An amusing, meaningful account that demonstrates from the male perspective how to face down obesity, largely through...
A memoir traces a personal journey through the ups and downs of weight loss.
This work by Peterson (Managing When No One Wants to Work, 2014) candidly tells the story of how a 350-pound man found the courage and determination to lose weight and repair his self-image. Written as a first-person narrative, the book is a confessional in which the author recounts numerous embarrassing moments caused by his obesity. Thankfully, Peterson not only weaves an effective tale; he also displays an endearing sense of humor and the ability to laugh at his own foibles. Still, there is a vulnerability to the author that is revealed in the honest assessment of his struggles with various diets, making the tale all the more poignant. While this could have been just another lighthearted reminiscence, the volume’s enduring emotional strength is in the “50 Rules” of dieting based on Peterson’s own trials. Here, the author essentially delivers a set of inspirational and practical steps to permanent weight loss, urging the reader to “incorporate just one Rule, or all 50 into your life.” Each one includes an example from the author’s own experience as well as strong encouragement. In “Begin with the End” (Rule 1), for example, Peterson writes: “I had to visualize my future self, being as specific as possible about how I wanted to look, and feel and act, and what I wanted to do and where I wanted to live.” He goes on to advise: “Be the type of person who decides to do more than just dream big. The type of person who takes the time to visualize the future; instead of the type that just takes it as it comes.” This me-and-you conversational style develops an intimate connection between Peterson and the reader with a weight problem, making for powerful prose. While the rules themselves are somewhat random rather than shaping any kind of formal plan, they should be stirring and helpful to anyone grappling with weight loss.
An amusing, meaningful account that demonstrates from the male perspective how to face down obesity, largely through self-awareness and individual efforts rather than a specific diet.Pub Date: April 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9989268-0-3
Page Count: 156
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 8, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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