The China Study: Revised and Expanded Edition: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-Term Health Paperback – December 27, 2016

This book changed the way I experiment with myself. After reading this book, I conducted an experiment on myself. I tested the appropriate bio-markers, cholesterols, triglycerides, etc. I ate a plant-based diet for 3 months, and re-tested. I was shocked and ultimately convinced that through diet, health changes and corrections were possible.

The revised and expanded edition of the bestseller that changed millions of lives

The science is clear. The results are unmistakable.

You can dramatically reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes just by changing your diet.

More than 30 years ago, nutrition researcher T. Colin Campbell and his team at Cornell, in partnership with teams in China and England, embarked upon the China Study, the most comprehensive study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease. What they found when combined with findings in Colin’s laboratory, opened their eyes to the dangers of a diet high in animal protein and the unparalleled health benefits of a whole foods, plant-based diet.

In 2005, Colin and his son Tom, now a physician, shared those findings with the world in The China Study, hailed as one of the most important books about diet and health ever written.

Featuring brand new content, this heavily expanded edition of Colin and Tom’s groundbreaking book includes the latest undeniable evidence of the power of a plant-based diet, plus updated information about the changing medical system and how patients stand to benefit from a surging interest in plant-based nutrition.

The China Study—Revised and Expanded Edition presents a clear and concise message of hope as it dispels a multitude of health myths and misinformation. The basic message is clear. The key to a long, healthy life lies in three things: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto Paperback

I love food so much, and the kinds of food that provides fuel for the body can be grown, not processed. Michael Pollan writes about these foods.

Food. There's plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it?

Because in the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion--most of what we’re consuming today is longer the product of nature but of food science. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American Paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we see to become. With In Defense of Food, Pollan proposes a new (and very old) answer to the question of what we should eat that comes down to seven simple but liberating words: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Pollan’s bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we can start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives, enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy, and bring pleasure back to eating.

In Defense of Food - "As a fan of Michael Pollan's previous books, I was excited to read, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. Not quite a diet book, Pollan imparts nutrition common sense as he breaks down various theories as to why American's have become so fat." Karen Lea Hansen

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

I had the four pillars of health listed from most important to lesser; Food, exercise, behavioral or community, sleep until I read this book. Now it's Sleep, food, exercise, behavioral or community. Sleep is critical to life. 

With two appearances on CBS This Morning and Fresh Air's most popular interview of 2017, Matthew Walker has made abundantly clear that sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life. Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, or what good it served, or why we suffer such devastating health consequences when it is absent. Compared to the other basic drives in life—eating, drinking, and reproducing—the purpose of sleep remains more elusive.

Within the brain, sleep enriches a diversity of functions, including our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions. It recalibrates our emotions, restocks our immune system, fine-tunes our metabolism, and regulates our appetite. Dreaming creates a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge, inspiring creativity.

In this “compelling and utterly convincing” (The Sunday Times) book, preeminent neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker provides a revolutionary exploration of sleep, examining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being. Charting the most cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and marshalling his decades of research and clinical practice, Walker explains how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood and energy levels, regulate hormones, prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes, slow the effects of aging, and increase longevity. He also provides actionable steps towards getting a better night’s sleep every night.

Clear-eyed, fascinating, and accessible, Why We Sleep is a crucial and illuminating book. Written with the precision of Atul Gawande, Andrew Solomon, and Sherwin Nuland, it is “recommended for night-table reading in the most pragmatic sense” (The New York Times Book Review).

Why We Sleep  Is a must read book that may just save your life!

Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain for Life

Debilitating brain disorders are on the rise-from children diagnosed with autism and ADHD to adults developing dementia at younger ages than ever before. But a medical revolution is underway that can solve this problem: Astonishing new research is revealing that the health of your brain is, to an extraordinary degree, dictated by the state of your microbiome - the vast population of organisms that live in your body and outnumber your own cells ten to one. What's taking place in your intestines today is determining your risk for any number of brain-related conditions.

In Brain Maker, Dr. Perlmutter explains the potent interplay between intestinal microbes and the brain, describing how the microbiome develops from birth and evolves based on lifestyle choices, how it can become "sick," and how nurturing gut health through a few easy strategies can alter your brain's destiny for the better. With simple dietary recommendations and a highly practical program of six steps to improving gut ecology, Brain Maker opens the door to unprecedented brain health potential.

Brain Maker  is a cutting edge book written in the infant stages of  Human Microbiome Project which launched in 2007. Now in 2022 we are continuing to see great benefit to consideration of what we put into our gut.

Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar--Your Brain's Silent Killers:

In Grain Brain, renowned neurologist David Perlmutter, MD, exposes a finding that's been buried in the medical literature for far too long: carbs are destroying your brain. Even so-called healthy carbs like whole grains can cause dementia, ADHD, epilepsy, anxiety, chronic headaches, depression, decreased libido, and much more.

Groundbreaking and timely, Grain Brain shows that the fate of your brain is not in your genes. It's in the food you eat. The cornerstone of all degenerative conditions, including brain disorders, is inflammation, which can be triggered by carbs, especially containing gluten or high in sugar. Dr. Perlmutter explains what happens when the brain encounters common ingredients in your daily bread and fruit bowls, how statin drugs may be erasing your memory, why a diet high in "good fats" is ideal, and how to spur the growth of new brain cells at any age.

Dr. Perlmutter's revolutionary 4-week plan shows you how to keep your brain healthy, vibrant, and sharp while dramatically reducing your risk for debilitating neurological diseases as well as relieving more common, everyday conditions -- without drugs. Easy-to-follow strategies, delicious recipes, and weekly goals help you to put the plan into action. With a blend of anecdotes, cutting-edge research, and accessible, practical advice, Grain Brain teaches you how to take control of your "smart genes," regain wellness, and enjoy lifelong health and vitality.

Grain Brain  "Dr. Perlmutter hits the nail of obesity and dementia squarely on the head! My husband and I are living proof of this author's great book. My husband is a type II diabetic and suffered for over 25 years with the "care" he was receiving from well intentioned but mis-informed / misguided physicians who relied on medications to improve his health. In 2002 he was sent to an Endocrinologist who put him on insulin after his primary care doctor told him there was "nothing more that I can do for you."

I created a program for my husband and in 2003 within 3 months of going on a low carb diet, my husband came off ALL insulin and never looked back! Within 9 months he lost 80 pounds and a short time later lost another 20 pounds for a total weight loss of 100 pounds! And he has kept it off!

Within one year of going on low carb and exercise program, my wonderful husband, Dick, walked in 2 5K races and finished! His painful neuropathy was gone! Yes, GONE!" Mary R. Kolk

Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar--Your Brain's Silent Killers:

Every day, over 200 million Americans consume food products made of wheat. As a result, over 100 million of them experience some form of adverse health effect, ranging from minor rashes and high blood sugar to the unattractive stomach bulges that preventive cardiologist William Davis calls "wheat bellies." According to Davis, that excess fat has nothing to do with gluttony, sloth, or too much butter: It's due to the whole grain wraps we eat for lunch.

After witnessing over 2,000 patients regain their health after giving up wheat, Davis reached the disturbing conclusion that wheat is the single largest contributor to the nationwide obesity epidemic—and its elimination is key to dramatic weight loss and optimal health. In Wheat Belly, Davis exposes the harmful effects of what is actually a product of genetic tinkering and agribusiness being sold to the American public as "wheat"—and provides readers with a user-friendly, step-by-step plan to navigate a new, wheat-free lifestyle.

Informed by cutting-edge science and nutrition, along with case studies from men and women who have experienced life-changing transformations in their health after waving goodbye to wheat, Wheat Belly is an illuminating look at what is truly making Americans sick and an action plan to clear our plates of this seemingly benign ingredient.

Wheat Belly - My weight dropped from 210 to 186 (I'm 6-foot-4). I lost most of that weight within the first three months.
- My triglycerides dropped from 99 to 70 and my HDL went up from a dangerous 26 to an incredible 57! And one of the best indicators of heart attacks is the ratio of triglycerides to HDL (google it). A good value is 2 or less, the ideal value is 1 or less. My number is pretty fantastic: 70/57 = 1.23. Before going wheat free it was: 99/26 = 3.8, which is very bad. It's no wonder I ended up with a 75% blockage, and had to have stents two years ago before I discovered Dr. Davis.
- My chronic sinus problems went away. Before I gave up wheat, every time I put my head on the pillow, my nose stopped up. I could not breathe through my nose at all. That does not make for good sleeping. Also, I used to get regular sinus infections---usually a couple of times per year. No more. My sinus issues cleared up almost immediately after going wheat free.

Will going wheat-free cure YOUR sinus problems. I have no idea. It might make your left knee quit aching or make your headaches go away. You won't know until you try it.

All I know is that I am a much healthier person thanks to Dr. Davis.

The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life

“If you crossed Jason Bourne with Julia Child, you’d end up with Tim Ferriss.” – Marco Canora, Chef-Partner of Hearth & Terroir

“Wildly inventive.. [a] rangy, obsessive immersion in food and its many wonders. [T]he tools needed to learn to cook well can be deployed in every manner of endeavor, from skinning a deer to memorizing a deck of cards. The author distills them into minimal, learnable units and examines how to order the units so as to keep readers engaged in their endeavors. Ferriss is a beguiling guide to this process, at once charmingly smart aleck-y and deadly serious, and he aims to make readers knowledgeable and freethinking.” - Kirkus Reviews

"Tim Ferriss distills kitchen wisdom like a rotary evaporator on power surge. The results are potent, lucid, and delicious." - Nick Kokonas, Co-Owner, Alinea, Next, The Aviary

WHAT IF YOU COULD BECOME WORLD-CLASS IN ANYTHING IN 6 MONTHS OR LESS?

The 4-Hour Chef isn’t just a cookbook. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure guide to the world of rapid learning.

#1 New York Times bestselling author (and lifelong non-cook) Tim Ferriss takes you from Manhattan to Okinawa, and from Silicon Valley to Calcutta, unearthing the secrets of the world’s fastest learners and greatest chefs. Ferriss uses cooking to explain “meta-learning,” a step-by-step process that can be used to master anything, whether searing steak or shooting 3-pointers in basketball. That is the real “recipe” of The 4-Hour Chef.

You'll train inside the kitchen for everything outside the kitchen. Featuring tips and tricks from chess prodigies, world-renowned chefs, pro athletes, master sommeliers, super models, and everyone in between, this “cookbook for people who don’t buy cookbooks” is a guide to mastering cooking and life.

The 4-Hour Chef is a five-stop journey through the art and science of learning:

1. META-LEARNING. Before you learn to cook, you must learn to learn. META charts the path to doubling your learning potential.

2. THE DOMESTIC. DOM is where you learn the building blocks of cooking. These are the ABCs (techniques) that can take you from Dr, Seuss to Shakespeare.

3. THE WILD. Becoming a master student requires self-sufficiency in all things. WILD teaches you to hunt, forage, and survive.

4. THE SCIENTIST. SCI is the mad scientist and modernist painter wrapped into one. This is where you rediscover whimsy and wonder.

5. THE PROFESSIONAL. Swaraj, a term usually associated with Mahatma Gandhi, can be translated as “self-rule.” In PRO, we’ll look at how the best in the world become the best in the world, and how you can chart your own path far beyond this book.

The Four Hour Chef - "The four hour chef is just, everything. As others said 'chef' is a misnomer and really this a journey through Tim Ferriss's mind - which can be pretty interesting. My only advise is don't give up if there is a few things you don't like about this book - there are nuggets of pure GOLD in this book that far outweigh the little nuances, which I'll break it down further. But, overall this book gives a TON of VALUE for a low price. I'll also preface this with I was not given an early copy of this, nor was I paid to write a review or anything like that." Curtis

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

This instant classic explores how we can change our lives by changing our habits.

Named one of the best books of the year by The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times

In The Power of Habit, award-winning business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Distilling vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives that take us from the boardrooms of Procter & Gamble to the sidelines of the NFL to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential. At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive, and achieving success is understanding how habits work. As Duhigg shows, by harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives. 

“Sharp, provocative, and useful.” (Jim Collins) 

“Few [books] become essential manuals for business and living. The Power of Habit is an exception. Charles Duhigg not only explains how habits are formed but how to kick bad ones and hang on to the good.” (Financial Times) 

The Power Of Habit - " When people start habitually exercising, even as infrequently as once a week, they start changing other, unrelated patterns in their lives, often unknowingly. Typically people who exercised start eating better and being more productive at work. They smoke less and show more patience with colleagues and family. They use credit cards less frequently and say they feel less stressed. It's not completely clear why. But for many people, exercise is a keystone habit that triggers widespread change"

I can vouch for the power of Keystone habits. For me, riding my bike to work is a keystone habit. When I do it, It causes me to try to eat healthier, to not drink sodas at work (even though they are free!) and I feel like I am more focused and productive." Gary Short