Eat the Rich: A Treatise on Economics (O'Rourke, P. J.)

Amazon.com

A conservative, prosperous, American journalist gadding around the world laughing at all the ways less successful nations screw up their economy--this might not sound like the recipe for a great read, unless you're Rush Limbaugh, but if that journalist is P.J. O'Rourke you can be sure that you'll enjoy the ride even if you don't agree with the politics. Although Eat the Rich is subtitled A Treatise on Economics, O'Rourke spends relatively few pages tackling the complexities of monetary theory. He's much happier when flying from Sweden to Hong Kong to Tanzania to Moscow, gleefully recording every economic goof he can find. When he visits post-Communist Russia and finds a country that is as messed up by capitalism as it was by Communism, O'Rourke mixes jokes about black-market shoes with disturbing insights into a nation on the verge of collapse. P.J. O'Rourke is more than a humorist, he's an experienced international journalist with a lot of frequent-flyer miles, and this gives even his funniest riffs on the world's problems the ring of truth.

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

What is it that makes one person rich and another poor? It's a tough question and not one generally suited to laughs, but P.J. O'Rourke--in the audio version of his ironic and insightful book, Eat the Rich--is a master at finding humor in the most unlikely places. Here he travels from Wall Street to Russia, Hong Kong to Cuba on an immensely entertaining quest for economic enlightenment. It's an educational journey wrapped in hilarity, which is especially enjoyable when heard in the surprisingly deep, resonant voice of the author himself. (Running time: three hours, two cassettes) --George Laney

Book Description

In the tradition of his contemporary classic Parliament of Whores, the man who The Wall Street Journal calls "the funniest writer in America" is back with Eat the Rich, in which he takes on the global economy. P. J. O'Rourke leads you on an hysterical whirlwind world tour from the "good capitalism" of Wall Street to the "bad socialism" of Cuba in search of the answer to an age-old question: "Why do some places prosper and thrive, while others just suck?" With stops in Albania, Sweden, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Tanzania, P.J. brings along his incomparable wit and finds hilarity wherever he goes.

Customer Reviews:

Laughing at suffering. Psychopathic........2007-08-01

Smug rich people and their propagandists don't make me laugh, no matter how cute they think they are.
Regarding why some countries are poor and others rich, it's not complicated. The rich nations have been imposing disastrous neoliberal economic policies upon the poor nations that concentrate wealth, destroy local economies, and decimate labor and environmental protections.
Generations of invasions and colonialism haven't helped matters either.
Moreover, those people who work for economic justice are often oppressed by the state forces the rich countries arm and train. For example, the U.S.-backed Colombian forces and paramilitaries kill a couple hundred union activists each year. Subtle Voices: Cries from Colombia and The Profits Of Extermination: How U.S. Corporate Power is Destroying Colombia

O'Rourke does what the rest of the corporatists do, they co-opt the brand "conservative" while they divert their audiences from the realities of geopolitics.
For some actual understanding of economics, I'd recommend When Corporations Rule the World andThe Corporation.

"The money hunger grows on what it feeds. So everyone is compelled to take part in the wild goose chase, and the hunger for possession gets an ever stronger hold of man. It becomes the most important part of life; every thought is on money, all the energies are bent on getting rich, and presently the thirst for wealth becomes a mania, a madness that possesses those who have and those who have not.
Existence has become an unreasoning, wild dance around the golden calf, a mad worship of God Mammon. In that dance and in that worship man has sacrificed all his finer qualities of heart and soul - kindness and justice, honor and manhood, compassion and sympathy with his fellowman. Each for himself and devil take the hindmost. Is it any wonder that in this mad money chase are developed the worst traits of man - greed, envy, hatred, and the basest passions? Man grows corrupt and evil; he becomes mean and unjust; he resorts to deceit, theft, and murder."
-Alexander Berkman

Great book, Better than Econ 101.......2007-07-04

PJ O'Rourkes books crack me up. But you still can learn from them. This book is a funny, but true, perspective on various economies. Not from a real scientific perspective, but rather "the Man on the Street".

The Place to Start with O'Rourke.......2007-04-05

Barring none, this is the place for a novice P.J. O'Rourke reader to start. He has been in a slight slump as of late, but he is at his peak here. I loaned my first copy to someone who never returned it. If I lose this copy, I would buy it again.

This is O'Rourke's essay on economics, in it he analyzes why some societies work economically and why some do not, regardless of geography or access to natural resources. It has often been said that to be funny you first have to be smart. Here O'Rourke demonstrates that he knows more than a little about free market economics. He posesses keen powers of observation and an even sharper wit. His innate intelligence comes through.

How much funnier would he be had he not burned out all those brain cells in the '60s? It's not likely he could be! This one is hard to top.

How to Get Rich: Write a Book that Says Nothing but Makes People Laugh.......2007-02-05

P.J. O'Rourke manages to dizzy his audience with a tautological series of stories, comparsions, and self-defacement and then nauseatingly spews empty paragraphs. Don't know what a tautology is? Read this book, you'll figure it out.

An author either takes pride in his ignorance or banks on his authority. O'Rourke attempts to do both, the former almost always shining through the latter. Coming away, you'll feel like you learned something. Of course you did! It just took him 10 angles, 5 anecdotes, and 8 less-than-appropriate similes to convey a Macro 101 principle. If you want a good laugh, read this book. If you want someone who knows what they're talking about, keep looking

funny, but don't expect to learn much!.......2007-01-29

I actually love O'Rourke's quips (even though I disagree with most of his theories and viewpoins), and I think the book is well worth buying if you ever write, or speak in public, about matters at all related to economics (including, say, making reports or giving presentations to management): go through the book with a highlighter and small sticky bookmarks and by the time you're through you'll have a hundred funny quips to enliven your next report or presentation (only pick a couple of them for each occasion, of course!-). But you won't learn much from this book -- whether you already know a lot about economics, or just about nothing; it's just too much of a "snapshot" of specific short periods of times in various places, observed very partially and reported with much more attention to being funny than to being accurate and useful.

Let Them Eat Cake: 140 Sinfully Rich Desserts-With a Fraction of the Fat

Average customer rating:

GLUTEN-FREE & LACTOSE-FREE RECIPES GALORE!
The cover picture says it all!
Yummy, Yet Good for You
No one will guess these excellent desserts are low-fat!

Let Them Eat Cake: 140 Sinfully Rich Desserts-With a Fraction of the Fat
Susan Gold Purdy
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Desserts | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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Low Fat | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0688140394

Amazon.com

Skillfully combining butter and eggs with ingredients like light cream cheese, low-fat sour cream, and skim milk, Susan Purdy's Let Them Eat Cake offers every imaginable tempting dessert in recipes that produce luscious results, but with reduced fat and cholesterol. Purdy uses only natural ingredients, no egg substitutes or artificial sweeteners. Purdy's mastery is demonstrated through her advice on reducing the fat in your favorite dessert recipes and the notes accompanying each recipe that explain how she cut the fat compared with traditional versions. Recipes make up the bulk of this book, but the sections on ingredients, quick fixes, and understanding the labels on foods are equally valuable.

Customer Reviews:

GLUTEN-FREE & LACTOSE-FREE RECIPES GALORE!.......2005-09-06

AT LAST! She has an exceptional index of tons of fabulous main-stream baking recipes for those of us who suffer from Celiac Disease (can't eat anything made with wheat/rye/oats/barley). You've NO idea how difficult it is to bake without wheat flour! While this is certainly not the main theme of these marvelously decadently rich recipes, it's very sensitive of this author to include an index of her recipes for us. Fantastic for Celiac kids who miss out on so many desert goodies. And for the rest of us "big" kids who never outgrow our longing for great deserts! Also, don't miss the index on Lactose-intolerance recipes. THANK YOU SUSAN PURDY!

The cover picture says it all!.......2003-01-10

I had a ball just reading the recipes. While they all wouldn't be considered "low-fat" they are reduced-fat and would definitely curb that craving that so many of us sweet-tooths get. I found the way the author reduced the fat (without adding sugar) to be fascinating. She really knew her stuff and I look forward to trying one of the cheesecake recipes later today.

Yummy, Yet Good for You.......2001-02-03

Just reading the Table of Contents may make your mouth water: Luscious Lemon Squares, Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler, Key Lime Pie, Southern Sweet Potato Pie, Pear-Prune-Brandy Cake, sauces, toppings, and more! Susan G. Purdy (former student at "Le Cordon Bleu" and "L'Ecole de Cuisine la Varennes" in Paris) is a master chef, whose previous book, "Let Them Eat Cake" won the Julia Child Award. Her number one criterion for these low-fat goodies is taste: "The recipes must stand on their own and taste wonderful, not `okay' because they are low fat."

It's an easy yet complete guide to making low-fat sweets, with cooking tips on almost every page, enumerated instructions for each recipe, and notes on advance preparation, special equipment, and time requirements.

Her recipe for the delicious and usually cholesterol-heavy Tiramasu is a wonder. Per serving, it has 341 calories (compared to 600 for her favorite non low-fat recipe), 7.8 g of fat (compared to 37 g), and 92 mg of cholesterol (compared to 243mg). Her lemon meringue recipe has half the fat and one-sixth the cholesterol of the usual by using non-fat butter, no egg yolks, and other healthy substitutions. There is a long, excellent chapter on nutrition and cooking, a list of recipes by dietary requirement (e.g., fat-free, lactose-free, reduced-sugar) and occasion (children; holidays). She includes also a humorous 4-pagesection called "quick-fix cover-up tricks" when recipes don't go as expected.

This is a fun, thorough, and delicious set of recipes. Ms. Purdy talks about the importance of reducing fat and cholesterol but never sounds preachy. There's a guide to USDA food labels (for example, she explains the meaning of "fat-free" on a label), a list of mail order suppliers, a bibliography, index, and some beautiful color pictures within the book's 389 pages. An excellent book: Highly recommended!

No one will guess these excellent desserts are low-fat!.......1999-04-28

This is a great cookbook for people who love to eat desserts guilt-free. Susan Purdy does an excellent job of turning traditional favorities (like brownies) into low-fat treats. She uses rich ingredients (like dutch-process cocoa) in smaller quantities to provide flavor and low-fat ingredients (like low-fat cream cheese) to cut fat and calories. She gives a complete breakdown of the fat and calorie content at the end of each receipe. The recipes are written step-by-step and there are some pictures. Most of the recipes make a couple dozen cookies or an 8-in square pan. If I had one complaint it would be that the receipes call for a lot of very specific ingredients (for example, you are advised against substituting low-fat cream cheese and Neufatchel cream cheese). However, everyone I've shared these recipes with can't believe they are low fat.

I Am Rich Potosi: The Mountain That Eats Men

Average customer rating:

Great Book!
The Miners of Potosi
Captured images of the otherworldliness of the Potosi miners
Wonderful!
FUNNY PICTURES

I Am Rich Potosi: The Mountain That Eats Men
Stephen Ferry , and Eduardo Galeano
Manufacturer: Monacelli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Landscape | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 158093028X

Customer Reviews:

Great Book!.......2006-11-11

I got the book months ago and often look at it. I was a student at ICP in New York and had the great fortune to have Stephen Ferry as an instructor. I found it a very important topic captured in a beautiful way. I can recommend his book to everyone, especially for those who have travelled in this area.

The Miners of Potosi.......2004-11-22

I thought Stephen Ferry's look at the miners in the context of the 500th year anniversary of the Spanish conquest was insightful. By looking at the effect the conquest had on this mountain's past and the current lives of the descendants as opposed to the usual anniversay scenes he summons a well balanced idea of cause and effect. He obviously has passion for this story and tenderness toward the conditions that yeild the people towards their daily work. Although this book is a general look at the people living there, the spirit of their sensiblity transcends with beautiful color and light in each photograph. The book is beutifully printed the quality is a superb 10.

Captured images of the otherworldliness of the Potosi miners.......2001-06-17

Miners live in a world that almost defies description, except by the miners themselves. And the Potosi miners live in an exceptional world in itself, because the altitude of Potosi and the consequent thinning of the atmosphere at that height confer mining work, and even merely being there, with a permanent feeling of irreality in all your actions and thoughts. And that is what Stephen Ferry's images have captured in this outstanding book, the work of a real adventurer of the printed image. And Galeano's text is a fitting companion to such singular and excellent photographic work.

Wonderful!.......2001-05-27

First off, I had the opportunity to sit in on 3 of Mr. Ferry's Photographic lectures on Latin America, with one of them dealing with Potosi. At first sight of these photos I thougth they were good, but after he explained the particulars behind each and every picture, the book comes to life. It is now one of my favorite photographic books of all time. Eduardo Galeano fills in the historical aspect of the book and Ferry satiates the contemporary features of Potosi, Bolivia. In response to an earlier review(the only really negative review of Ferr'y book) I respect the fact that you are a native born Bolivian, but if you look at Latin American History as a whole, there really in not much that is good about it. I am sure there are small subtle lifestyles that are interesting, but people want to read and learn about historical mishaps and atrocities, such as the the colonial raping of Potosi and the current poverty of the same region.

FUNNY PICTURES.......2001-01-30

I'll try to make a constructive critique as a Bolivian born and raised in Potosi. As some of the books published in the US, this book portrays foreign life styles with an "american" mentality that is narrow in concept visualization as a whole. Yes, those pictures show a very harsh reality among "mineros" in Potosi. However, the pictures do not show, in any form, the subtle aspects of their lives that make them really unique and respectable. The photographer would have to live a reasonable time with them to really understand the situation and I'm sure he would take pictures with a different approach. By the way, I'm also a photographer.

Chic & Slim: How Those Chic French Women Eat All That Rich Food and Still Stay Slim

Average customer rating:

Uneven, badly edited, but nonetheless useful
Simply Charming
Bold but On the Mark
Don't waste your money like I did.

Chic & Slim: How Those Chic French Women Eat All That Rich Food and Still Stay Slim

Manufacturer: The Anne Barone Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0965894339

Product Description

In Chic & Slim, author Anne Barone shares the secrets to dressing chic and staying slim à la française. After a quarter century struggling with excess weight, in ther mid-20s, Anne Barone used these techniques she learned from chic French women to lose 55 pounds. With Le Systèm Barone, her translation of those techniques designed for life outside France, she has remained slim for more than 30 years. In Chic & Slim, Anne Barone shows women everywhere how they can eat as well, yet stay as slim, as those ooh-la-la French women.

Customer Reviews:

Uneven, badly edited, but nonetheless useful .......2006-12-24

Note: This review refers to the 3 Chic & Slim books rather than any single one.

Anne Barone has a devoted following among the sub-subculture of female Francophiles keen to plumb the diet secrets of Frenchwomen, and the Chic & Slim series is their Bible. The books touch on Ms. Barone's qualifications: growing up, she was a chronically overweight girl who couldn't quite find the magic bullet that could help her shed those miserable pounds. That is, until she spent some time in France and was astonished to find herself shrinking rapidly despite the abundance of whole milk, cheese and red meat for which that country is world-famous. She eventually lost over 50 pounds and has maintained her slim figure for over 25 years. It's a story her devotees are familiar with, and one she repeats throughout her books and her Web site.

The books themselves hold much useful information. Her 'secrets' can be distilled into suggestions familiar to any dieter: small, sensible portions; frequent exercise; mindful eating. The real allure of the books is the French twist: the power of fine lingerie and heels; the necessity of music to calm the senses and inspire mindful dining; the use of romance as inspiration to lose weight. It's a very rosy, somewhat simplistic view of French life that is undeniably appealing to those of us who've struggled to lose weight on diets that have been anything but romantic.

Ms. Barone can be forgiven for oversentimentalizing the French; nearly every American does that, and if the illusion allows us to lose those unwanted pounds, then more power to her. Two major flaws in her book, however, are more stylistic than topical. One is the irritating condescension she adopts towards American women, and overweight women in particular. The other -- and, in my eyes -- more egregious flaw is her uneven writing and editing style. The books could have used some serious professional editing, as they're littered with incomplete sentences, run-on sentences, and paragraphs that ramble on about topics or episodes that have little to do with the subject. At times, the author wanders off into a self-indulgent tangent about an issue or anecdote that is either irrelevant or incoherent, or both.

All in all, the Chic & Slim series is a fun, if somewhat lightweight read. Francophiles with a particular affection for women might enjoy the books, and those seeking diet advice may find just the inspiration they're seeking. If testimony on Ms. Barone's Web site is any indication, the advice has certainly worked for quite a few of her fans. On the other hand, you might be better off reading Mireille Guiliano's 'French Women Don't Get Fat' book, itself a well-written, charming tome that does a better job of combining both diet advice and a cultural study of Frenchwomen and their undeniable allure.

MRA

Simply Charming.......2005-01-14

After seeing another author of a similar book interviewed on one of the network news magazines this week, I pulled CHIC & SLIM off the shelf to reread. It's a new edition with the same, charming take on the delightful charms of the french, especially french women.

Sick of the "typical" diet and beauty books? Give this tiny little tome a try for a fresh take on the healthy lifestyle of the trés chic. It won't disappoint!

Bold but On the Mark.......2005-01-08

Anne certainly has her opinions and she doesn't mince words. the way she describes the American woman's attitude towards food, self-respect, style, the relationship with her mother - broadly speaking, is not inaccurate. American culture was formed from Puritan England in the early 1600's. As she states, America termed the phrase "no pain - no gain" while the French termed the phrase "joie to vie". That certainly speaks to the differences between our two cultures.

The review by Mommy Reader, 12/21/04, sounds as if it was written by an angry, overweight American woman who has perhaps had a bad experience with a man recently. Her review seemed more a personal criticism of the author rather than the material or Barone's writing ability.

I enjoyed the book. It generalizes "the French this" and "the French that" but, based on my experiences, it isn't far off the mark. Bottom line, the book is an easy read written by someone that has definite opinions and isn't afraid to express them. French women are raised with a strong sense of self. In addition the the French find excess to be uncouth, whether it comes in the form of food, fashion or otherwise. Moderation is the key.

Have confidence in yourself, your mind and your body and use moderation as a guide. Sounds like a good formula to me. A new website will be published in March that will have a section on just this topic and how Americans, women in particular, could benefit from understanding the French as well as adopting a bit of their way into their lives. http://www.bestkeptsecretsofparis.com

PS - ...."Adulterous as the French...." Poor angry Mommy Reader. She also wrote a second angry review on this same book that is listed separately. She is really on a rampage, which is unfortunate for Barone.

Don't waste your money like I did........2004-12-21

This is a short read, and I started out thinking it was going to be good. But after a while you get the idea that this author, Anne Barone, is just looking for a way to put down Americans as fat, lazy, slobs with zero style. She seems to be overly-enamored with the French as to make ridiculous statements. She seems to think if only we American women would be as adulterous as the French, we could stay slim since we would want to fit into that slinky lingerie for our lovers! I have found out that sometimes when people have no other skills, they put their viewpoints down on paper, call it a book and sell it. Try Will Clower's "The Fat Fallacy" or Gin Sander's "The Martini Diet" instead. These are enjoyable reads that will show you ways to enjoy delicious food and lose weight without denying yourself pleasure. I think Anne Barone was trying to fit into this genre, but she can't hold a candle to these other 2 books.

Average customer rating:

Good Read
This is one of the most valuable and helpful books on weight loss
Climbing on the bandwagon of the French Diet fad
A Charming Book
Not as bad as everyone likes to say...

Chic & Slim: How Those Chic French Women Eat All That Rich Food And Still Stay Slim
Anne Barone
Manufacturer: Nouvelles Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:

ASIN: 0965894304

Book Description

CHIC & SLIM takes a lighthearted look at how French women eat rich French cuisine and stay slim. And how American women eat diet food, yet struggle endlessly in their battle against fat.

Customer Reviews:

Good Read.......2007-02-11

Anne Barone hits the spot when she talks about lifestyle rather than dieting changes. Chic & Slim isn't just one of your run-of-the-mill diet books, but emphasizes the differences in American "more is better" and European "quality is better" lifestyles. It's not too long a book, but effective, and Barone doesn't beat around the bush to make things sound more politically correct. It's a good read.

This is one of the most valuable and helpful books on weight loss.......2006-07-27

I really wonder if the negative reviewers actually needed to lose a lot of weight (like me) or if they focus on superficialities.

For me this book, and it's sequel (C+S Encore) plus the next book (C+S Techniques) have been the first ray of hope in a very long time.

I've struggled with weight all my life. As I've shared in my recent Guide, I did manage to attain "normal" weight and kept the weight off for 5 years, then exhaustion and stress took their toll and I regained it all and then some.

I've had direct experience with yo yo diets, always gaining back a bit more than my starting weight.

And diets take a lot of effort.

Oh I can hear the judgemental cries, "all you need is will power" or the other one "you are just lazy". Both make the judge sound so strong, so hard working and the struggler sound lazy and weak.

If will power or effort was all there was to losing weight, and keeping it off, then I can sell you a bridge in Brooklyn honey!

HOWEVER THIS BOOK AND IT's sequels, (plus a few others I share in my guide), are changing my weight and my life, without effort, without pain and without will power.

I'm enjoying food, life, living -------and slowly I'm LOSING weight.

I can't rate this book highly enough.

I bought it on the recommendation of Lee Mellot, and Diane Von Behren, and I'm very grateful to them for their positive reviews.

To those who were less then positive, I don't get it.

This book explains some very key reasons why I gained weight and couldn't seem to lose it without a lot of strain and effort. I don't care about the politics of a writer, just whether the book is good and true.

This is a book about understanding reasons why some North Americans have a hard time with weight. She does use comparison between French and Americans to help people understand why some cultural differences are hurting us.

She isn't trying to recreate France in America or cause Americans to hate themselves any more than she is trying to get fat people to hate themselves. She is trying to explain some key reasons French women have an edge, an advantage.

Works for me!

I got my copies from her site. I followed a recommendation in the reviews to google her name, or the words French Chic and Anne Barone. She sells them direct for a lot less than they are sold second hand.

But whatever you have to pay for these books, get them if you want to lose weight, and then read them over and over till the concepts begin to sink in.

Take time, allow yourself time to learn and change.

Another book to read alongside this is The Rules of Normal Eating by Karen Koenig. It agrees with what Anne says, and gives some further explanations of why this method works.

Bottom line, these books by Anne Barone are worth their weight in GOLD! (or fat) LOL whichever works!
;-)

I am so glad I bought them.

Climbing on the bandwagon of the French Diet fad.......2005-11-14

This book is not an original. It is in the same line with other books such as Debra Ollivier's "Entre Nous" (by far more interesting and relevant than Barone's) in which gawking-diffident- blundering American women look up to their ever-divine- suave-refined French counterparts. Barone presents as "le système Barone" a lump of dietary habits that have been extensively scrutinized ad infinitum and with more scientific research by authors such as Montignac, Clower and more recently Mireille Guiliano, habits which can be noticed by any layman that be who spends enough time in France as to get acquainted with our eating habits. Eat slowly, in small portions, three times a day, no snacks... that is not "le système Barone", that is "le système français," stop. And then she mentions a French woman who was so stylish as to mince about the beach in pumps and use her god-awful expensive Hermès carré to sit down on the sand. Parbleu! French women are stylish but not preposterous! Bottomline is: Anne Barone has only climbed on the banwagon of the French diet fad and her book is a rehash of so many books and articles that the bibliography would take up more pages than the hundred-page volume she wrote. As a matter of fact, what I find really slim about Barone's book more than the promise in her title is the book itself. Don't waist your hard-earned money: for losing weight the French way, read Mireille Guiliano's book and for pointers on French style, simply refer to Susan Sommers "French Chic."

A Charming Book.......2005-11-11

I really enjoyed reading this book...it was a light and breezy look at the French culture, and read like a gabby magazine article in Cosmo or Glamour. There was nothing terribly grounbreaking or intellectual, but it offered some unique insights into the everyday lifestyles of French women. It dramatically changed the way in which I approached food and even my day to day life. Growing up in the Bible belt, I found this French approach to things both new and refreshing...you can actually enjoy yourself without guilt!

Though it is a wonderful book, I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because it didn't really offer any concrete data for her claims. I know this isn't exactly an academic book, but it would have been useful to have some tables or figures to support some of her claims (perhaps through surveys of the general population, or references to supporting studies). However, it is still quite a good book on her perception of the French culture.

That said, I think it is a charming book and it definitely has a place on my bookshelf. I recommend it to my family and friends, and even gave a copy as a gift to a family member.

Not as bad as everyone likes to say..........2005-03-01

I was in my never ending quest to learn another language trying to learn French again. Thats when I realized: I have NO clue about their culture! So I did an amazon search and seen this book...and was intrigued. I tried buying it on Ebay but no such luck! This was before 'French women dont get fat' conquered America's heart so this whole concept seemed to be long gone!

So I went to Mrs. Barone's site, and ordered this book and Chic Encore. As someone interested in the culture and also a weight loss enthuist (I lost 65lbs in the past year) I just HAD to read this book! And I can say it taught me quite a bit, but after reading some reviews on this site I have to agree it may be a bit fanatical and well...idealistic of the French.

Anne was someone who was overweight, went to France, learned their ways of the time, and applied it to her own life though its hard to determine from this book when she was last in France. She isnt French, and well she does seem to be a bit unrealistic about their lifestyles. *However* Bush bashing shouldnt garner her such bad reviews! I dont think that was chic, polite, or correct of her (and Im anti Bush if that says anything!) But this book is a good weight loss book in my opinion.

Sure the info is simple: Eat a little less in portions, cut out the processed foods we Americans tend to eat, slow life down a little, and try to be a little more careful in your appearance and outlook. I honestly never thought to do any of those except well eat less. I think she may go a bit overboard (her reasoning to always be dressed up is a bit silly and her thoughts on how and when to cook arent always American lifestyle friendly) but its still good advice! I guess take it for what its worth, there's good advice hidden in some ramblings and exgarretions, if your smart enough to know which is which then you have NO reason to complain or buy the book and claim you expected else wise!

However I recommend Chich & Slim Encore, it has more details for 'French living' overall. But if you want mostly diet stuff this is the book for you!

Average customer rating:

Eat the Rich
P.J. O'Rourke
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
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Eat the Rich

ASIN: 0330353284

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Eat The Rich - Abridged Student Edition
P.J. O'Rourke
Manufacturer: Cato
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MZ05V2

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Dog Eat Butterfly
Travis E. Rich
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1419604678
Release Date: 2005-05-25

Book Description

Time was... ahhh yes... there once was a time solong ago when you came up out of Tupelo on Old Tremont Road, the road cut deep into the rolling hills of Itawamba Ridge laying bare slopes of iron red clay that had lain still and quiet for millions of years where the fine long leaf pines reached up high for the sun... tall and lean... shimmering in the warm Spring sun... the fresh new pines needles sprouting out yellow green and not hard green like the like the needles that had borne the hard cold of Winter...

Average customer rating:

EAT THE RICH
P. J. O\'ROURKE
Manufacturer: PICADOR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S8E4RE

Average customer rating:

EAT THE RICH
ROURKE
Manufacturer: PICADOR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S6DPA8

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