Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health

The book "Forks Over Knives" does a wonderful job of performing two disparate tasks: It provides concise explanations of why a whole-foods, plant-based diet is healthiest for people, the planet, and the animals, and It offers a wide range of amazing recipes to help people get started. The editor pairs these tasks to perform one goal: to help people live healthier lives through their food choices. The book does this in three parts: (i) why a plant-based diet is best for your health, the planet, and the animals (37 pages); (ii) basic facts on plant-based foods (19 pages), and (iii) recipes (133 pages). While the bulk of the book is for recipes, there is a lot of powerful information in the first two parts that has appeal for anyone from the newcomer to the most informed, with topics as diverse as the environmental impact of food choices to nutrition labels. Even after having read literally dozens of books on plant-based foods and having finished Campbell's eCornell course in plant-based nutrition, I became more informed after reading the first two parts. The third part is filled with tempting recipes from some of the top plant-based chefs who refuse to compromise on health to sell meals. The writing style is, for lack of a better word, "comfortable". You can almost imagine yourself having a casual discussion with 11 experts on healthy eating, with insights that would surprise your general practitioner, but with language suitable for the layperson. My only qualms with the book are with the image quality of the graphs and people, which are technically disappointing, although still discernable, and with the arrangement of the bios, which seems out of order with their contributions. As a result of the dual tasks, some of the Amazon reviewers were negative. I've summarized them here, along with some counterpoints: Claim: The educational part of the book was too concise and contained bios If you are interested only in Dr. Esselstyn's work, try Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure . For more on Campbell's work, turn to The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health . For the impact of our food choices on the environment or animals, there are hundreds of books that describe the effects in chilling detail. This book is not the most comprehensive, authoritative guide on any one of those subjects, but it is a very readable and compelling guide on what is arguably the most important topic for most readers: healthy eating. And it holds something for every nutritionist I've ever met, as well as for the overweight Wal-Mart shopper whose cart is filled with chips and soda, or laboratory-manufactured foods from aisle 17. I have yet to find a book that does a better job of balancing the tasks of enlightening readers and facilitating changes in diet. The book does offer bios on the people who are trying to help us live more healthy lives. At first, I thought that this was a bit too much of a stretch for an already ambitious book...if I read a book on yoga, I'm not necessarily interested in the backgrounds of the leading proponents of yoga. But here I think the bios are justified because they offer a much needed perspective. The bio on T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., explains how he grew up on a dairy farm and was preparing to continue working with animal-based foods, how he discovered that animal protein was a problem rather than a solution to health woes, and then how certain factions in the food industry tried to smear him to stop him from sharing his findings. Dr. Neal Barnard found that the ribs on his cafeteria tray looked and smelled eerily similar to the ribs he had just examined from a human cadaver, which led him to think differently about food. Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn tells of how he saved cardiovascular patients who had been told to "go home and prepare for death". I know of dozens of people with cardiovascular problems and one person who was also told to give up hope, so this latter bio may serve as a wakeup call where all else has failed. Collectively, these bios show how the leaders in the field came to the same conclusions from different perspectives, in spite of the traditional food and health industry pressures and tactics. Claim: The book offered nothing that couldn't be found on the Internet. I've been a student of plant-based nutrition for 10 years and I've read everything I can on the topic, yet I found pieces here I'd never seen before: Bios that contain insights obviously drawn out from first-hand interviews with the subjects; success stories from people who chose to adopt this healthier approach to eating; a very concise and thoughtful summary which compares whole, plant-based foods to animal products (styled like black box warning labels for food), and some great recipes from leading chefs. Claim: The book contained no bibliography and few footnotes. This comment, especially when juxtaposed with the above comment, shows the difficulty in pairing disparate tasks: it's impossible to please everyone. If everything could be found on the Internet, why would someone need a bibliography and dozens of footnotes? Actually, there is a bibliography--called a "bookshelf" on page 199, as well as a list of online references on page 198. There are few footnotes, which will disappoint the purist, but this is a guide, not the definitive source on every topic covered. Now, a comment on some of the "reviews": A review should summarize the content, offer a critical assessment (e.g., Was it noteworthy? Understandable? Persuasive?), and an argument as to why prospective readers might or might not enjoy the book. Some of the comments for this book are simply mean-spirited attacks on a book that aims to inform, persuade and help those who want to live longer, healthier lives in making better food choices--all for the low price of $6.40, or less than one-tenth the cost of a doctor's visit, where the topic of whole, plant-based foods will likely never come up. Such attacks are to be expected when someone challenges long-held, but unjustifiable beliefs with extensive clinical and epidemiological evidence. Still, more thoughtful reviews would benefit Amazon customers.

The book is clear, easy to adapt recipes

Forks Over Knives is one of four books (Reversing and Preventing Heart Disease, China Study, and Engine 2 Diet) I recently purchased to help me make a decision about altering my nutrition program. Just recently, Drs. Esselstyn and Ornish were showcased in CNN's interview with former President Bill Clinton and Dr. Sanjay Gupa about heart problems and diet. It was from those interviews that I purchased the four books on the subject from Amazon. I would recommend reading Dr. Esselstyn's Reversing and Preventing Heart Disease first because after reading his book, if you find his recommendation of "not eating anything with a face or a mother" translated into no meat, poultry, fish, eggs and other good stuff...then why read the other three books because with some exceptions on their Do and Don't lists, the remaining books follow the basic theme. If you find Dr. Esselstyn's recommendations worth considering, then for sure read Dr. Ornish's book and The China Study. Each book is very thorough in explaining the background, research, studies, and why they feel their nutritional program is vital for the prevention of not just heart disease but many other major diseases. The authors and families actually eat what they preach and include a generous and well-rounded amount of recipes. The Engine 2 Diet is written by Rip Esselstyn (a firefighter and marathon runner) and is a tad more generous with items on the ALLOWED list and gives a very helpful list of sources for various vegetarian food products. If you feel the need to alter your diet and want to know more about reversing and preventing some major diseases in addition to heart disease, do yourself a favor and consider making a major change in your nutrition program. I am going to give it a whirl for 12 weeks!

I ordered this book after my dad was recommended to follow the plant-based diet. It's seemed absurd to me that you need to cut out all animal products including dairy and all fats like olive oil, as well as nuts. I can understand meat but the healthy fats and nuts that we've been told are good for you are not allowed. However, after ordering this book and watching the documentary, Fork over Knife, I understand this way of eating is more prescriptive and by following it, you can save yourself surgery, tons of money and the side effects from medication and live a longer, more productive life. Although it is difficult (and I am not currently following it), I am working on reducing animal products and trying to incorporate more all vegetarian eating days. I'm not certain that my dad is 100% sold on this eating plan and would be able to do it although he really should because of his severe PAD and heart issues. I haven't given him the books yet, I'm reviewing them first and then I'm going to pass them along. Although I like most vegetables and grains, many of the recipes are just a little too out there with the seasonings but there are a few that are worth the try. I think they need to keep promoting this plant based eating, especially in the healthcare setting. I'm glad my dad's doc suggested it for him.

Very nice and interesting book

I bought this book after watching the documentary and it is a fantastic tie in, packed with great recipe ideas and a guide to staying on the whole foods, plant-based diet. The documentary and the book provide convincing and proven information about how this kind of diet can help maintain excellent health and moves away from the traditional "Medicate" mentality. Highly recommended to anyone considering this approach.

I was expecting more info on the pros of a PLANT based diet with scientific facts, instead I found mostly recipies. I want to help people get better. I know so many people who need a reason to convert, but this book doesn't even convince me, ...and I'm a plant eater.

I absolutely LOVE this book. I bought it after I watched the documentary two or three times, and seriously this documentary, book and the Forks Over Knives cookbook all changed my life completely. I lost weight, my acid reflux and sinus issues disappeared completely, I lost weight, gained a ton of energy, don't have to sleep as much anymore, my acne went away, even my hair is shinier (seriously! haha). I can't explain to everyone how much this docu and books have helped me turn my life around. I never imagine ever being able to feel so good on a daily basis as I feel now eating a whole foods, plant-based (and organic) diet. I eat as much food as I want, and still lost weight, I never count calories or anything crazy like that - who needs to when you feed your body actual FOOD (and not processed trash and processed animal products!). It's so crazy, but yet so simple, the concept of healing your body through what you eat. But it actually works. I literally haven't been sick in almost a year now, and I used to get sick ALL the time. I haven't even had so much as a cold! When I start to feel a sore throat coming on, I make an extra smoothie for myself, eating as much raw as possible, and it's literally worked every time. Eating as much raw as possible is so important, but I can't believe how much stronger my immune system is now that I eat healthy, REAL food and no longer eat processed garbage and animal products. Yuck! I have more variety in my meals every day than I ever did when eating junky, processed food and animal products, and the food tastes sooo much better than a burger and fries or boring meat and potato dish! I never thought I'd hear myself say those words, but it's true! Haha. Anyway, totally recommend this documentary and book, 100% - you won't regret it, it's incredible. And anyone who gives it a shot will see exactly what I mean. Good luck everyone, hope this was helpful. Happy, healthy eating to all! :) And, remember: "Let food be thy medicine." - Hippocrates

Ce livre accompagne le film du même nom qui a fait un tabac aux Etats-Unis, pays pourtant du Fast-Food et du Coca Cola. Il arrivera en France aux printemps 2013 sous le titre "A vos fourchettes". Il faut absolument aller le voir et le faire voir. Des scientifiques du plus haut niveau expliquent comment faire reculer la plupart des maladies de civilisation - en changeant sa façon de se nourrir.