About this title: The French author spent time in the states as a student and returned home chubby for the first time in her life, but she rapidly returned to normal by readopting French eating habits. In this memoir-like volume, she talks about her own life, but mostly about the secrets of staying slim à la française. The key is smaller portions, but her emphasis is on enjoyment of food--not wolfing down a meal for the sake of staying alive, but actively engaging with every bite, sitting down for meals, eating with friends and family. She also understands the importance of treats on special occasions and ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Date Published: 01/2005
ISBN-13:9781400042128ISBN:1400042127
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 272 p. Contains: Illustrations. Previous Owner's Inscription. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Date Published: 01/2005
ISBN-13:9781400042128ISBN:1400042127
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 272 p. Contains: Illustrations. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Date Published: 01/2005
ISBN-13:9781400042128ISBN:1400042127
Description: Good in good dust jacket. Good, In good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 272 p. Contains: Illustrations. Previous Owner's Inscription. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Date Published: 01/2005
ISBN-13:9781400042128ISBN:1400042127
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 272 p. Contains: Illustrations. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Date Published: 01/2005
ISBN-13:9781400042128ISBN:1400042127
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 263 p. Contains: Illustrations. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Date Published: 01/2005
ISBN-13:9781400042128ISBN:1400042127
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 272 p. Contains: Illustrations. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Date Published: 01/2005
ISBN-13:9781400042128ISBN:1400042127
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 272 p. Contains: Illustrations. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Date Published: 01/2005
ISBN-13:9781400042128ISBN:1400042127
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 272 p. Contains: Illustrations. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9781400042128ISBN:1400042127
Description: Very good in good dust jacket (some wavyness from a little water). Unmarked text, no corner folds. Boards/dust jacket very good. Ship daily (carefully wrapped + free domestic dc). Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 272 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
Description: Very Good. 1400042127 Great condition First Edition Hard cover book with paper dust jacket cover! Clean pages, dust jacket great, light shelf wear rubs, this book is GREAT! Shop & Save With US. read more
"Um, yes they do. In all seriousness though, this book provides good advice to living well: walk everywhere, eat healthy, eat locally and with the seasons, and treasure your food. If you want to move to Paris to do that, I'll meet you there. The author does provide some staggering, and personal, comparisons between her lifestyle in Europe and her lifestyle while living in America, and how it impacted her body. But she confesses that, while living in America, she stopped at the pastry shop every morning. While living in Europe I stopped at the pastry shop almost every day after school. I don't want to talk about what happened after 4 months of that. It isn't necessarily regional.
Jump starting your lifestyle with a cabbage-soup weekend? Well... ok, to each his own. I'll adopt a European attitude about that one."
"Read in a moment of desperation at my parents' over Xmas vacation. (Picked up from the book exchange in the basement of their NYC building.)
The basic message is that French women don't get fat because they move more than American women, eat good food but in moderation, and enjoy life. I disliked the generalization that American women don't to cook at home, cook what's in season, use good quality ingredients, and to eat in moderation and to try to move more. I disliked her assumption that anyone who exercises in the gym must be in pain and suffering and hating every moment of it. Guiliano is a French transplant who lives in NYC, where it is subjectively easier to move more in a day if one chooses. If one lives in the suburbs or most American cities, I'm sorry "walking to work" is simply not an option. Plus some of us simply enjoy exercising.
Other things I hated: yes, we should drink more water. Her suggestion to drink a "paper cup full" everytime you pass the water cooler and to carry around bottled water is simply disgusting in terms of any sort of environmental concerns. Additionally, her disregard for vegetarianism as a common "fad" among teenage girls was disappointing as well as her lack of knowledge regarding how much protein we need AND her belief that one *needs* dairy to be healthy.
Yes, eating should be pleasureable. Yes, we should not deny ourselves things we enjoy or label food as "good" or "bad." Yes, incorporating movement into daily life, outside the gym, is a good goal. Yes, we should consume foods that are in season and as close to their natural states as possible (ie few processed foods). Yes, we should cook our own foods more.
But all those lessons are common sense and available in most books on nutrition and weight management that are written by individuals better informed by their training as nutritionists or dieticians. Don't read this book. Read Skinny Bitch instead."
"Well written, and fun--I loved much of what the author had to say, and feel that I'm a little closer to understanding that mysterious French psyche. I picked up several useful tips for staying healthy, and much of what she had to say is a confirmation as to how our family goes about food (with the exception of our fasting) but what I'm really excited about are the many recipes. Can't wait to try the vegetable soups!"
"I did not care for this book. The author (who lives in New York) makes broad generalizations throughout the book about French women. I tried to imagine myself doing the same about American women--as if we are all alike! The author loves to throw in, on every page no less, French words and phrases instead of WRITING IN ENGLISH ( I get it--you're French!). There is very little said of substance--eat less, exercise more, drink water, enjoy the moment. She also gives advice--like give your children alcohol--which in California will get you arrested. I did not try any of the recipes so perhaps they have some merit, but many appear too high calorie to consider (it is suppose to be a diet book--right?). Anyway, if you are French and enjoy feeling smug about yourself then you are bound to love this book. If you are unfortunately, not French, then maybe there is still hope for your waistline if you pretend to be French. Either way however, I recommend you go ahead and pass on this book."
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