The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living: An Expert Guide to Making the Life-Saving Benefits of Carbohydrate Restriction Sustainable and Enjoyable by Stephen D. Phinney, Jeff S. Volek (2011) Paperback

I've read just about every diet book on the market over the last 20 years looking for "the answer," the understanding that finally helps me shed my excess 6 stones (84 lbs!). I've even read and tried, but only with partial success, the original Atkins diet book. But nothing ever really stuck with me for more than a few weeks before I was back-sliding and looking for something else. This book changed everything. It filled in my understanding of low-carb dieting and put both the research basis and practicalities in place to make cutting carbs really work for me. As I have a scientific background (physics), I find it very hard to take seriously the low fat diet hypothesis (no evidence) and I cringe when someone says something about calories in/calories out, but this is a book written by people who actually understand their subject area deeply and their scholarship leaps off the page.Cut a long story short: in my 40th year in the planet (32nd year as an obese person; 20th year as grossly obese), I have finally shed a ton of weight without any adverse effects (no headaches, lethargy, cotton-mouth, weird palpitations, and NO CRAVINGS) and feel better than I have in 2 decades. My stomach acid (which led to 2 ulcers) has gone completely - well, I mean, it is there but not causing any discomfort. The second best thing about this book, after the astonishing ease with which it's advice and understanding led me to lose weight, is that it fills in so many gaps in understanding that previous low carb and other diet books left. That means that I finally have proper answers for when doctors, colleagues and family get all stressed out with my diet being composed of about 95% (by calories) meat, fish and eggs. Though, their tone has changed over the last few months as they see that I am losing weight, full of energy (like, who knew sport was fun and the "let's do sport" feeling could come on spontaneously!), have overcome my severe forgetfulness, don't take proton pump inhibitors anymore, have cut my blood pressure from high 150s over mid 90s to low 120s over low 80s (happened in the first WEEK to those who claim it was the weight loss) without meds, sleep better than I can remember and feel like a new person.I know this is a bit gushy (not a characteristic normally attributed to me), but these two authors have given me a new lease of life. Buy a few copies of this book; read one and give the rest to your doctor, dentist, nutritionist, local govt/state delegates, just basically everyone who needs a bracing dose of science and an understanding of how to fix things by changing what we all put in our mouths.

This book is written by two people who really seem to know their subject. They provide what seems to me to be a really well argued and informed thesis for why we should adopt a low-carb lifestyle. I had to go over some of the technical bits more than once but in general the book is a good read, I finished it in three sessions. I also found it very useful in taking me on from where Gary Taubes' 'Diet Delusion' ('Good Calories, Bad Calories' in the US) and 'Why we get fat' left off. After reading these three books I feel that I understand very clearly the politics of food and the mechanisms of good diet (not 'diet' as in 'dieting' but diet as in what you eat), how to eat well and how to keep my weight down. This book advocates a diet with more fat and higher salt levels than other authors (such as the otherwise excellent John Briffa) and has shown me where I can improve my regime and overcome one or two minor niggles which I do not remember taking in before. It really is a different perspective to what we have been brought up with for the past 30 - 40 years and as the authors note; if you are not prepared for that mind shift you won't get the most from it!The book is reasonably priced as a Kindle book but for some reason seems to be very expensive as a paper book - don't understand that but I am happy with the Kindle option myself.I have lost > 50lbs (5 trouser sizes!) in approx 18 months on a low carb diet, my numerous allergies have dissapeared along with my waist and I genuinely feel healthier than I have for years.

Due to the large amount of misunderstandings, myths and deliberate misinformation around the topic of living a low-carb lifestyle, many people trying to follow this diet will encounter severe 'resistance' from medical professionals - often including their own GP. This book is the *ideal* solution for that problem - simply buy a copy, hand it to the person and say "please read this, it was written for medical professionals, and then tell me if you still object to what I'm trying to do".Having come from a scientific background, I bought this book because I wanted to get a better understanding of exactly how my low-carb diet was working.This book is superbly written - but be warned - it appears to be aimed mainly towards GPs and the wider nutritional & medical professions. As such, I'd say it is not really a book written to provide dietary advice to 'lay persons'. It contains detailed descriptions of metabolic pathways, enzymes involved, in-depth endocrinology, biochemistry, etc.Having said all that, I must say the *majority* of the book is quite 'readable' for non-scientific people ... but just be aware there are parts which sail way above the heads of us 'mere mortals'..!This is a true **FIVE STAR** book, and should be compulsory reading for anyone seriously involved in nutrition or the medical treatment of obesity related conditions.