The message of this book could be a blessing or a curse, depending on your perspective. There is no hard science, no clearly-defined plan, and no lists of food to have or have not; instead, you'll find simple tricks that boil down to eating carefully prepared seasonal food, exercising more and refusing to think of food as something that inspires guilt. It's both a practical message and far easier said than done in today's "no pain, no gain" culture.

Author Mireille Guiliano is CEO of Veuve Clicquot, and French Women Don't Get Fat offers a concept of sensible pleasures: If you have a chocolate croissant for breakfast, have a vegetable-based lunch -- or take an extra walk and pass on the bread basket at dinner. Guiliano's insistence on simple measures slowly creating substantial improvements are reassuring, and her suggestion to ignore the scale and learn to live by the "zipper test" could work wonders for those who get wrapped up in tiny details of diet. She sympathizes that deprivation can lead straight to overindulgence when it comes to favorite foods, but then, in a most French manner, treats them as a pleasure that needs to be sated, rather than a battle to be fought.

the non-diet diet

while this book is somewhat condescending (but then again, the author is french) most of the advice is sound. the diet she proposes is not terribly unlike what weight watchers teaches, eat whatever you want in moderation. it does give good recipe ideas (with the exception of leek soup every meal for 2 days). and gives excellent insight on how to shop for groceries. the advice on walking everywhere is a bit extreme as alot of america is not as conducive as france to walking, but with some innovation, excersie can be painlessly achieved. for those not into deprivation and pain, this book is an excellent beginning to a permanent solution for weight loss.

Biggest smokers in the world giving us advice

This lady has no credentials in nutrition or health, none. It might be useful to remember that the French have one of the highest smoking rates in the world. Smoking will keep the weight off, so does chemotherapy, but I don't recommend it. Recent statistics from France show that the French ARE GAINING weight, given that the premise of the book is false. Classical French food, as opposed to California cuisine, relies heavily on dairy fat.While you can eat some dairy fat and stay slim, it is much easier to stay slim on a California style cuisine that emphasizes fresh vegetables prepared without heavy fats. California cuisine has led the way towards the development of food styles that preserve the health value of fruits and vegetables. Sorry, Charly, Escoffier classic French recipes are heart attacks on platters. Even if you close your eyes and wish real hard, high levels of dairy fat still accumulate in your arteries.

The French used to "lead the world" in cuisine, while the United States lead the world in new technology, economic vitality and medical breakthroughs. It is hard for the French to realize that their classical tradition, dairy fat based as it is, has been revealed for the heart stopper it is.

So, pick up a tome of California cuisine and get out there in the sunshine and walk, bike, hike, rollerskate or run. Find a sport or game you enjoy and participate, it will get rid of that French pallor.

Get over it and walk!

I bought the book after seeing it the bookstore and didn't put it down. I still keep it beside my bed to flick through when i can't sleep; it's probably my favourite book. The advice is valuable and the book is well written and entertaining.

Do not let the bad reviews put you off buying it: the people who are writing them are just too lazy to make changes or are too patriotic about their fat American ways:

"I can't walk everywhere, there are no sidewalks and it's too far" - These people need to learn to leave home earlier and walk on the edge of the road...it's not that difficult and more fun than the gym plus you won't end up with oddly large muscles.

"The book is so condescending" - Do you really blame the woman? I know it's hard to accept but Americans, in general, ARE fat people. They are stuck in a way of life that makes them that way. To put it simply: her way of thinking and eating IS superior to the American way. Get over it and learn something.

"She's just a sophisticated, rich, thin, successful woman" - Yes, and that's a terrible thing to be isn't it? Admit it, you want to be like that. So stop complaining and listen to what she has to say.

Get off the couch and walk to buy this book and some fresh food. It may be more expensive than McDonalds but it's a hell of a lot more cheaper than liposuction and gym memberships.