From one book to another

Well, I've finished "French Women Don't Get Fat." My final review is that it's an EXCELLENT book with a lot of helpful advice. A lot of it is common sense, yes, but the vast majority of Americans don't eat with common sense. I think it's also a good book for people who want to be healthy and slim but have an abhorrance for gyms or a dread of giving up chocolates or other indlugences. What's nice is that the author shows how French styles of eating allows for these indulgences in moderation and how to get your exercise (walking) in a non-intrusive or intimidating way like the StairMaster (the author's personal abhorrance.)



Last night, I started another eating/food lifestyle book called "Skinny Bitch." (Yes, there is a swear word in the title.) And although the "potty-mouth" and sassy style of the book IS likely to turn a lot of people off to it, the content is still very much true. Despite all the sacrcasm, there is a lot of backed-up scientific information about health, the food industry, and body chemistry. Some of it is the same information I've already learned because I've been reading more extensively lately, but there's still new things to learn, and you can also learn the same thing in a new light or with an added concept.

They are avid vegan proponents and give details of the modern meat industry. I've already know these things, but it's worth reading again. Eating meat may have been ok in the 1800's when you or neighbor Farmer Joe raised it, but today's meat industry IS very shady in letting conditions get extremely filthy and diseased and supervisors fail to follow testing procedures on the meat. Not to mention that slaughterhouses are the number one most dangerous job for workers and there's pretty horrific accidents that occur daily on account for more and more production at a faster and cheaper rate.

However, there's one downfall to the book. What is supposed to be meant as witty sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek attitudes can be a bit dangerous to people with low-self-esteem. It's not a language to be taken seriously--only the facts laced within them. I can see how, if someone took the attitude of the authors too seriously, it could lead to a poor self esteem and a fear of food. That's been the main controversy surrounding the book through other reviews I've read. That being said, I think it IS possible to read this book and learn something from it. But there are far better ones that can be read. This book isn't a necessity to a good food lifestyle like I would say of the previous book I read. Therefore, I wouldn't DIScourage someone from picking it up, but I would give a word of caution that there is language, there are sarcastic put-downs about what you eat, and it has to be taken lightly with a grain of salt.