This book is so bad. Where to even start. Well, let's start with what's missing: credentials. The authors aren't medical or dietary professionals, or any other kind of professional as far as I can tell. I know, I know, neither is Michael Pollan or Jonathan Safran Foer, but at least Pollan & Foer are writers/journalists, who did RESEARCH. Rory Freedman, who's only credit is being a former agent for Ford Models, & Kim Barnouin, who is a former model, but does at least hold a Masters of Science in Holistic Nutrition, apparently think that having "successfully counseled models, actors, athletes, & other professionals" gives them free reign to write a 224 page book extolling the medical benefits of veganism. You know who I want to tell me about the medical benefits of ANYTHING? A doctor, or at least someone who doesn't call me a pussy.
So yeah, that word (I'm not going to say it again) is in the book like 20 times. It's distracting, unnecessary & so inappropriate coming from TWO WOMEN. Ladies, women do not use that word in reference to, or when talking to other women. Take note. Also, the language in this book is horrendous. No one loves a four letter word more than me, so if I think it's over the top, it's over the top. Trust.
Now, here's the meat, pun intended, of what's wrong with this book. Nowhere on the cover, or in the blurb summarizing what the book is about, is it mentioned that this book is about becoming a vegan. Not a vegetarian, a vegan. Big difference. Also, how do you write a 200+ page book on being a vegan & not put that information on the book? It's not even in the introduction. You know when they finally get around to actually saying the word "vegan"? Chapter Six. The book only has 13 chapters. So they waited until halfway through the book to tell you what the book is about.
I have no problem with veganism. It's not for me, but I appreciate it's clear benefits & those who have the discipline to follow that lifestyle. No, my problem is that these women wrote a book based on their personal experiences & marketed it as such. To their credit, they do not proclaim to be medical professionals. They're just two ladies who used to be in the modeling industry & have figured out a way to make a living off being skinny. Mazel. I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is that they then proceed to write a book filled with citations & references to medical journals, articles & studies. You can't have it both ways. You're either an expert or you're not. And P.S., you're not.
This book was not only a colossal waste of my time, it also has some really bad advice in it. These women tell you not to eat breakfast & to definitely not eat as soon as you wake up. They tell you to wait until you're hungry & then eat a piece of fruit, wait, if you're still hungry, eat another piece of fruit, wait, & if you're still hungry, you're allowed a final, third piece of fruit. There's also an entire chapter on why the "dairy lobby" is trying to kill us all. These women make the analogy that a cow's milk is intended to nurse a calf to a cow in a very short amount of time, i.e. to make it "fat", so why would we consume something that's only intended use is to fatten animals in a short amount of time. Ugh...
I obviously don't recommend reading this book, unless, like me, you want to spend two weeks of your life mad about something that took 2 hours of your time & you can never get back. If you're a woman unhappy with your size, this book is not the answer. This book may in fact make you a bitch, but it will not make you skinny. If you're a woman flirting with veganism, there are a plethora of legit books for you to read (see below). This is not one of them. The fact that this book is a #1 New York Times Bestseller is bewildering & upsetting. If this book were mine, I'd set it on fire & use it in my grill as kindling.
If you are interested in learning more about the vegetarian &/or vegan lifestyle, I hear good things about these books:
The Kind Diet
Crazy, Sexy Diet
Appetite for Reduction
The Beauty Detox Solution
You should also check out Laura's blog:
Keeping Healthy Getting Stylish
4 comments:
I read this book two years ago, and I absolutely couldn't agree with you more. It's fucking ridiculous! I felt so manipulated by the time I was done with it; here I was thinking I'd get some great pointers on weight loss but instead those dumb hags were basically using this "weight loss" book as a platform for their ethical beliefs.
And like you mentioned, the tips aren't even safe or healthy. Not eating a healthy, BALANCED breakfast in the morning just heightens your chances of binging throughout the day. Your body NEEDS protein - a shit ton of it - and here they are saying (probably verbatum), "No one has a protein deficientcy." Bullshit.
Oh, and using the "p" word?! Here are these girls who basically preach that you shouldn't eat much, shouldn't eat protein, and shouldn't really bother to work out hard (and how could you have the energy to do so after following their plan?!) and THEY want to tell ME not to be a "p" word?! Seriously?! Those skinny hags are probably so famished they couldn't last 10 minutes in my boot camp class.
Enjoyed reading this -- your post, I mean. That book sounds terrible, and I'd probably set fire on it too... Also, I hope you put these posts on Amazon.com reviews because they're terrific, and in fact, you've inspired me to add a few of your reads to my one-day-reading list (as in, one-day-after-this-wedding-is-over). Hope you're well! Hugs from VA!
Misty: I'm so glad you agree. The whole time I was reading this book, I was trying to figure out how it became a NY Times Bestseller. It's mind boggling. This book is dangerous.
Ditto on the boot camp. I assuredly have a good 50 pounds on these ladies, but I bet I can out work-out them any day of the week.
Christina: thanks! I guess I should start putting some of my reviews on Amazon. I don't know why I've never thought to do that. Good call, thanks!
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