Read during Winter 2002/2003

A quirky little book on how to loose 20 pounds and change the world. It's not a diet book and it's not a philosophy text but somewhere in there is alot of wisdom and learning and insight. Takes about 10 pages to get to can't put it down stage, so it's good it is only about 100 pages. Read it again.

I'd love to reread this book if someone would just give it back! I am no good at dieting, but, by making a diet a subversive way to counteract mass culture this title helps me in those small day to day decisions. ( )

Subtitled "how to lose weight and change the world", Watson writes about the discipline necessary to lose 20 lbs, but comes to the conclusion that eliminating raw sugar and processed foods is morally necessary, since these are foisted upon unsuspecting people by large corporations. I think this perspective is flawed; corporations are not in the business of forcing people to go against their tastes, but rather cater to them, and the taste for sugar and salt is inate. The need for fresh foods all the time, as Watson maintains is the best revenge, cannot be met without vast investments in transportation and packaging. These are apparently somehow better corporate practices than using salt for preservation. The book was brief, thought provoking but ultimately the author's viewpoint is all too predictable when one knows he is an academic philosopher, and not seriously in the world of work ( )

There are no menus, complicated calorie guidelines or other standard diet book formulas in this one. It's a very simple and short guide to making the decision to change your life. Get moving and keep it under 900 calories a day until you get down to where you want to be. Then figure out how much you can eat without destroying what you've just accomplished. I've started running again because of this book. Give it a try. ( )