Short Takes: 11 Diet & Fitness Manuals
Susan B. Hagloch, Dover, OH -- Library Journal, 10/24/2008 12:49:00 PM
According to British self-help guru Paul McKenna (see below), more than 25,000 diet books are in print—that's what you call an overabundance of information. To make sense of this year’s slew, I've applied the Short Takes formula to 11 titles. My verdict: they build on the precedent set by 2007’s selections, meaning they are even less faddish and even more likely to be effective. Among the promising trends are recommendations of natural, high-fiber foods and increased recognition of the need for changing one’s attitudes toward food. Also, nearly everyone has now realized that reducing intake is not enough—one must increase metabolism, and that means regular exercise.
Bauer, Joy with Carol Svec. Joy’s Life Diet: 4 Steps to Thin Forever. Collins Living: HarperCollins. Jan. 2009. c.336p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-06-166574-5. $25.95. HEALTHNutritionist Bauer (Cooking with Joy) appears regularly on The Today Show to demonstrate the effectiveness of proper diet and regular exercise. Her "Joy’s Fit Club" segment features individuals who have lost at least 200 pounds using her four-part system (i.e., Release, Relearn, Reshape, Reveal). Included here are acceptable food lists, with sample menus, easy recipes, and guidelines for controlling portion sizes, as well as graduated exercise routines. A basic plan that has the advantage of a built-in audience.
Beck, Judith S. The Complete Beck Diet for Life: The 5-Stage Program for Permanent Weight Loss. Oxmoor House. Jan. 2009. c.288p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-8487-3274-5. $24.95. HEALTHIn this follow-up to her New York Times best-selling The Beck Diet Solution, Beck continues to espouse the benefits of cognitive therapy in helping people change their eating and exercise habits. Readers learn to develop "Success Skills" through five stages, each with a set of specific tasks (e.g., set a modest goal; talk to your family). Good for people who like to verbalize their thought processes or those who have exhausted gimmick diets. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/08.]
Bensen, Kim. Finally Thin!: 10 Steps to Making Your Diet Stick for Life. Broadway. Dec. 2008. c.288p. photogs. ISBN 978-0-7679-2950-9. $22.95. HEALTHIn 2001, businesswoman Bensen weighed 347 pounds; here, she shares how she dropped 14 dress sizes and kept it off. Cheerful and upbeat, she is the encouraging friend at readers’ sides as they navigate the dizzying array of modern diets. The text boils down to a terrific summation of all the current options out there, with advice on choosing what will work best. There are also easy recipes from this self-described "non-cook." Excellent; in-the-trenches dieters will appreciate Bensen’s war stories. (P.S. She's the founder of Kim's Light Bagels, found in grocery stores on the East Coast.)
Bosler, Caron. 15 Minute Dance Workout. ISBN 978-0-7566-4202-0.Pagano, Joan. 15 Minute Abs Workout. ISBN 978-0-7566-4203-7.ea. vol: DK. 2008. 128p. photogs. index. pap. $17.95 with DVD. HEALTH
Dance instructor Bosler presents four easy-to-follow 15-minute aerobic dance routines with full-color stills. The salsa routine improves coordination, ballet emphasizes posture and flexibility, and jazz and street styles work up a sweat and improve strength. Certified fitness instructor Pagano’s companion volume includes crunch and core routines, aimed at the different muscle groups. Both titles are lavishly illustrated and come with DVDs. Excellent for time-crunched gym rats.
Cheung, Theresa. The Lemon Juice Diet: Lose Weight and Look Great Fast. Griffin: St. Martin’s. Jan. 2009. 214p. index. ISBN 978-0-312-53665-7. pap. $13.95. HEALTHHealth writer Cheung hails a return of citric-acid theory, which claims lemon juice will gently clean the toxins out of your system and perk up the flavors of foods. The chemistry is not proven, but the plan and the recipes will reap results if followed faithfully. Not the most convincing tack, but it may find fans among the juicing crowd.
Hobbs, Chantel. The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Trainer. WaterBrook: Random. Dec. 2008. c.176p. ISBN 978-0-307-44642-8. pap. $10.99. HEALTH
Well-known personal trainer Hobbs offers a body-mind-spirit approach, including an eating plan, recipes, an exercise schedule, and Scripture quotations for motivation. Aimed at the Christian audience.
McKenna, Paul. I Can Make You Thin™: The Revolutionary System Used by More Than 3 Million People. Sterling. Jan. 2009. c.176p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-1-4027-6571-1. $22.95 with CD. HEALTH
McKenna’s British blockbuster has arrived on American shores. This self-dubbed nondiet book offers a system that differentiates physical hunger from emotional hunger and shows how to eat consciously and how to recognize fullness. The accompanying guided hypnosis CD helps readers stay focused. McKenna, a media personality in his native UK, helped Ellen DeGeneres quit smoking. Expect heavy marketing and moderate to high demand from the daytime TV crowd.
Pirello, Christina. This Crazy Vegan Life: A Prescription for an Endangered Species. HPBks: Penguin Group USA. Dec. 2008. c.384p. index. ISBN 978-1-55788-538-8. pap. $18.95. HEALTH
In her latest book, public TV host Pirello (Cooking the Whole Foods Way) clears up some of the misconceptions about a vegan diet—yes, it’s nutritionally complete; no, it’s not complicated. She also attempts to bring a little lightness to what is usually considered a rather dreary topic. An excellent summary of what veganism can do for us and the environment. Essential for libraries serving an upscale, forward-thinking audience.
Williams, Jayne. Shape Up with the Slow Fat Triathlete. Da Capo Lifelong. Jan. 2009. c.272p. index. ISBN 978-1-56924-391-6. pap. $15.95. HEALTH
In her previous The Slow Fat Triathlete, Williams described her transformation from couch potato to triathlete. This humorous follow-up explains how fitness does not necessarily lead to a magazine-perfect body. It’s alright to be what some call "overweight"; it doesn’t matter what you look like in a bathing suit. What’s important is getting out there and moving. Williams supplies tips for letting go of the worst obstacle of all—self-consciousness. At last something for real people; highly recommended.
Wright, Vonda, M.D., with Ruth Winter. Fitness After 40: How To Stay Strong at Any Age. AMACOM: American Management Assn. Jan. 2009. c.304p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-8144-0994-7. pap. $17.95. HEALTH
Physical fitness can slow the deterioration of both mind and body, but most fitness titles are aimed at the young. Here, orthopedic surgeon Wright outlines a plan for maintaining flexibility, balance, strength, and cardiovascular health in a clear, nonpatronizing style that will appeal to readers of all ages. There are good sections on avoiding and dealing with injury, as well as exercise routines and a generalized eating plan. Very well done, especially for the 40-plus set.
