy and sweet," with evocative names like Anna, Stark Red, Winesap, Arkansas Black and Winter Banana. Along with Myles and Amber-the brother and sister in the story-- we breathe in the perfume of apple cider and "fresh-baked apple dumplings, floating like islands in a sea of milk".
But, best of all is the time spent with family, picking and selling apples, and lying on a rug in front of the fireplace at the end of the day, when Grandpa plays his old jazz records and everyone dances.
"Up, Up, Up! It's Apple Picking Time" has become one of my two-year-old grandson's most requested stories. Together, we've picked (Gordon)apples from a backyard tree and made "Granny's Microwave-Baked Apples," using the delicious and foolproof recipe at the end of the book. This is a book to share with a child you love.

This is a great book with a program that works! It's focused on real results and not fad dieting. I found it to be an easy to execute, step-by-step plan that outlines the commitment required for simple weight loss and weight management. It proposes a practical approach to losing weight and keeping it off.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is ready to make the commitment to a life enriching program with long-term results. It truly is an inexpensive solution to a happier life.

Weight Management for your Life is a step by step approach to dieting. It is easy to follow, each chapter leading to the next. It is one of the best approaches to losing weight by motivating the reader to particpate in the program engaging the mind, body, and spirit. By encouraging the reader to play an active role in the process, the focus is not just on what you put in your mouth, but also on the how and why of weight loss.

Do not miss this book from the professional who encourages you do not give up on the weight control action in your life. With this book you are getting one-on-one lessons with the experienced psychiatrist, the lessons that will help you to overcome and explain possible causes of resistance to change until you learned. Do the easy action steps presented in this book and enjoy it! Weight Management for Your Life: Ten Steps to Prepare You for Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle

"The pleasure-based brain system affecting eating behavior is similar to the pleasure seeking part of the brain that drives some addictive behavior." ~ pg. 107

"Weight Management for Your Life" presents new solutions to the old problem of weight loss. Charles Goldman takes an honest look at the risk factors involved with being overweight. This is not a diet, this is a system to help you eliminate self-defeating patterns.

The well-researched information in this book could change your life by helping you to develop new behaviors and skills. This in turn empowers you and allows you to maintain long-term results. This book reinforced my belief that diets are not the answer to long-term success.

It was also interesting to read that slightly overweight people are actually the healthiest people "according to standard weight tables." By reading this book you can start to take control of your behavior in regards to eating. There is also helpful advice on how to avoid stressful situations where people may encourage you to eat more than you should. This book is really about eating less and exercising more (those two things alone recently helped me lose 25 lbs) but it also addresses psychological issues and helps you to evaluate what is really going on in your life.

I can recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with their weight or to anyone who has seen some results in weight loss and wants to know more secrets of success.

"There is evidence that those people who maintain an active lifestyle are most successful at weight maintenance." ~ pg. 118

~The Rebecca Review

Dr. Charles Goldman, who is a psychiatrist, writes about weight management from the point of view of someone who believes that most people can manage their weight and are not, as some authorities believe, at the mercy of their genes. He believes in a rational, studied approach to taking off excess weight and keeping it off. His book is the very embodiment of common sense guided by expertise. As such it will disappoint those looking for a quick fix, and unfortunately will not be able to compete in the bookstores with titles that promise pie in the sky and in your stomach too.

There are 14 chapters in the book. The first ten constitute a "ten step" program for a healthy lifestyle beginning with "Step 1: State a reason to change your behavior," through "Step 2: Choose a realistic weight range," through learning the basics about diet and exercise, to some commentary on alcohol, drugs and addictive behaviors to "Step 10: Create a plan and 'routines.'"

Chapter 11 consists of "easy action steps" related to the steps in the first ten chapters, such as writing out what you want to do, making estimates, consulting with sites on the Internet, consulting with professionals such as doctors, counselors, weighing yourself, doing physical exercises, and diagramming social relationships. Goldman even recommends that you watch the movie Supersize Me (2004).

Chapter 12 is report on research on weight management, while Chapter 13 concentrates on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The final chapter is a summary and ends with Goldman's careful and considered statement: "Changing one's health-related behavior occurs in stages, must be based in reality, takes willpower, education, practice, supportive friends (and family), and persistence, and it helps to have some kind of plan with goals. There is no magic and it will be difficult, but becomes much easier the more you do it." (p. 123)

Notice that Dr. Goldman believes in "willpower." One of his exercises is to teach people to say "I won't" when they start to say "I can't." He believes that such a "reframing" can be "a very powerful illustration of taking full responsibility for your behavior." He adds, "Once you get in the habit of saying 'I won't' it is not a difficult transition to learn to say 'I will!' and mean it. Thus, the existence of willpower is affirmed." (p. 30)

Goldman contrasts his position with that of Gina Kolata who wrote Rethinking Thin (2007) in which, Goldman reports, she "makes the argument that people have little control over their weight..." He quotes her as writing, "It must be that free will, when it comes to eating, is an illusion." (p. 109)

From a philosophic point of view the question of whether we have free will or not is a difficult one. However as a practical matter and as social human beings within the framework of a society of laws and responsibilities, there can be no doubt that free will is our reality. Consequently I am in agreement with Goldman that we can and should take responsibility for what and how much we eat, and for other lifestyle choices.

Goldman warns against too rapid weight loss and emphasizes that the hardest part is to maintain the weight loss. To do that requires permanent lifestyle changes. Goldman eschews the term "diet" because diets are something we go on and off of. Diets don't work for this very reason. He writes that research findings "teach us that rapid weight loss, e.g., losing 25 pounds in six months, triggers powerful mechanisms in the brain and body to send signals that we are starving. This results in an outpouring of brain chemicals that trigger strong cravings for food, in some cases irresistible." (p. 24)

One of the detriments to achieving a healthy weight is the influence of friends and family. If they are also aiming for a healthier lifestyle, they can be supportive and very helpful. However it is often the case that they will observe "your healthier lifestyle" and "assume you are in a constant state of self-deprivation, and will want to see you 'loosen up.' It is important for them to feel okay about their own 'indulgences.'" (p. 52) So resist their kind offers and have the wisdom to say, "No, thank you!"

Goldman warns against chisel words like "I need a break," or "I deserve a reward," or "I have accepted my body the way it is." He makes a very important point (and provides an answer to the siren call to backslide) with these words, "adopting a healthy lifestyle of eating less (especially 'junk' food) and exercising more has benefits that are independent of weight loss." (p. 53) I would add that these benefits include better health, a longer life expectancy, greater self-esteem, more energy, being more attractive (especially to yourself), not to mention setting a good example for friends and family.

I have one major disagreement with Dr. Goldman. He writes on page 106 that "common overeating...is neither a disease nor an addiction." But he equivocates on the following page with "The pleasure-based brain system affecting eating behavior is similar to the pleasure seeking part of the brain that drives some addictive behavior." (Note also the quote above from page 24!) I think that not only is overeating an addiction, it is one of the most powerful addictions and one of the hardest to break. You can quit smoking or taking drugs, but you can't stop eating. There's no cold turkey available. So for many people it is like an alcoholic trying to give up alcohol while drinking a little every day. It's tough. The obesity epidemic in America is fired by constant advertizing and relatively cheap food, but it is maintained by people who try but can't stop eating because their brain chemicals only reward them when they eat.

Be that as it may, I believe that the detailed prescription given in this wise and well-considered book will work for most people if followed faithfully.

This book contains recipes that nutitionally conscious people will love -- while using commonly available ingredients. As exciting as the recipes are, the nutritional information makes this a MUST READ cookbook. LOVE IT !! By incorporating these recipes or ideas into my diet (we still eat meat) and beginning moderate exercise (1hour 3xweek) I have cut my diabetes oral medication by half in less than one month !! Doc says 6mo - 1 year to be medicine free !! (after 3 years of gradually worsening diabetes) This cookbook could save your life !

The recipes in this book are some of the best available if you are serious about eating a healthy diet. They are not only vegetarian but they eliminate the refined oils and sugars which are such a major factor in causing diseases like atherosclerosis, heart disease, adult onset diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. They are the recipes used at the Newstart lifestyle program where they get excellent results with just diet and exercise. The recipes are delicious; we use them in our home all the time. I highly recommend this cookbook to my patients.

a solid good cookbook for those aspiring to the vegan diet. the only drawbacks being that some recipies require hard-to-locate ingredients such as vegan gelatin and smoked yeast. Other than that a very worthwhile purchase for those wishing to eat healthy, etc.

adhealthandwellness recommended this as one of the books that was essential for life. Piper de Vries is deep.

Wonderfully Healthy Recipes...... use it all the time!