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Presto! How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales
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An unconventional weight loss tale from an unconventional personality—Penn Jillette tells how he lost 100 pounds with his trademark outrageous sense of humor and biting social commentary that makes this success story anything but ordinary.
Legendary magician Penn Jillette was approaching his sixtieth birthday. Topping 330 pounds and saddled with a systolic blood pressure re ...more
Legendary magician Penn Jillette was approaching his sixtieth birthday. Topping 330 pounds and saddled with a systolic blood pressure re ...more
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I have to start by saying I am a huge fan of Penn Jillette. I have watched his comedy for years and even attended a Penn and Teller show in Vegas. I love listening to him talk – he is just such a big and charismatic presence – everything he says is delivered with importance and grandeur. I was so glad to find this book on audio so I could listen to it in his voice. Listening to this book has led to hours down the rabbit hole of YouTube to find old Penn and teller skits, Penn interviews, etc., an
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Want dieting advice from Penn Jillette? Here's the most useful piece of advice you'll find in Presto!:
"Don't take dieting advice from a juggler."
Seriously, though. If you approach this book as a dieting/lifestyle book (which I did, silly me), you're gonna have a bad time. It's not that I expected Penn's journey to health to be filled with well-researched facts and sound medical advice, but this... This is worse than I thought.
It's pretty tragic to see a man who values facts and rational thought ...more
"Don't take dieting advice from a juggler."
Seriously, though. If you approach this book as a dieting/lifestyle book (which I did, silly me), you're gonna have a bad time. It's not that I expected Penn's journey to health to be filled with well-researched facts and sound medical advice, but this... This is worse than I thought.
It's pretty tragic to see a man who values facts and rational thought ...more
I always liked Penn & Teller. They were often on the late-night talk shows when I was a teenager; they were funny and they were great magicians. Then, in the '90s, I started hearing Penn Jillette spouting stupid, right-wing beliefs, and I became disenchanted with him. He's a big libertarian, and I came to see that, although usually fun to have a discussion with, most libertarians were just Republican Lite. That being said, I have to say that this book won me over. Penn still has some stupid smal
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I am pretty sure I like this book. I mean, the jokes are pretty familiar if you listen to Penn's podcast, and there are allusions to stories in previous books that will go over the heads of newcomers. But that's not really why anyone's buying this book, right? We all want to see how he did it, how he lost all that weight.
Before I even get into it, this is not the "potato diet," no matter how many nearly identical book reviews that shows up in. (Seriously, is there no originality in American news ...more
Before I even get into it, this is not the "potato diet," no matter how many nearly identical book reviews that shows up in. (Seriously, is there no originality in American news ...more
Despite being unable to spell his last name correctly, I usually enjoy Penn Jillette, but this is a health and diet book like Milli Vanilli were musicians.
I don't consider this a spoiler, so I'm going to condense it for you in one sentence: "If you're pushing 300 pounds and you go on a 1,000 to 1,200 calorie a day diet for 100 days, you'll probably lose 100 pounds."
Is that true? Sure it is. In February of 2016, 3 of my gym pals and I made a bet as to who could lose the most weight. I stuck to 1, ...more
I don't consider this a spoiler, so I'm going to condense it for you in one sentence: "If you're pushing 300 pounds and you go on a 1,000 to 1,200 calorie a day diet for 100 days, you'll probably lose 100 pounds."
Is that true? Sure it is. In February of 2016, 3 of my gym pals and I made a bet as to who could lose the most weight. I stuck to 1, ...more
I have a soft spot for Penn Jillette. I've read many of his books and almost always enjoy them tremendously. He is completely irreverent and self-deprecatory while at the same time he goes to extremes praising the things and the people who make him happy. In that way, he reminds me of me. People are always telling me I say 'I hate this' and 'I love that' all the time, that's there's no middle ground. Jillette is like that too. In this particular book I truly enjoyed hearing the story of how he l
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There's a point (toward the very end) at which he says--for probably the 5th or 10th time--"I don't drink or do recreational drugs" then admit that he says it a lot, then says it's because what he writes, like Three Stooges shorts, wasn't meant to be consumed back-to-back. Well Penn, the problem is...you wrote and published a book, which IS meant to be read front to back.
That kind of sums up my reaction to this book. I like Penn Jillette, probably agree with him 80% of the time (he loses me with ...more
That kind of sums up my reaction to this book. I like Penn Jillette, probably agree with him 80% of the time (he loses me with ...more
It's a book by Penn about psuedoscience. Not him busting it, but partaking in it. He openly admits to not be a doctor and discourages the reader from following his diet. And rightly so, the rapid weight loss he experienced had to be managed by a doctor or his medication might have killed him.
So, the book mostly focuses on the journey and philosophy. Penn is prone to digressions and rants, as well. The journey makes for a decent read but the interspersing of tangents and philosophy make the book ...more
So, the book mostly focuses on the journey and philosophy. Penn is prone to digressions and rants, as well. The journey makes for a decent read but the interspersing of tangents and philosophy make the book ...more
i am a fat fuck. i had to put this book down a couple times because it made me feel bad for being a fat fuck. so, if you are a fat fuck with a lot of self-loathing around that issue, i would maybe avoid this book.
i like how jillette writes, but the last 1/3 of the book was pretty repetitive and i could have done without it.
i like how jillette writes, but the last 1/3 of the book was pretty repetitive and i could have done without it.
When a scientist produces startling, reproducible results, the world should take notice. In this case, the scientist is Ray Cronise, who combined a swath of emerging evidence (some relatively well established, some premature) to form a diet plan that successfully enabled Penn Jillette to lose 100 pounds in three months. And several of Jillette's close personal friends, and Kevin Smith, and other formerly morbidly obese celebrities. But this is not Cronise's book.
This book is one very long first- ...more
This book is one very long first- ...more
Interesting diet ideas if you can stand the super bad language. I had to skip over some stuff near the end. He eats mushrooms but I read in Dr. Wallace's book that if you have an autoimmune disorder you had better avoid mushrooms.
As someone mentioned in their review this diet probably saved his life. I do agree with that thought as his blood pressure was unreal. He did get off all 6 blood pressure medications which speaks volumes IMO. ...more
As someone mentioned in their review this diet probably saved his life. I do agree with that thought as his blood pressure was unreal. He did get off all 6 blood pressure medications which speaks volumes IMO. ...more
I love Penn. I love that he's lost a bunch of weight and will be healthy and around longer. I love his funny anecdotes. I love his fiction. I love how he did some bug nutty stuff to lose weight. And I thought this book was really good. But amongst all his stuff perhaps this wasn't the most entertaining of books. But still good. And a big thumbs up for getting healthy.
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Aug 02, 2019
Gretchen Rubin
added it
I disagree with many of his conclusions and beliefs, but very much enjoyed the book—very funny, and a terrific portrait for how a Rebel can embrace habit change, to adopt a very specific way of eating.
Read this one for entertainment purposes only. This is not a diet guide. The story was only somewhat enjoyable if you like Penn & Teller.
Maybe not the book for those looking for a dieting guide, but PJ knows how to tell a story and chronicles his journey of losing weight very well. I mostly read this book because I like reading his stuff, but to me, it was another example of different diets working for different people. There is no one diet for all. I also like how he talks not only about his diet but his relationship with food and how it has changed. In the end, the guy wanted to lose weight because his health was deteriorating
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Penn has a lot of good things to say on the subject of his personal weight loss. He's funny, foul, and truthful *about this issue* in ways that are hard for most people to say.
His snide political shit (he goes after both Trump and Hillary) got real old, real fast, because it wasn't germane to the subject of the book.
From a personal standpoint, I don't know if his potato fast and whole plant only diet (ok, not his, but the one he adopted) would work out for me... but I do know that I'm a fat fuck ...more
His snide political shit (he goes after both Trump and Hillary) got real old, real fast, because it wasn't germane to the subject of the book.
From a personal standpoint, I don't know if his potato fast and whole plant only diet (ok, not his, but the one he adopted) would work out for me... but I do know that I'm a fat fuck ...more
Penn reading his own books are great. I think the only downside for me was that very little was new or different for me since much of the content was covered on his podcast or other media.
Enjoyed this memoir by Penn Jillette recounting his weight-loss journey from weighing over 300 lbs. (Wow, even at 6'7" that is heavy!) to reaching his goal of around 230 lbs. Happy for his success . . . Live long & prosper, Penn. 🖖
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Carny, magician, comedian, writer and master bullshitter Penn Jillette has now written a book chronicling his massive weight loss of over 100 pounds in roughly 4 months. He then goes on to describe how he has kept the weight off for a year. He's healthy, and happy and still performing at the Rio in Las Vegas.
Penn did not do this alone, he was under a doctor's care every minute and monitored by a blood pressure cuff. It was his bp that forced him to realize that the weight had to go - or he was p ...more
Penn did not do this alone, he was under a doctor's care every minute and monitored by a blood pressure cuff. It was his bp that forced him to realize that the weight had to go - or he was p ...more
I did not read Penn Jillette's PRESTO! to find out how to lose weight. That's not the point of this book. The point of this book is to read the story of how Penn Jillette lost somewhere in the neighborhood of one hundred pounds in roughly three months time depending on how you wish to qualify the data. Don't read this as a diet book, read this as a book about one man's diet.
Sure, you can become inspired by Penn's story. That may even be part of the reason he wrote the book. But mostly reading th ...more
Sure, you can become inspired by Penn's story. That may even be part of the reason he wrote the book. But mostly reading th ...more
I've been a fan of Penn & Teller for a long time now, since about the mid-80's or so. Penn's books serve as an extension of his personality, so I'm always happy when a new one comes out. He writes with the same honesty and swagger and intelligence as he speaks. It's always a delight.
So, in this book, he tells of his recent weight loss. Yes, it's a diet book, but unlike others, he's not interested in telling you the "right" way to eat or anything. He's not a medical expert, simply an entertainer, ...more
So, in this book, he tells of his recent weight loss. Yes, it's a diet book, but unlike others, he's not interested in telling you the "right" way to eat or anything. He's not a medical expert, simply an entertainer, ...more
This guy is crazy--he admits it and is proud of it but he shouldn't be. He's just nuts in how he thinks, his approach to life, his relationships, his denial of reality, and his weight loss. Nothing wrong with sharing your philosophy with the public, but this should have been a long magazine article, not a 300+ page book. The whole thing basically gets down to this: he met some fellow crazy who talked him into going on a potato diet. Nothing but potatoes for two weeks. Seriously. (Even that's kin
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You read this one for the Penn Jillette attitude. It isn’t a how-to on dieting. This is more how an entertainer, bordering on the outrageous, did it, a major weight loss, this once. I enjoyed the author’s over-the-top voice in this audiobook. It was a welcome change of pace from the slower fiction books I’ve been listening to recently. And I enjoyed the stories of potatoes, corn, and cold showers. And I liked the tact Jillette took here. His rapid weight-loss diet was as much about discovery as
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Penn does Penn. He lost a lot of weight. He has lots of opinions. He knows lots of people.
Just so happens I adore plain baked potatoes so I’m cool with a spud run. There are seeds of truth in the book, colder temps have been known to lift mood, the body needs potassium and most of us eat way too much salt/sugar/fat, calorie restriction does appear to lesson health problems and increase longevity. Bottom line, the man is healthier and happier and that’s pretty great but this is not a diet book. U ...more
Just so happens I adore plain baked potatoes so I’m cool with a spud run. There are seeds of truth in the book, colder temps have been known to lift mood, the body needs potassium and most of us eat way too much salt/sugar/fat, calorie restriction does appear to lesson health problems and increase longevity. Bottom line, the man is healthier and happier and that’s pretty great but this is not a diet book. U ...more
I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Problem was, I had some tablet issues, but once they were resolved I couldn't find the book anywhere. I did manage to find it and here is my review of Presto!
If you're looking for a how to book on dieting you're going to be disappointed by Jillette's book. What we have is the story of a fat fuck (his words not mine) suddenly losing over a hundred pounds, and not a book telling you how to do it because the way in which h ...more
If you're looking for a how to book on dieting you're going to be disappointed by Jillette's book. What we have is the story of a fat fuck (his words not mine) suddenly losing over a hundred pounds, and not a book telling you how to do it because the way in which h ...more
Even with the acknowledged writing assistance from others, this is a book very much in Penn's voice, and it carries the legacy of his carny work -- like the routine of a barker or busker, it relies on repetition, a touch (or a bucketfull) of attention-grabbing vulgarity, and the constant assurance that he is *not* trying to sell you anything. It's clear, though, that this book is intended to promote the diet experimentation similar to the methods that Penn used for significant weight loss. I'm m
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Best self-help book i ever read (i don't read them!) Funnier than I expected and not at all preachy while often surprisingly sincere (even with all the f-bombs!)
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This was the first book I read by Penn Jillette. It took me a few chapters to grow accustomed to his chaotic writing style. He often referred back to events covered in previous books, so I think I would follow the book better if I had read his other books. Regardless, this was a quick and enjoyable read. Also, I now want to try eating nothing but potatoes for a few days.
Considering I lost a ton of weight after listening to Penn Jillette's podcast before this book even came out, it was obligatory reading. Classic Penn storytelling and jokes, but the subject matter is serious and I'm sure this book has saved lives. It certainly was a life changer for me.
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I picked this back up after 18 mos. and deeply regret not finishing it sooner!
Although I don’t agree with Penn Jillette on a few things, I appreciate his sense of humor and writing style (which he admits he gets help from a friend with).
I am anti-diet, HAES believing, love yourself-as-is most of the time, but realize I am fortunate to be a fat healthy person (all of my numbers are better than most of my thin friends, I don’t have mobility issues and am active), many of my peers- thin and fat- a ...more
Although I don’t agree with Penn Jillette on a few things, I appreciate his sense of humor and writing style (which he admits he gets help from a friend with).
I am anti-diet, HAES believing, love yourself-as-is most of the time, but realize I am fortunate to be a fat healthy person (all of my numbers are better than most of my thin friends, I don’t have mobility issues and am active), many of my peers- thin and fat- a ...more
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