To be a reference, a book must have a decent index! So many publishers overlook this point. Having read through volumes of data, I remembered seeing interesting points but had a devil of a time locating them again. I had to literally leaf through the book a second time with sticky notes. Don't count on using this book as a reference. Do count on it for comprehensive nutritional information. (Just parse the dogma.) It is the best book I've read to date on nutrition: readable, thorough and pragmatic.

I have read the first edition prior to this one and it was such an informative book that I bought myself the second edition. Researching nutrition for years, I must say this has to be my favorite out of all other nutrition books I've encountered. Of course each book has its own purpose and flavor, but if you want a good entry book into health and overall well-being (for yourself and/or your family) driven structured organization of the chapters, Duyff delivers a vast load of information mostly based on the Food Guide Pyramid, a guide used to quantitatively approximate the proportions of food consumed dispelling and "ambiguous label claims" clarifications. After reading this book you will look at "what people say" in a completely different light. Also, if you want to know what supplements work and do not work, you will find it here.

Special nutrition topics cover guidelines for people of different lifestyles. It includes ages from infants to the seniors. It even covers mothers and the special needs of women! Small sections discuss athletes, vegetarians, and allergies.

Overall, to sum it up, I would say that this book is about using nutrition as part of your lifestyle to optimal health through disease prevention and enhanced physical energy (though these two seem to be somewhat synergistic). It is not about quick methods to loose weight or cures for ailments. If you want to lead a nutritious lifestyle based on physiological health and well-being, and you have the patience and persistence to stick to common principles for a long time, this book is definitely worth reading as well as keeping as a shelf reference.

thomas Ayoob -

Bottom line, this is the best consumer nutrition book out, and it will be for some time to come. The information is sound and reliable. It's user-friendly, and it's complete. Any consumer can open it up to any page and get useful information. From a tidbit to a chapter, if it matters in nutrition, Roberta Duyff has included it, and presented it in such a clear manner.

In a reference book of this type, a clear presentation of information is everything. This book's layout is logical and the topics are indexed with common sense.

As a consumer but also a nutrition professional, I need reference information that I know is based on sound science. I appreciate the practical, friendly, and common sense manner in which Roberta Duyff delivers nutrition information to the reader. For that reason alone, this book is worth its weight in gold.

In my office, this book stays easily reachable on my book shelf. My elderly parents also keep a copy and they use it. Brava to Roberta Duyff for this latest editiion of the ADA Complete Food and Nutrition Guide.