This book was cleverly written as the author's autobiography of his dietary evolution while planting helpful information throughout. The information was usually presented at points in the book where he learned a lesson or faced a difficulty relating to it.

The entire book is not an autobiography though. I think the last 100 pages or so is just information and the author summing up his thoughts on diet.

This book is full of common sense and unbiased information. Frederic Patenaude seems to be a rare person in the raw food world, since he does not promote the "as long as it's raw, means you can eat whatever you want!" dangerous line of thinking. I highly recommend him. ( )

One man’s quest for the ideal diet, by trial and error. A readable book, well sourced. Discusses many issues I have been struggling with and puzzling over for a long time. Not the final word, but worth considering.

His starting point is Herbert M. Shelton’s Natural Hygiene philosophy. He faults Shelton on quantity, but usually not on quality. Where Shelton believed that disease comes from eating too much, this author suggests it can come from eating too little, from deficiencies, especially deficiencies in calories. The raw vegan diet is often a semi-starvation diet, he claims. “Vegans generally don’t eat enough food to get the calories and nutrients they need.” And from where are the requisite calories to come? From fruits, he advises, not from fats. He says that Shelton’s diet is flawed because it is too high in fats, especially nuts. He presents a case against most fats, including the natural fats in avocados and nuts. But are there enough calories in fruits? One would have to eat a lot of fruit to equal the calories in nuts and avocados.

He debunks liver flushing and discusses fasting, detox, food cravings, supplements, Vitamin B12, dental issues, and many other topics crucial to raw eaters and health seekers. He concludes that the 100% raw vegan diet is an ideal that does not work in practice. It works for gorillas in the wild, but not for humans. Why not? He speculates.

This book could benefit from an index. On page 360 the author warns against “too much salt” without pointing out that salt in any quantity is harmful. He also fails to mention that the minerals in salt are not bio-available. His contention that the natural sugars in fruits can cause tooth decay is disturbing. Are we not a frugivorous species? Why should our natural food cause dental problems? Dr. Weston Price found North African date eaters who had beautiful teeth. This needs more study.

This book provides much food for thought. A worthwhile discussion. Its conclusions do not satisfy me, but four stars for asking the right questions. ( )