Fiona Webster (melusina) - , reviewed on 3/21/2009 + 32 more book reviews

I'm right there with Linda who wants to throw this book in the recycle bin so no one else will be damaged by it. I will not be posting my own copy, because I think it would be immoral to knowingly allow someone else to read this book. Not only is the author so filled up with high self-regard he's about to pop, he hits some all-time lows of condescension: his readers are ignorant slobs, and they also lack anything in the way of values, principles, guidelines for an ethical life.

But all is OK! Because Richard A. Watson is here to lead us onto the right path! And somehow it involves some of the most destructive advice about fitness and weight loss I've ever heard: slash your daily calories to starvation levels and simultaneously run, don't walk, long blistering miles a day--whether it drives you nuts or not, whether it causes injuries or not, whether you're feeling the medical ill-effects of starvation or not. And somehow this is supposed to make us better people who care more about the state of the universe? Right.

I thought this sort of hogwash was debunked in the '70s. Apparently there are some holdout nut cases who are unapologetic about causing their followers to go through yo-yo weight fluctuation, overall weight gain, serious running injuries, exquisite physical misery, an overall sense of crushing failure, and sometimes even clinical depression.

Numerous medical studies have confirmed: Avoid this approach. It is bad for you.

--Fiona

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details