A great practical book with advice that you can put into action immediately and feel better. This is a good one to have on hand and flip through during those times you feel down. ( )

Geneen Roth's book is right in step with the work I've been doing for many years to love myself, and make the disconnect between what I eat making me "bad" or "good."

In 50 very short (2 or 3 pages each), Roth outlines steps we can take to make the journey of understanding our relationship with food, our relationship with our bodies and body image and, most importantly, celebrating the fabulousity (Thank Miss M for that word) this is ourselves.

Geneen Roth goes right up there with Anne Lamott (who wrote the forward), and Brene Brown. ( )

Known truths, but delivered in an accessible manner with a smile. ( )

Fun, short essays in a self-helpy vein that manage to be insightful in vague conjunction with compulsive eating (but apply for all). ( )

My dissertation at university is on eating disorders, so I've been reading quite widely on the subject. Geneen Roth's books had been recommended to me for ages, so I decided I should start with this one: maybe it was the wrong choice as an introduction to her work, maybe not. I guess I'll find out after reading the rest of her books.

Mind you, this is NOT a disappointing book: Not at all. It contains good, very useful ideas, and it makes clear points. The basic, no-diet philosophy of Roth is valid & makes sense. And since this is a self-help book, it helps that the author uses examples, little stories, & catchy titles. From cover to cover, it can be read in a couple of hours, but I think it's better to read the ideas more slowly, savouring & trying to understand each one better.

"When you eat at the refrigerator..." is NOT a bad book: it's just that these things have been said before, & (in my opinion) much better, for example, by Susie Orbach. Maybe Orbach concetrates more on the theoretical part & Roth tackles the more practical, self-help part. I don't know. And maybe Roth has covered more theory in her other books. But this book, for me, was lacking in theoretical explanation of the ideas presented, & so most of these ideas seemed like little gimmicks to me. But, as a beginnning book, a book of ideas that can lead to other similar books, it's not bad. ( )