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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
Entertaining and something I could actually get behind.
Despite its insistence that it is NOT a diet book, it's a diet book. I was disappointed with the flippancy of "changing your lifestyle".
This is probably the most helpful and insightful book about eating you may ever read. The title says it all. Mireille Guiliano was born and raised in France, but spent some time as a teenager in America. During her stay, she gained 15 pounds! After going back to France, she met 'Dr. Miracle' and he proceeded to tell her how to lose the weight. No, she didn't drink water for a week straight and she didn't eat only meat or only carbs or only whatever! She wrote down what she ate, ate Leek soup for a day, and proceeded to find out what her downfalls were (they turned out to be pastries, yum!). After that, she watched what she ate, still had her pastries (in moderation of course), and made sure to get moderate exercise everyday (such as walking). The ideas are so simple, but are definitely not something we learn here in America. I highly recommend this book for a new perspective on our health, our bodies, and our food. There's so much more to it than just eating! Enjoy your food, relish in it, and don't settle for cheap imitations!!!! This is one book you will definitely not regret reading!
The content is interesting but it was hard to see past the authors high horse attitude. She spends half the time implying Americans are lazy and have no good food. There's also a strange sexist undertone throughout. I'm sure there are better books with far better researched information
I like the general concept of balancing pleasure with self-control rather than focusing on deprivation. The details and most of the content weren't really helpful to me, but focusing on the topic for the duration of the audiobook meant that I had to get the concept into my head, and that was beneficial. The trick is in successfully implementing this philosophy. I kind of doubted some of the author's generalizations about French women. From what I've read on the Internet, some of the generalizations were more true 20 years ago than they are today. I also think that a lot of the things that are said about the French in this book could also be said about a lot of other cultures.
As a French speaker, I loved how French this book is. It explains an important aspect of French culture and habits, with maybe a little bit of generalization and presumptuousness, which makes it entertaining to read.
The main message is to enjoy food and be mindful and critical of your eating habits, in contrast with the American, and basically, the whole globalized world, cultural conditioning of eating anything and everything just because. I don't even know what I enjoyed the most, the book itself or the offended Americans on the reviews. In a very French way, the author compares both cultures and while we can't accept everything as a universal truth, it really doesn't say anything that we haven't heard before, which is why its message really resonated with me, because it doesn't get complicated, it's simple but to the point. Maybe it was the francophone in me, but I really enjoyed it.
The main message is to enjoy food and be mindful and critical of your eating habits, in contrast with the American, and basically, the whole globalized world, cultural conditioning of eating anything and everything just because. I don't even know what I enjoyed the most, the book itself or the offended Americans on the reviews. In a very French way, the author compares both cultures and while we can't accept everything as a universal truth, it really doesn't say anything that we haven't heard before, which is why its message really resonated with me, because it doesn't get complicated, it's simple but to the point. Maybe it was the francophone in me, but I really enjoyed it.
Interesting book. I think the idea was interesting and she explored some differences in American/French eating habits. There were a few interesting ideas about “dieting” and I actually incorporated a couple into my lifestyle. It did seem like she kind of tried to make this book longer than it really needed to be but overall not bad.
I remember picking up this book before college; I wasn't impressed. I'm really surprised that my rating has gone from two-stars to five-stars in under ten years. I've always struggled with my weight and self-esteem but have gotten better over the years. So why give this book another chance? Well, it all started on lazy Sunday after gazing at Pinterest: Mimi Thorisson (my #1, absolute girl crush/role model/whatever-you-want-to-call-it) and French kitchens. Then I was daydreaming about what my life would be like in a French country chateau. Then I remembered this book (and its leek soup recipe). I am an "armchair traveler" at this point in my life; I do not have the means to explore, but I am endlessly enthralled in learning how others live their lives day to day. Growing up in a southern, American household, food has always been front and center...and not always for the best. This quote explains this disastrous mindset: "Nevertheless, most Americans eat at least 10 to 30 percent more than needed, not to survive but to satisfy psychological hunger. The trick is to manage and gratify your appetites, while determining how, when, and what to reduce." I did not expect this book to be a miracle or the magic key I need to break lifelong habits and environments. (I also really hate the title!) I came out with tons of takeaway tips to embrace my joie de vivre and gained a small view of how the French interact with their food and bodies.
A light read full of interesting anecdotes and handy tips and tricks.