CARBOPHOBIA: The Scary Truth About America's Low-Carb Craze

Vegetarian nutrition specialist Greger dedicates this goal-oriented volume to discrediting the effectiveness and healthfulness of low-carbohydrate diets, especially the ubiquitous Atkins Diet. But the author, creator of www.AtkinsExposed.com, says his book is "not the Dr. Greger Diet versus the Dr. Atkins Diet. This is a century of medical science versus the Atkins diet." In fact, Greger cites hundreds of respectable resources that back up his theories; of the volume's 176 pages, 72 are filled with lists of references. The 104 remaining pages are generally reader-friendly and compelling, although readers might feel that they're stuck in the middle of a mud-slinging war instead of receiving helpful diet advice (for example, Greger points out that "on August 3, 2004, the legal department of the Atkins Corporation sent me a letter threatening to sue me for speaking out against the Atkins Diet on my website," and then spends a chapter refuting the corporation's claims). Still, this is an interesting counterpoint to a diet philosophy that has swept the nation, and it raises valid points that anyone concerned for their health may want to consider before committing to a low-carb existence. (Mar.)