How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss by Michael Greger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let me preface this review by saying that Dr. Greger is my kind of nerd. I've been a fan of his books and NutritionFacts.org since I first became vegan four years ago. He is a consummate researcher who always leads with the best available body of research to support his claims and suggestions. I love his snarky, sometimes corny deadpan humor and his ability to take otherwise dry nutrition science and shine a light on the most exciting tidbits. How Not To Diet, like all of his other books, embodies all of this.

Dr. Greger begins by fleshing out the causes, consequences and solutions to America's obesity crisis, laying the blame squarely in the lap of the meat-heavy, highly processed Standard American Diet. He then proceeds to flesh out the characteristics of an "ideal" weight loss diet - one that is safe, effective, health-promoting, and easy to adhere to. Once this foundation has been laid, Dr. Greger provides a list of (safe!) tips and tricks that can help further boost weight loss. He then ties it all together in a summary chapter, which can serve as a standalone TL;DR (too long, didn't read) for anyone who doesn't have the time to sit and wade through all of the information.

While this book is geared towards those looking to lose weight, it can also serve as a beneficial resource for anyone looking to improve their health. It's also a great read for people who are interested in nutrition science. Every time I picked this book up, the nutrition geek in me would emerge, wide-eyed and child-like, excited to learn another fascinating piece of information. I took my time with this encyclopedic text so as to really savor each morsel of knowledge. This was absolutely necessary because the man gave us a veritable buffet of scientifically-backed information. Greger himself advises to treat this book as a reference, and the well-organized chapter structure makes it very easy to do just that. I have nothing but high praises for this book and would recommend it to any and everyone.

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Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you're a fan of any of Anthony Bourdain's TV shows, then you'll definitely enjoy Kitchen Confidential. Bourdain writes with unflinching honesty about his experiences in the restaurant business. He's forthcoming about his bad behavior, his missteps, and being a general "punk" as he so knowingly refers to his younger self. Bourdain is clear that this isn't the authoritative story of the dark side of the restaurant industry, but rather, that it is uniquely and quite honestly his story. I appreciate honesty, even if the things I'm being presented with aren't the most pleasant.

After reading about the antics that Bourdain experienced during his years as a chef, you absolutely will start to approach eating out with a different eye, regarding many restaurants and the meals they serve with suspicion. No doubt, Bourdain gives a no-holds-barred look into the seething "culinary underbelly", with brutal honesty and a refreshing dose of humor. You will cringe, you will squirm, you will be shocked, you will laugh. You will get just about everything you'd expect from Bourdain, and then some. If you're an aspiring chef, or simply a curious foodie, this book is definitely worth the read.

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