A review by sarahbotreads
Lessons from the Fat-O-Sphere: Quit Dieting and Declare a Truce with Your Body by Kate Harding, Marianne Kirby

4.0

I read a lot of self-help books - I mean, A LOT. And I've come to the conclusion that what makes a self-help book helpful doesn't really have much to do with the actual content; for me, at least, it's more about the author's voice. Are they giving me the information in such a way that it resonates with me? This one really worked for me. The recurring basic theme is that there's no morality inherent in one's weight, eating habits, exercise habits, etc; that is to say, you're not "bad" or "good" based on what you eat, how often you work out, or what you weigh, and there are no virtuous or sinful foods. As usual, these are all things I know rationally, but are always good to be reminded of, and Harding and Kirby do so in that gentle-yet-unyielding way, the way you expect your best friends to talk to you, without denying the reality that making these sort of mental shifts is hard work that takes a long time.