I purchased this book because Ray Cronise is the co-author, and last summer I read Penn Jillette's book on his weight loss story. Ever since then I've been on-again, off-again experimenting with a plant-based diet, and I'm now making another determined attempt to stick with it. I might add that for many years I was essentially a carnivore, and ate very little fruits and vegetables. Maybe that's why I'm about 70 lbs overweight and struggling with hypertension. After years of mocking vegetarians, I'm now becoming one, or at least adoping more of a "Flexitarian" diet.

One thing I like about this book is that it's written in a no-nonsense fact-filled style, and it doesn't come across as "preachy" like a lot of vegetarian/vegan books. I consider myself a "Flexitarian" because I have no ethical qualms about eating meat. However, if eating plants will help me lose weight and improve my health, then I'm willing to eat mostly plants. I want to live to a ripe old age and not die of a heart attack before I'm 65.

The chapter on nutrition was very interesting, and I also liked the "food triangle" the authors proposed. They also offered an explanation of WHY an Atkin's/Paleo/low-carb diet works. I know both approaches work, because I have lost weight with both, but this is the first time I've ever seen the big picture explained. The authors make it clear that they feel the plant-based approach is healthier, but they don't dispute the fact that people can and do lose weight with a high-protein, low-carb approach.

At least one other person has commented about the poor formatting for the Kindle, and it is true. I have the same issue with my Kindle Oasis and using the Kindle app on my iPad. However, it really only affects the recipes, and it's still possible to understand the recipes, it's just annoying. I'm not going to ding the review for a technical problem on the part of the publisher. I purchased a paper copy as well, just to leave in my kitchen, so I can refer to it without having to get my Kindle.

This book is fantastic. If anyone is looking for a way to change their health and change their life, this book is packed with that information. Don't let the "Idiot's Guide" title fool you. There is cutting edge science packed into this mainstream text. The authors do a great job translating complex and scientific-based information into simple, easy to understand language. One caveat is to not skim too quickly over the information and concepts. It can be easy to skip over some rather profound concepts and ideas. (Note: you can search the Internet to find rather dense peer-reviewed articles published by the authors.)

I'm not vegan, but eating plant-based has changed my health and life. A few years ago, I held many beliefs about what was "healthy." Eating "healthy" caused me to annually gain weight, have high blood pressure, acid reflux, respiratory issues, and a fast track to early grave. Nutrition is not a crisis and when you start to think differently about nutritional needs, you are freed to make health promoting decisions and not fall into all the "common sense" food traps and myths. My meals are both cheaper and easier to prepare than my old lifestyle (and way healthier!). It is amazing how better I feel once I've removed all the sugar, fat, and salt. This is not a diet; this is a lifestyle change. Eating mostly whole plants (veggies, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains) yields dividends in so many ways. This book equips one with all the tools and information to implement this change.

Disclosure: Inspired by Penn Jillette's amazing health transformation, I worked with the authors in 2016. I lost half my body weight 360 lbs -> 180 lbs in 1 year. I got off all my health-related medications and have never felt so good. Thinner than ever...but more importantly, healthier than ever. All my health markers have improved. My wife also achieved a dramatic weight change. We've kept our weight off for over a year plus. We were able to achieve this success utilizing the concepts outlined in this book. No surgeries, no drugs, no exercise. We radically changed the way we ate and we rewarded with an even more radical change in our health and lives. It almost seems too good to be true until you realize so many other people have found similar success implementing the information suggested in this book.

I read Penn Jillette's book last year. Using the sparse details, I pieced together the diet as best as I could tell and proceeded to drop 80 lbs in 4 months. I used 31 recipes I collected starring corn, potatoes, beans, rice, spinach, green beans, asparagus, and red peppers and using seasonings and other vegetables like green onions, tomatoes, and green peppers for flavoring. It worked well, but after 120 days and eating 6 different dishes every day, I got really bored with it.

After a 3 month break, I was ready to finish and drop the last 15 along with a few holiday pounds. Problem was, those dishes got boring after 2 weeks, since they were no longer new. I figure if I had about 75 recipes, I could cycle through them and keep things interesting, so I am always on the lookout for collections of vegetable recipes.

The problem is that too many vegetarians eat crappy diets. I frequent the vegetarian groups on Fitbit and they too frequently eat processed garbage. They don't really eat vegetarian: they engage in meat-avoidance. The cookbooks aren't much better: depending on garbage like agave (which to this book's credit says you should avoid). The other problem is they lean too heavily on nuts (my kids have food allergies, and I'm not going to put their life at risk in order to eat vegetables) or dudes like Joel Fuhrman put tofu in just about everything (seriously?).

I got this hoping the secrets of what Penn ate would be in here. You can tell me all the joys of eating vegetables, but if the food isn't good, I'm not eating it. If it is good, I'll go read back and read the rest so I can feel even better about what I'm eating.

The first disappointment was that there weren't enough recipes. It starts with breakfast food: smoothies, pancakes, pudding, and such. One of the first lessons I learned from Ray (via Penn) was that all eating is habit, so I made it a habit of eating whatever for breakfast: Louisianna-seasoned beans and rice with a side of spinach, for instance. There is no "breakfast food." There's just "food." So those were all throw-away recipes to me.

Then there are "sensational sweets." I don't need deserts. Sweet food is why I had to drop 80 lbs in the first place. All eating is habit. I worked to change my habits. So again, these are throwaway recipes.

There is section on grab and go foods: dips and hummus, if you will. Again, all eating is habit. This isn't what I do. I'm not into hosting Martha Stewart's vegan friends in a 6 course meal. I just want some dishes I can cook up and throw in the lunch box and take to work. If it's a little on the bland side, that is fine: Penn taught me the joys of apple cider vinegar and hot sauce.

That leaves 14 "Mouthwatering Main" dishes. One had 622 calories per serving, which is almost what I got out one day of eating 6 of my own dishes. This is probably a recipe you use after dropping the weight, which is fine, but like I said: not for me, but may be for you. A few used grains, which I was pretty sure Penn said he avoided - I know I did. I thought he was pretty specific about that. Again, probably maintenance.
So basically, not a lot that I could use or looked that tasty compared to the 31 I already have.

So if you want the lowdown on why you should eat your fruits and veggies, this is a good place to start. Ray is a straight-up G when it comes to science and weight loss. I'm not as familiar with Julianna Hever, but she seems to know her stuff.

But once you learn why you should be eating this, good luck trying to eat it, unless you can get by on eating them in their raw form, because I have yet to find a really good collection of recipes. I guess I'm going to have to scour the internet to get to 75, because book form is a futile search.

This is a well-written book that deserves 5 stars, but I can't give it 5 stars because the publisher didn't properly format it for Kindle. One of the key sections of the book is a list of recipes. None of them were entered/formatted properly by the publisher so the ingredient lists overlap the instructions. I'm disappointed Amazon let this slip through the cracks.

I have a lot of admiration for Penn Jillette, so it pains me a little to write this review from this point of view. His recommendation of Plant-Based Nutrition was the main reason I purchased it. Penn has said that reading the Bible will make you an atheist. Reading this book has convinced me that I should be an omnivore.

I wanted to buy into total Plant-Based Nutrition hook line and sinker. My family and I have been close to living on a plant-based diet for some time (Years). I was probably the main holdout of the family. For me, there are some days when I feel my body just needs some meat or dairy.

I binged read this book. With highlighters/pens on the table and my smartphone to do research, I hung onto every word. It was a lot of fun with many twist and turns.

When I ordered the book, I had hoped that it would push me over the edge and I could embrace a total Plant-Based diet and not look back. After reading this book, I now feel our mostly plant-based diet has been a mistake, or at least the way we have been handling it. After reading this book, we will take a hard look at our diet and make some adjustments.

First of all, with the title of my review, you may be assuming that I hated the book. Quite the contrary, I'm glad I purchased the book and would recommend it to anyone who is willing to take the time to research its claims and form their own opinion about it. The opinion I have formed, and research I have embraced, could be different for another person. Five years from now I might think differently too.

Books like these express a viewpoint and try to promote that viewpoint while often showcasing why the other viewpoint is incorrect. When I read a book such of this, there are four things that I tend to look for: Readability, Credibility, Objectivity, and Perceived Motive

1. Readability

This book is very well written. It is an easy read with bite-sized chapters that flow well. The layout is great, and the sidebars are certainly welcomed. For Readability, I would give the book five stars!

2. Credibility

UPDATE: In my original review, I questioned some of the book's credibility due to what I perceived as a lack of references.

After a response from one of the authors, I felt I needed to update this section of my review. I did not know that the authors had to adhere to strict formatting requirements to comply with the Idiot's Guide brand. Subsequently, my disappointment with the lack of references was probably not deserved, and some of the issues I had with credibility were not warranted. I recommend looking at Mr. Cronise's response to my review and reading his two suggested papers if you had the same concerns that I did. Both are very readable and worth the time. You can find these papers listed in the book on page 325 as well.

I'm still concerned that there are some mentions of individuals that may have influenced the book that I feel are not as credible as I would like to see. I don't know how much of their influence was exerted in the content of the book.

For Credibility, I would have to give the book four stars.

3. Objectivity

Since there is another viewpoint to the topic objectivity is fun to observe. How do you promote your viewpoint honestly and address the counterpoint?

It is very commendable that the authors point out areas of concern when following a plant-based diet. They did not hide any of the areas that might hurt someone that did not follow a plant-based correctly.

I think they tackled Organic vs. conventional very well.

I was a little disappointed with the broad brush and shakey information the book uses to disparage the omnivore diet. First, I believe they portrayed an omnivore diet as equal to the Standard American Diet. That may not have been their intention, but if it was I think that is an unfair representation.

I also didn't like the use of some half-truths to vilify animal products. One example: "iron delivered by animal products comes with saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, steroids, hormones, and antibiotics." Even in my local rural grocery store, they have animal products where the animal hasn't been given steroids, hormones, or antibiotics. In fact, poultry and pork must be free from hormones in the US.

I was also disappointed how they dismissed research that may shed a positive light on animal products by suggesting that who funded the study determined the outcome. I wish they had critiqued the studies by their scientific merit, not who was paying for them. In the end, it's about the science to me.

For Objectivity, I would have to give the book three stars.

4: Perceived Motive

While you cannot climb inside someone's head, you can make a judgment call on their motive. You may be incorrect, but you are not wrong for making the call. For me, It helps when you must determine if you are going to have buy-in to what they are promoting.

I have every reason to believe that the authors' motives are pure, and they truly want to help people live longer healthier lives.
Nowhere do I see them asking you to buy their expensive supplements. (Side Note: Their chapter on Supplements is very enjoyable.)

For Perceived Motive, I would have to give the book five stars.

Overall I would give the book four and some change.

So, you may ask, what now? Well as I read the book, and fact-checked statements, I found peer-reviewed research on both sides of the fence. In the end, I had to formulate my thoughts and opinions. Thanks to reading the book, I discovered some areas where we have been making mistakes in our mostly plant-based diet. These errors in our diet may explain some of the health issues we have faced lately (Not earth-shattering ones, but they are there). The book makes some sensible recommendations on how to fix them, but the management of such a diet with a family of four is hard.

Because something is hard does not make it not worthwhile. I do a lot of hard things. The problem is, I was not convinced by the book or my fact-checking, that the animal products we would consume, in the quantities we would eat, would cause more harm than good. I feel an omnivore diet, with a primary focus on finding most of our nutrition in whole food plants, is best for my family and me. That may be a disappointment for the authors, but they should know that I feel I have been helped by their book and will remain a plant-curious eater.

PS:
The recipes are worth the price of admission.