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rsr143's review against another edition
3.0
A crass, witty and funny account of a magician's journey to losing over 100 pounds and transforming his health on a plant-based diet. Unlike many other books about diets, the strategy following was wholly unconventional. At times written in hyperbolic prose, the book was funny enough and the diet was unique enough that I labored through a few all-too-elaborate metaphors to see what would happen next. It was worth it.
acollierastro's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Hating on Hillary Clinton really soured it for me.
antisocial_auntie's review
3.0
My favorite part is the beginning when he says if you are taking nutrition advice from a Las Vegas magician you are an idiot. It was informative enough while still being honest about how he doesn't understand the science of it, that it just worked for him. Enjoyable and made me want to do more research on which food do have the most nutritional value compared to others.
hagbard_celine's review against another edition
2.0
In which an obese bloviator narrates his profoundly weird and quasi-informed weight loss. The potatoes thing isn't so much a diet as it is a performance piece. I have no particular concerns about my health, but I'm attracted to the potatoes thing because... what a weird thing to do. Jesus.
Anyway, picked this up out of nostalgia for my adolescent fandom, and I wouldn't recommend this to anyone else.
Anyway, picked this up out of nostalgia for my adolescent fandom, and I wouldn't recommend this to anyone else.
doubletroubledogmom's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not a fan of Penn and Teller but the title intrigued me. I came to appreciate a lot of what Penn said about who he was, how he works, and his love for his family. if you dont like cussing or sex references then it's not for you...but I did find it funny and amusing in places and very Interesting when it came to food and diet. I bet it would be even more enjoyable as an audio.
jenniferdenslow's review against another edition
3.0
Penn Jillette is no diet guru, but this book is not meant to be your weight loss handbook. While recounting the health problems that led him to lose weight and the crackpot method he followed, Jillette also provides an insight into his principled but highly iconoclastic personality. If profane language and straightforward talk offends you, you probably want to skip this one.
sharrypdx's review against another edition
4.0
Great story. True story. He uses the “F-word” more than anyone I’ve ever met. He also makes it clear that if you take dieting advice from a juggler you’re an idiot. . . And yet there is some good science hidden in here.
sleightoffeet's review against another edition
5.0
First of all, I know Penn, so I wouldn't give this book any less than five stars. Second, it's worth it because since I know Penn, if it were any less than 5 stars I wouldn't have rated it or written a review.
Whether you are into weight loss yourself or enjoy watching other people lose weight on the sidelines (me), this book is just plain well written. The descriptions had me giggling and the stories were fantastic. I really enjoy it when I can't wait to read what the author says next! Some of the analogies were so much fun, because you read the first sentence and go, "Huh?" and then by the time he finishes explaining, you can't see it any other way!
I don't know if I'll go all in on this diet, but it sure has made me a bit more mindful of what I'm putting in my body, and parts of this book really made me crave a salad with vinegar (yes, I said crave a salad... It can happen!)
Any lifestyle change can feel a bit scary, but reading about Penn's journey really made me see how something so extreme can actually be sustainable.
Whether you are into weight loss yourself or enjoy watching other people lose weight on the sidelines (me), this book is just plain well written. The descriptions had me giggling and the stories were fantastic. I really enjoy it when I can't wait to read what the author says next! Some of the analogies were so much fun, because you read the first sentence and go, "Huh?" and then by the time he finishes explaining, you can't see it any other way!
I don't know if I'll go all in on this diet, but it sure has made me a bit more mindful of what I'm putting in my body, and parts of this book really made me crave a salad with vinegar (yes, I said crave a salad... It can happen!)
Any lifestyle change can feel a bit scary, but reading about Penn's journey really made me see how something so extreme can actually be sustainable.
cabledsweater's review against another edition
3.0
Pure entertainment with a side of bro science and a lot of dirty jokes. Penn reinvents the wheel and end up with a lightly edited version of Michael Pollen's famous eating advice (Eat food. Not too often. Mostly plants.)