欧宝娱乐

Brilliant marketing. I don't exactly know what compelled me to buy this book, since I don't diet and I don't read chick lit. (Some reviewers surmise from the book's cover and sassy tone that Skinny Bitch is targeted to a chick lit market.) I kept seeing the book on forays to Borders, where I seek periodic respite from my high-decibel children and ideas for coping more gracefully when I'm back in the fray. When I picked it up one evening and opened it to a section on aspartame (a vice I have since found it easier to avoid), I was intrigued. The book is more an expose of the food industry than a diet book, but it's more accessible than many books that approach this agenda directly. I'm not sure how I feel about the bait-and-hook tactic; apparently some readers have demanded refunds because they expected straightforward weight-loss advice and felt duped by the appeal for veganism. I'm all for honest labels (and it strikes me as hypocritical that Barnouin and Freedman call for honest food labels when their book's packaging is intentionally misleading). But as a lapsed vegan, I welcome a book designed to motivate readers who aren't already embracing a vegan lifestyle.

My biggest criticism of this book is that it details ad nauseum (literally) what not to eat and offers only a general list of what to eat instead (fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans). Yes, they offer a list of approved convenience foods and a menu for a month of vegan eating. But that only goes so far in helping readers implement changes in their own lives, particularly when they have spouses and children who won't happily adapt to a diet without meat, dairy, or refined sugar. Having a family is the primary reason I'm a lapsed vegan--and a compelling reason to resume that lifestyle. So I enjoyed this book as an appetizer and look forward to reading and revisiting more substantial pro-vegan fare that will help my whole family adopt a healthier diet.