AT HOME WITH GLADYS KNIGHT: Her Personal Recipe for Living Well, Eating Right, and Loving Life

While fans of Gladys Knight know of her wonderful voice, they probably don't know that Knight has fought to prevent her family's hereditary disease, diabetes. As a child growing up in the South, food and family celebrations around a dinner table were important, and from the time Knight reached her teens, she battled a weight problem. She spent many years trying out various diets with little long-term success. A few years ago, she embarked on an exercise and diet regimen with a trainer, Al Claiborne. This program—really a combination of sensible eating and regular exercise—transformed Knight's life. The book—divided between personal details about her life and her exercise/diet regimen and recipes—is easy to read. The statistics about diabetes are clear; boxes are used to present the most important information. The advice, while not unique, is sensible. "The easiest way to engage in any activity program is to make it fun. Do something that you enjoy.... You may not realize it, but almost any activity you do can be a way to burn calories and lose weight." Knight doesn't offer a specific step-by-step diet; instead, she talks about eating natural foods rather than processed ones and trying to exercise regularly. This book is an inspirational start for readers who need motivation, but they will probably also want to consult more complete diabetes diet/recipe books that offer daily recipe plans. (Oct.)