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The Philosopher's Diet: How to Lose Weight & Change the World
This toothsome classic takes on the combined challenges of discovering the meaning of the universe and eliminating fat at the same time. Its topic sentence contains a promise that should sell millions: "In this book, I tell how to take weight off and keep it off." He doesn't stop there, but continues, "The book also embodies a philosophy of life. The weight program is the...more
Paperback, 128 pages
Published
April 1st 1999
by David R. Godine Publisher
(first published 1985)
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Apr 07, 2012
Desertrose
added it
This was an excellent book and entertaining as well. The advice is straightforward. It's nothing that we don't already know, but
it's never been presented this way. I laughed out loud. When has that happened while reading a diet book? I came across the book
at the perfect time. For the last year, i've been slowly cleaning up my diet i.e. cutting out the crap. This book positively motivated me
to truly kickstart my clean eating efforts. Gone are the cookies, the preservative-filled morning cereals a...more
it's never been presented this way. I laughed out loud. When has that happened while reading a diet book? I came across the book
at the perfect time. For the last year, i've been slowly cleaning up my diet i.e. cutting out the crap. This book positively motivated me
to truly kickstart my clean eating efforts. Gone are the cookies, the preservative-filled morning cereals a...more
I read about this years ago in Bas Bleu as an anti-diet, diet book, so eagerly bought it at a used bookstore several years ago (and for those of you who know me, I am not going on a diet; I was merely looking for a quick read!). While the Bas Bleu description is semi-accurate, I was actually surprised by the amount of actual dieting advice the first part of the book contained -- from espousing a whole foods lifestyle to praising exercise. But, the book hits its stride when it takes a turn in the...more
The author offers good advice but advice I didn't need. On a personal note, I'm totally bummed that he says to do everything I've already done (well, let's be honest - I don't exercise enough) and I'm still fat. Crap. But if I am to think about it for the person who hasn't done any of these things yet, of course it's good advice - and hopefully they will be more successful.
In a nutshell: opt out of processed and fast foods particularly those heavily laden with sugar and salt. Pay attention to w...more
In a nutshell: opt out of processed and fast foods particularly those heavily laden with sugar and salt. Pay attention to w...more
I picked up this book in a bookstore that was going out of business. Browsing through the a few pages in the middle convinced me to buy it as it was witty and clever.
To repeat what many others have said, it puts everything you already know about losing weight in a very logical, common sense and funny sort of way. It is also very philosophical. I will definitely read it again and again, but what I got from it (at least this time, might be something different next time) the most was what commitme...more
To repeat what many others have said, it puts everything you already know about losing weight in a very logical, common sense and funny sort of way. It is also very philosophical. I will definitely read it again and again, but what I got from it (at least this time, might be something different next time) the most was what commitme...more
Apr 12, 2012
Jo Switten
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone with a good sense of humour :)
Recommended to Jo by:
a local newspaper
I lost allready 8 kilos before I started reading this book. It is a very inspiring little book. Most of the things the author describes you allready know, but he presents it in a way which is both funny and educational. As a matter of fact, this book inspired me to start running again after so many years. I also solved a problem in my neighboorhood! When I go running now in the morning, I take a small plastic bag with me and I pick up the litter laying around in the streets surrounding my place....more
Here are the chapter titles:
1. Fat
2. Food
3. Roughage
4. Running
5. Sex
6. How to Live
7. How to Die
I’m finding it difficult to summarize this slim volume. It invites short, pithy, smart-aleck summations like, “Life’s a beach and then you die” or the more conventional and less optimistic version. Or something much longer — but it’s a short book, you might as well read the book rather than my summary.
Possibly the most important thing to note about this book is that Richard Watson is a bona fide philos...more
1. Fat
2. Food
3. Roughage
4. Running
5. Sex
6. How to Live
7. How to Die
I’m finding it difficult to summarize this slim volume. It invites short, pithy, smart-aleck summations like, “Life’s a beach and then you die” or the more conventional and less optimistic version. Or something much longer — but it’s a short book, you might as well read the book rather than my summary.
Possibly the most important thing to note about this book is that Richard Watson is a bona fide philos...more
I was inspired and really enjoyed this book. I found it hilarious, thought provoking and that it pointed out the obvious- we already know much of what we need to do in order to accomplish what it is that we think we want, it's just that we need inspiration to keep at or start a life long commitment.
He closes with what Descartes said "human foibles should be treated with charity and understanding, and that no one living should disdain the mundane pleasures of love."
He closes with what Descartes said "human foibles should be treated with charity and understanding, and that no one living should disdain the mundane pleasures of love."
For someone who has tried a zillion diets, this book is refreshing. It isn't anything new ... it is just a broader look at how and why we eat ... and explains how the way we eat is not very earth friendly. It is simple and honest and a very good way to live. I'm trying to adopt his philosophy - so I should be just the size I want to be in about 80 days or so ... and then I should be that size forever :)!!!! What a deal hu???
I may not (okay, almost certainly won't) follow the author's advice on losing weight (which is excellent)but I will read the book again ...and again. There's a lot of wisdom here (duh, the author's a philosopher, for Pete's sake!) And, I had thought that I should read David Hume after reading several of the Isabel Dalhousie books;I even got the book down from one of my bookcases. It's still sitting on my end table. Now I feel a renewed desire to read Hume. Not bad for a slim (102 pages on Nook)l...more
Long before the current spate of "eat local, eat moral" books (think Animal, Vegetable, Miracle or Michael Pollan, there was The Philosopher's Diet. Based on an article published in the mid-80's in The Atlantic Monthly, this book neatly and in a no-nonsense fashion tells you how to do what must be done: eat less, move more. The writer's style is witty and entertaining, an important point when he's telling you to do stuff that no one (let's face it) really wants to do.
I read this book when it f...more
I read this book when it f...more
This was an excellent book!!!! Maybe I was in the space to listen. Whatever...it was inspiring, informative, funny, thoughtful, simple, and motivating. I truly enjoyed it and am going to follow his philosophy for taking control, making being healthy a life project, and accomplishing something really hard in my lifetime. Loved it!
A unique book, hard to classify. It really is a weight-loss book, and it really is a philosophy book. Without being able to agree with the author on philosophical fundamentals, I still found the book interesting, funny, thought-provoking, and even inspirational.
Fun, quirky. Talking about losing weight, but actually about changing your life. Take control of something, commit to it, and change your life - that's it.
Totally not what I thought it was going to be. Read it if you must but you're better off passing
Excellent motivator to just being more conscious of what one eats. I don't consider it a "diet" book, unless the term is used only in terms of reducing.
The book started out good but after the first few chapters the author seemed to have lost his way. It seemed to me that the author had a great idea for an article or an essay but then thought wow if I write some more this could be a book!! So in order to get to appropriate book length and to throw in material to impress us with his knowledge and education he continued to write!! And what started out as an interesting artcle became an over long book that digressed from his original topic and was...more
A quirky little book on how to loose 20 pounds and change the world. It's not a diet book and it's not a philosophy text but somewhere in there is alot of wisdom and learning and insight. Takes about 10 pages to get to can't put it down stage, so it's good it is only about 100 pages. Read it again.
This is a pretty decent book. The author argues that dieting is a metaphor for life. It takes a consistent and lifelong discipline to do it well and many people will fail. I personally thought the book was a little light on actual philosophy, aside from his constant anecdotal reference to Descartes and Pascal's Wager, but it is a really solid book and, in my mind, absolutely correct.
I'd love to reread this book if someone would just give it back! I am no good at dieting, but, by making a diet a subversive way to counteract mass culture this title helps me in those small day to day decisions.
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I thought it was funny and an interesting read. It didn't tell you anything you didn't know, but put it into an interesting perspective.
Aug 11, 2007
Mary Tuley
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone wishing to lose weight or gain wisdom.
I was intriqued first by the title. The book itself didn't change my life, but it probably could have if I'd had a truly open mind.
Can Philosophy help you to lose weight? Read it and see. An unusual self help book if ever there was one.
This book was reviewed as witty and interesting. Really, it was just another "how to lose weight" book.
I've read this a few times. I'm planning on reading it again soon. Reading again now.
Recommended by MMV. Amusing, if you can tolerate the crass atheism.
Jun 10, 2013
Andd Becker
marked it as to-read
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