John J. Ratey

An informative book topic, though I was often confounded by the author's extrapolation of research that was too rarely cited to support the point they wanted to emphasize. The main difficulty arose based on their sketchy referrals to the underlying research. To accurately place Ratey and Manning's information in context required my reading the background research papers on which the authors rely. Curiosity-driven, I wanted to be confident that their interpretation of academic articles was supportable. A citation list at the end of each chapter would have effectively improved the reading progress. Despite some minor personal disagreements with their way of explaining, a great deal of useful interpretation in the book and lifestyle insights are emphasized which can easily escape interested people's notice otherwise.

I was particularly happy to see meat and dairy categories promoted as having a suitable place in the human diet. More importantly, coining the word carbovore as a descriptor of today's human being in modern society was brilliant. The chapter(s) explaining that the digestion (metabolism) of all carbohydrates ultimately reduces 'carbs' to sugar in the bloodstream were approachable for any interested reader to grasp.

This discussion tied in to an explanation of the resulting inflammation (from high carbohydrate intake) and referred to data showing the potential for cardiovascular problems, as well as obesity. Such useful insights would be useful if the general population coping with obesity and painful joints etc. could have an understanding along these lines.

The book didn't strike me as prescriptive or bossy, although I found countless instances of writing style choices which could mislead readers. For example, evolution is a change in the heritable characteristics of all living organisms. It is passive and happens over long periods of time. Too frequently, the authors write in a manner indicating there is thought, consciousness, or deliberation in these processes. A small point, but with huge consequences in terms of understanding the geological time frame. There were also passages that sidetracked the thrust of the discussion with lengthy case history anecdotes, instead of cutting to the chase to make the point. Hence a 3½-star book, though it does carry a 5-star message.… (more)