I've read all of Dean Ornish's books, and feel this is the best of the lot. It's relatively easy to follow and covers the whole "spectrum" of the factors he feels are necessary components for good health. I was very motivated to follow his advice upon completion of the book.
My only complaints about this book include the inclusion of some fairly complex vegetarian recipes (but I happen to prefer very simple, minimal ingredient recipes). And secondly, I would have preferred that some extended meditation exercises be included in the dvd that comes with this book, rather than having the many very short guided imageries that are done by his wife. Although I find her voice very soothing, I just begin to relax when the exercise is over and louder music comes on. I would love to have the couple make a DVD with several 10-20 minute meditation exercises included.

I've read the book and within a week and although it has been a short time I've felt increased energy and increased focus following the doctors advice on nutrition, exercise, ways to destress your life as well as making positive lifestyle choices. I highly recommend it.

This is a very informative book for referring to for inspiration. To get yourself off the couch & keep moving. To eat consciously to guard your health. I am glad I purchased this book.

I just got the shock of my life at a routine check up when my doctor told me I had very high LDL. With a new-found interest in diet, I picked up "The Spectrum", a book I had been meaning to take a look at anyway.

I found the book to be interesting in the way it categorizes food from Most Healthful (Category 1) to Least Healthful (Category 5).

I would have to say, though, that I do not find this book all that helpful when it comes to the task of putting together a diet. Here are the reasons:

1) It doesn't say so on the cover, but he basically advocates a vegetarian diet. There are almost NO "most healthful" sources of protein except for garbonzos and soy (I think.) There is ONE Level 2 source of protein, which I believe is wild salmon. I'll just go down to the wild salmon store after work and prepare myself a wild-salmon meatloaf. What would we do without health food stores? Die? How are those realistic sources of protein? Another thing, there isn't even an entry for "protein" in the index, nor did I find information on how to ensure I get enough protein. Perhaps these issues are beyond the scope of the book, or I missed them.

Yesterday, I had a grilled chicken and spinach salad and thought I was doing okay. That was before I found out that chicken is only one level better than donuts.

2) This whole business of "it's not all or nothing" is, I think, a bit of a cop-out and a way to claim his is not the "no fat" diet. His repeated advice to make an individualized selection of what level to eat at is not helpful to me. What is the rational amount of "least healthful" food to eat, after reading about how it will kill me?

3)The recipes did not seem like something a person with a real life and kids would be able to put on the table. (Many of them do not seem to provide much protein, but maybe I'm wrong on that.)

Anyway, if you are looking to put together a diet, I don't think this book will be all that helpful.

The Ornish diet is great for many, but I wonder would it work for Eskimos?

Seven years ago a doctor told my husband he had prostrate cancer and should have his prostrate removed. My husband went to a second doctor for a second opinion. The second doctor wanted to use radioactive pellets to stop the cancer. My husband decided to follow the diet Doctor Ornish had a group of prostrate cancer patients using. After following the diet and a "watchful waiting" process for seven years, my husband's health is even better than when he started the program. I think "The Spectrum" can help almost anyone who reads and follows it. Both my husband and I follow it.

I only gave the book 4 stars for two reasons:
-1. The structure of the book is not user friendly. I believe that for the first chapter of the book, Ornish should provide a "Reader's Digest" version of the book. Then for the readers who want more detail he could reference later chapters.
-2. I felt that Ornish presented his diet as THE solution. I wonder if there are places and people in the world for whom low fat diets are not possible or perhaps not even healthy, such as in Eskimo villages before Europeans took over. Would such people have developed the genes to not only live on a high fat diet, but the need to have a high fat diet? I wonder if there has been much research on the differences between the nutrition needs of different ethnic and racial groups?

I loved this book by Dean Ornish. I have read a lot of health articles and books, but I always look for fresh perspectives or new information to stay motivated. This book had a well-rounded, sensical approach to eating and living. The information was convincing because it was based in legitimate scientific research as opposed to mostly anecdotal evidence, which is often what health guidebooks offer. This one is a book I could refer back to again and again for guidance and inspiration.

If you want to live long and maintain optimum health, this is the book. Dr. Dean Ornish tells it like it is. There are no miracle cures, just common sense solid scientific based facts.

The book is great. Ornish does ramble from time to time -- at times I forget what the original point was. In general, however, I think this is a great book. He backs all his points with research data (sometimes multiple data). He explains nutrition, exercise, meditation, etc., as being part of a larger spectrum. He does not tell us where we should be on the spectrum, but merely points out the most likely outccomes for different levels on the spectrum and leaves it to the reader to make their own decisions.

My biggest problem with the Kindle version is that the tables are so tiny that they are basically illegible. One of these tables is one which shows where different foods are on the spectrum -- I would really like to be able to see it, as that is what the whole book is about. In really good light, if I squint, I can make out most of it (I have perfect vision), but it is not comfortable. The other thing to know about the Kindle version is that he keeps talking about the guided meditation CD that comes with the print version of the book -- it is not included (obviously) with the Kindle version and I'd kinda like to try it out. I am overall happy with my Kindle version -- everything else is well-formatted and easy to read, but am considering supplementing it with the print version for the two reasons just mentioned.

For those two reasons, I give this 4 instead of 5 stars.

With the increased emphasis on preventive health care this book is written to help us become more aware of how we must take care of our own bodies as health care costs rise. In addition to informative advise on taking control of our choices it provided nutritional advise and many receipes to achieve improved health. A must read for the health conscious.

Ornish has many good ideas for following a healthy diet. I don't follow his diet completely, but I incorporate many of the ideas and recipes, and have been seeing a steady weight loss.

I was looking forward to this book, as I had an opportunity to hear Dr. Ornish speak and was impressed by his presentation and "whole person" approach.

After reading the book, it became pretty clear that to follow Dr. Ornish's approach and to eat on the healthful side of the diet spectrum, you really must become a vegetarian, which is an approach that is very hard for many to accept. I'm not a doctor, but I cannot believe that eating a variety of meats and fish in moderation is as unhealthy as described in this book.

Another issue is the book itself. The repetition gets a little grating after the 3rd chapter.... The content of the book would fit in a magazine article.

I am very Happy that I saw Dr. Dean Ornish on T. V. talking about his Book.
I bought it and it was the best book I have read on this topic. In less than 3 months of following his advice I have Lost 26lbs and my blood pressure avg is 110 over 68 this is the lowest I have ever seen it. The book is a great guide to a better healthier life. I have bought all my team at work, my parents, and few friends each a copy of this book. I hope they all read it and benefit from it as I have. His advise helped me change my life style and set a goal to lose 100lbs and to stop taking most of my medications. Would like to thank Dr. Ornish, he gave me hope that my 2nd fifty years might be as good as the first 50.

We tried a lot of the recipes in Everyday Cooking with Dean Ornish and found only two we actually liked. These look a lot better, though esoteric ingredients are an annoyance. Haven't gotten to the non-diet parts of the book but the results Ornish cites are impressive.

I've been privileged to interview Dr. Dean Ornish on two occasions in the past couple of years and we recently had another conversation about his new book entitled THE SPECTRUM. I'm the first to admit up front that he and I don't see eye to eye when it comes to diet and health. But Dr. Ornish assured me his new book was different from all of his previous works which predominately focused on a high-carb, low-fat dietary approach for weight and health management.

Dr. Ornish contacted me to see if I'd like to interview him again to talk about his new book. He explained that he wrote THE SPECTRUM because he was inspired by our previous interview and those areas where we agreed. I was excited to hear that this man who had based his entire career on advocating a high-carb, low-fat, vegetarian diet was open to the possibility of finding merit in other nutritional approaches that run counter to what he has always believed, including the healthy low-carb lifestyle which helped me lose 180 pounds in 2004. I honestly held out hope that THE SPECTRUM would show progress in the way Dr. Ornish now thought about livin' la vida low-carb.

Unfortunately, that was not to be.

I will give him credit that the ideals espoused in his book are definitely a step forward in attempting to forge some common ground among those who advocate a low-fat or a low-carb diet, but it didn't take long to see that what Dr. Ornish believed was on the healthy end of the "spectrum" of food choices was the same old high-carb, low-fat vegetarian choices and the foods on the least healthy end were the more fatty, meat-based choices. In other words, not much has changed at all!

While our interview was indeed a cordial one because I am not the kind of person who seeks to rip the throat out of someone I simply disagree with, I wasn't going to let Dr. Ornish dominate the conversation tee-totally as I did by design with my first interview. This time around I challenged him where I thought we disagreed as he requested upfront before our interview even began. Boy did I ever!

Let me tell you, though, it was quite nauseating for Dr. Ornish to implore a strategy designed to make it seem like we all agreed when in fact we didn't. Many times during our interview he made references like "we all agree" or "we're not in disagreement about" prior to making a point. The first couple of times he did that, I was only casually listening to what he had to say next. But when it became a habitual part of his communication strategy, my ears perked up every single time he did that.

You don't know how tempted I was to say back to him, "Oh, so since we all agree on what a healthy diet looks like, then that must mean you think a high-saturated fat, low-carbohydrate nutritional plan is needed to bring about improvements in weight and health. After all, we're not in disagreement about this at all, are we?" Dr. Ornish would have crapped in his pants if I actually said that and it would have been snarky for me to do so. That said, he KEPT on doing it and I finally had to call his bluff on it. When I did, he seemed to get perturbed with me and contend that I'm making this a "low-carb versus low-fat" thing.

And that's another issue I had with Dr. Ornish during our interview. Every single time I brought up a question about carbohydrate or fat intake, he'd use this excuse that he's not interested in the "diet wars" which he declared as over and done with now. How convenient for you, Dr. Ornish! While you say you no longer want to engage in the macronutrient debate (which is obviously not true as evidenced by your continued attacks against the Atkins diet), the fact is you have built your entire reputation and career on the high-carb, low-fat, vegetarian diet. It's what you will always be remembered for--good, bad or ugly.

While it's nice that you finally agree with low-carb advocates that refined carbohydrates are not as healthy as you once believed they were, even that's not entirely true based on your placement of this category of foods in the moderately healthy part of your "spectrum." What's up with that? Sure, you say that if they are eaten by themselves they should be considered among the least healthy, but that caveat is NOT explained in your book. And, I'm sorry, but eating more fiber with those carbohydrates will NOT significantly slow the blood sugar rise and insulin response in the body as you claim. It would send me into a sugar rush tailspin that would take days to recover from!

And that's another issue of contention I had with Dr. Ornish. While I can appreciate his insistence on looking at the data and the science behind what he recommends, it seems he quite conveniently neglects all the preponderance of the evidence that has come out in recent years regarding a high-fat, controlled-carbohydrate dietary approach. Every researcher he cited you'll notice was his "friend." People like Dr. David Ludwig, a low-carb researcher interested in issues involving childhood health, are considered by Dr. Ornish to be on his side of the health debate. But something tells me this "friend" he cites would have something to say about being associated with the high-carb, low-fat, vegetarian diet that runs directly counter to what his research is showing him about a healthy diet.

Then, when I mentioned the name of Gary Taubes and his brilliant book GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES, you would have thought I had just cursed his grandmother! Oh the vitriol that came out of Dr. Ornish's mouth about Gary Taubes was enough to see exactly who he is and what he's about. It very clearly showed me he was uninterested in the evidence and simply stuck on his own monopolistic viewpoints.

When I asked if he had read the Taubes book, Dr. Ornish never really answered that question. He said it was on his desk, but that doesn't mean he read it. The disrespect he showed Gary Taubes by claiming he was "just a journalist" put his snobby, elitist attitude on full display for everyone to see. So, does it disqualify Gary Taubes from conducting over six years of research with 150 pages of references in his book because he's not a researcher with an MD or PhD behind his name, Dr. Ornish?

I think not.

I don't have those credentials either, Dr. Ornish, so why would you waste your time on a nothing blogger like me since obviously you look at me in a similar light as you do Gary Taubes? This is why low-carb supporters continue to be skeptical of any changes in you, Dr. Ornish--we don't see any evidence that you're different in either your message or the manner in which you communicate it. It's just more and more of the same old stuff that's been repackaged to seem different. But it's not.

Then there's the issue of people like me who have been highly successful at losing weight on a diet that runs absolutely opposite of what Dr. Ornish has been promoting his whole life. When I asked him about that, he skirted the question rather quickly and moved into talking about all his research about low-fat diets again. Ummm, that wasn't the question, sir. HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN JIMMY MOORE and others who have been successful at not just losing weight on low-carb, but keeping it off over the long-term? It's not a difficult question to answer and I'd STILL love to hear what he has to say about it.

Dr. Dean Ornish is very good at creating diversions from the difficult questions. If he wasn't involved in the health industry, then I'm sure one of the major political parties would LOVE to have him run for office since he can wiggle and maneuver his way out of all the tight circumstances. It's no doubt something he has to do nowadays in light of all the evidence that keeps pouring in from the research community shooting down every single theory he has ever held about a healthy diet.

That's fine that he declares his diet is the only one to be proven to "reverse heart disease" but I'm not buying it. To state as you have your entire career that the healthiest way to eat is a high-carb, low-fat, vegetarian diet is not only false, but completely misleading to a nation full of people who deserve better than that, Dr. Ornish. There should be just as much emphasis on the negative role of carbohydrate in your "spectrum" and not just the refined carbs. Even some whole grains are detrimental to the health of those who are especially insulin resistant--and it's a lot more people than you're willing to admit are out there, my friend.

I'm sure this review of THE SPECTRUM will be reason enough for Dean Ornish to never want to do another interview with me again, but that's of no concern for me right now. I had to speak the truth and the truth is I couldn't remain silent about the continued lies he is sharing with people about his failed dietary philosophy. Get with the times already, Dr. Ornish. Whether you like it or not, livin' la vida low-carb IS mainstream now and here to stay. It's not low-carb versus low-fat--it's what works for the individual. Your refusal to even acknowledge that a low-carb program will work for some gets to the very heart of the matter.

Even I am the first to admit that low-carb will not work for everyone, but it's an option that should at least be promoted by health groups and tried by people who have struggled on a high-carb, low-fat diet as I did for most of my life before going on the Atkins diet in 2004. My mantra is for people to find the proven and effective plan that works for them, follow that plan exactly as prescribed by the author, and then keep doing that plan for the rest of their life. If that's an Ornish-styled low-fat diet, then I say GO FOR IT. But if it's an Atkins-styled low-carb diet, then that should be something you should openly encourage people to follow, too.

Now that's something we ALL agree about anyway, right Dr. Ornish?

Dr. Ornish has written some landmark books including Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease; Eat More, Weigh Less; and Love and Survival. Within those books, you will find life-changing scientific perspectives:

1. With proper diet, your health will improve without drugs or surgery.
2. With nurturing relationships, you'll feel better and live longer regardless of your health issues.
3. You don't have to feel hungry to lose weight.

Since Dr. Ornish first wrote those important lessons, other researchers have found more reasons for hope:

1. With diet and exercise, even genes that could harm you will be re-set to be helpful.
2. The combined effects of healthy living can multiply into more joy, energy, good moods, and excellent appearance.
3. Many more diseases can be reversed with diet, exercise, relationships, mindfulness, and stress reduction.

In addition, Dr. Ornish has done his own new research showing that prostate cancer can be slowed and somewhat improved through healthier living.

The Spectrum combines these lessons into one book, one source of scientific references, and one way of living for the first time. If you want to live a healthy life that will take you to your full physical and mental potential, The Spectrum is that book.

I've met Dr. Ornish. In person, he's a kind, gentle man who wouldn't ever say a harsh word to anyone. In public, critics have challenged his past ideas about reversing heart disease by saying it's too hard to keep on his pathway.

The Spectrum responds to the critics by explaining how much flexibility we have in each of these areas, depending on what our current health is. For most people, you don't have to be extreme or rigid.

I am concerned about enjoying good health, and I was struck that I was already doing 80 percent of the program in The Spectrum. It wouldn't be hard for me to get to 90 percent of the ideal program, yet I don't really have any serious health problems (thank God!) even though I'm in my sixties.

If you do have a health issue (high cholesterol, overweight, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, prostate cancer, and breast cancer), there are specific sections suggesting what you should do.

The overall program is easy to follow. Foods are in various categories and how much you need to do of the other life-style management options is spelled out. It's much simpler than other books I've read in that sense.

If you cannot imagine how healthy foods can be attractive and tasty, Art Smith has contributed recipes and some photographs to help get you started in seeing other menu choices. It's not as much as a cookbook, but I'm sure you'll get the idea. I think that the more extensive South Beach cookbooks could be used to supplement these recipes.

Bravo, Dr. Ornish! You've done a great service through this book.

Following this program is a life style. The book explains just what it says it does. Good for those who are ready for a change like I was.

Dean Ornish continues to spout the same low-fat vegetarianism ideas from his previous works. For someone who consistently talks about how the diet should be tailored to the individual, Ornish leaved no room for animal products or other traditional foods in the diet. He even goes as far to recommend margarine before butter (gasp!) and soy products, which are often overly processed, have questionable health benefits and are not prepared in the proper way (i.e. fermentation, as in miso and tempeh). Another shortcoming is Ornish's failure to differentiate between good and bad fruits and vegetables. So while a banana contains a good supply of potassium, it also does a tremendous amount to raise blood sugar, as do fruit juices like orange juice. It would also be nice if he'd be brave enough to look into the health benefits of grass-fed, free-range animal products versus lumping all of them into the fifth category.

Ornish has evolved somewhat by mentioning the wonderful health benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids, especially fish oil, and how white flour and sugar are detrimental to health, but he doesn't go far enough. His sophmoric knowledge of fats (saturated fats have health benefits and eggs are one of nature's best foods, don't you know?!)and the old "calories in, calories out" way of thinking lead me to believe that he'll go to grave defending his low-fat, mostly vegetarian mantra, evidence be damned.

The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer, Lose Weight, and Gain Health The Optimal Diet: The Official Chip Cookbook
This is not your typical "Ornish" book. Dr. Ornish asks what do you want to achieve-lower cholesterol, disarm type II diabetes, lose weight, improve your good health, etc. and tells you how to get there using the "spectrum". The latest scientific research is presented is a simple and easy to understand manner. All who what to achieve better health need to read this book. The Optimal Diet Cookbook is a good accompaniment.

Dr. Ornish's work has always been primarily about health, not weight loss, and his most recent book is an excellent example of this. This is not a diet book; it's a book about healthy living.

Health can be a confusing topic, and it doesn't help that we're so often encouraged to view things in black and white. The theme of this book is that staying healthy is not an issue of good vs. bad, but instead involves a spectrum of behaviors and choices. The best choices for you depend upon who you are, and what is necessary for someone else might not be necessary for you. Your genetics play a substantial role, but they do not determine your health. For most of us, it is our choices that determine our health. The book defines a spectrum of choices for nutrition, stress-management and exercise, and it helped me to see more clearly what I need to live a healthy life.

I particularly appreciate the fact that Dr. Ornish's work is research-based. While it makes me angry that our mainstream healthcare is built around drugs and money, I do not believe that an alternative approach to health means throwing out good science! Many people are willing to make healthy changes in the way they live, but it's not always clear what those changes should be. Dr. Ornish provides considerable scientific data to help put things into perspective, in a way that is easy to read.

If you're really interested in living a healthier and happier life, I highly recommend this book.

I got screwed on this purchase and will never use amazon again. The book arrived with the first 20 pages of the book missing!! They had been ripped out by someone!! When I tried to get a complete book to replace the damaged book I couldn't!! I returned the book and got my purchase price back but I lost my shipping charge for YOUR mistake!! I got screwed!! And will NEVER use you again!!! Robby

This book is a great guide to a more healthy lifestyle. Both my wife and I have used this book to design a diet that is enabling us to lose weight, lower our blood pressure and feel better.

My 80-yr old father afflicted with diabetes and heart disease and is thrilled how Dr. Ornish's teachings are changing his numbers!

Even without a more sane national health-care program, whether governmental or private, here's a book that makes better health available to everyone, right now.

I love this book. After reading so many books that are based on hype, it's so refreshing to find one that's based on scientific studies published in leading medical journals that prove it really works.

I'm especially impressed that Dr. Ornish talks to his readers with such respect yet is able to simplify complex concepts into prose that is simple and often even elegant without being simplistic.

The recipes are easy to prepare and, most important, taste great--not surprising since Oprah's personal chef, Art Smith, created them. This is the best book on health I've ever read.

This is a excellent book for everyone, especially those with heart
disease and diabetes. The "Spectrum Chart" is one of the most helpful
tools a person can have who is interested in healthy eating and living.
My husband and I have only been on the food plan for 2 weeks and walking
daily for 30 minutes, and already we're both feeling better

I was expecting more recipes, more colorful photos to go with the recipes and a more exciting layout. Still a good and informational read though.

This book is promoted with a great deal of hype but it is a really big disappointment. There are only three useful principles for living a better life and they are tediously repeated in various forms. About forty percent of the book is recipes, all of which are completely impractical for the average person.

I have not finished reading this book, however, what I have read is awesome. This book makes so much sense. For those of us who are NOT looking for the quick fix, who want a lifetime change this is great. There is no time line. There are no rules. Just ideas, that make complete sense. This is definitely not a diet. This is a way of learning how to live our lives to the fullest, be healthy both physically and mentally. I highly recommend this.

Although there is a lot of scientific data it is a easy read. The author makes it fun and proves his findings.

Dr. Ornish provides a very practical way to approach healthy eating. He puts the onus on the individual to choose what to eat rather than being told by a diet regimen.
That puts you in control of the choices you make and gives you no leeway to blame somebody else for not providing you with the right stuff. Very practical advice.

I kind of stumbled upon this book, and wow, I'm glad I did. It's a great overview into nutrition, exercise, relaxation, and just being healthy overall. He's not pushy about it - he states he still likes his coffee and chocolate in moderation, but provides the information to really make good decisions about your health.

I work with a nonprofit and we often find ourselves working in communities in America and abroad where we focus on sustainable architecture and development.

To me The Spectrum and Dr. Ornish's ongoing work is the equivalent of LEED certification. In this case, it's not about physical infrastructure, its about the infrastructure of the soul--healthy mind, healthy body, healthy heart. It's up to you to decide how far you want to go. This is a book to help you get there.

The Spectrum is interesting reading. I am only half way into the book, but what I've read is very interesting and I've learned a great deal.

I highly recommend this book + DVD to anyone ready to make positive changes. I found this program very simple to understand and easy to follow. It is the kind of book that inspires you to take your life to a new level and you just can't stop reading it. I strongly believe that Dr. Ornish's book "The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer, Lose Weight, and Gain Health" is a breakthrough achievement. This is preventive medicine at its best and it is already influencing millions of people everyday all over the world. In my opinion he completely deserves the Nobel Prize.
The book also has many interesting stories of Dr. Ornish's daily life with his family and explains how his patients are reversing heart disease.
I am a chocolate lover and I really like when he tells how much he enjoys eating some dark chocolate and still maintain the nutritional goals. I also immediately took his thoughtful advice of choosing canola oil instead of olive oil. Dr. Ornish knows why we take wrong decisions and in a very compassionate way he gives us scientifically proven tools to succeed.
The beautifully made DVD by Anne and Dean Ornish is filled with helpful and fun guided meditations that are perfect for harmonizing mind and body and to feel more relaxed. I must admit that I am a fan of them and I bought several copies to give to my friends and loved ones.

I love this book! However, I have it on the Kindle and cannot read the pages that are charts. These are critical, especially in the food spectrum. The Kindle version also does not include the DVD. There should be a way to download both the DVD and the charts.
I think it is a very worthwhile book, but Kindle may not be the best way to read it unless they are able to fix the chart issue.

Extremely effective for managing your lifestyle and creating a whole new healthy lifestyle!
I also highly recommend the books in the 30-Day Diabetes Miracle series.

The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle: Lifestyle Center of America's Complete Program to Stop Diabetes, Restore Health,and Build Natural Vitality
The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle Cookbook: Stop Diabetes with an Easy-to-Follow Plant-Based, Carb-Counting Diet

I found this book to be engaging and helpful. It covers ways you can improve your nutrition, your exercise, your stress management, and your attitudes. Research shows that making improvements in all these areas can significantly prevent and even reverse medical conditions. Furthermore, the more you improve, the greater your results! (Exercise is somewhat of an exception, because you get 99% of the results by walking 30 minutes a day plus doing a bit of strength training.) Ornish stresses the importance of making improvements in all the areas. The concept of the "spectrum" increases the likelihood you will actually follow through on making improvements. For example, Ornish lays out 5 groups of foods, Group 1 being the healthiest, Group 5 the least healthy. You assess which of these groups' foods you are now eating, i.e. where in the spectrum you are now eating. Then you do what you can to move to a healthier position on the spectrum. Even moderate movements toward the healthier side of the spectrum will significantly help prevent disease, especially if you improve nutrition AND exercise AND stress management AND attitudes at least a little. You figure out where you are on the spectrums, and how much improvement you can do. You can make extreme improvements, i.e. move all the way over to the healthy end of the spectrum(s), which is advisable if you are aiming to reverse a medical condition. You can make moderate improvements which may be enough to prevent medical conditions. It's a user-friendly concept, enticing. I found the book a real eye-opener, and very interesting, almost fun to read, and inspiring. The general advice and the research were quite engrossing, I thought. I highly recommend it to anyone.

This is another excellent book from Dr. Ornish that everyone should have. I have been following his suggestions for many years because of the heart disease in my family. I can't stress the importance of his advice more. This doctor know what he is talking about. AVOIDING THE 15 BIGGEST MISTAKES PARENTS MAKE: A PEDIATRICIAN'S PERSPECTIVE

I've been following Dr. Dean Ornish's work for many years. His books have helped transform my life for the better.

What I especially love about this book (which I think is his best by far) is that it provides a full spectrum of diet and lifestyle choices that are grounded in science (much of which he and his associates have conducted themselves and published in leading medical journals) yet it's easy to understand and fun to read.

Having been on and off many diets over the years, I like his "spectrum" approach because it doesn't tell me what to eat and do. Instead, it provides a range of choices that allow me to decide what's best for me. It treats the reader with intelligence, which I find empowering and motivating.

One of the main points of this book is that pleasure and joy are sustainable, not fear and guilt, and the recipes in this book (by Art Smith) really reflect that. Works for me!