Rating: 
Summary: Courtney Rubin Whines Too Much
Review: I would not want to be Courtney Rubin's friend, co-worker, personal trainer, coach, dietician, neighbor,boss or enthusiastic supporter. To do so would mean being pilloried in print as part of a huge conspiracy to Make Courtney Feel Bad. At first I felt for Courtney, dieting in front of millions of readers and being stressed about binging and weight gain. However, she pretty much complains about everyone in her book. Everyone makes her feel terrible. Courtney attends a writing group where someone says that they can hardly wait to read her work - her response? "Great. No pressure there." A reader comes up to her and tells her about how inspiring she is and how she loves reading her column- this is after Courtney regains fifteen pounds. Her response? She attacks the fan in her book as seeming insensitive and stupid because she has approached Courtney in a karoke bar on a Saturday night - apparently this silly fan did not know that There Are Rules To Be Followed when talking to Courtney. Imagine! Courtney receives much support from many people in her struggle to diet. However, Courtney mocks them in her book, writing about 'Peekespeak' - her dietician who tries to help her stop binging. She also mocks another supporter who encourages her to meditate. "What's next? Pounding drums and chanting "I am beautiful" "I am thin"? Well, excuse her for trying to help you. Courtney ends the book by discussing how she has learned that food is not always the problem when dieting. It is emotions, boundaries, acceptance, etc. She could have included that dieting also means growing up and being grateful for support instead of whining about how Everyone Is So Mean.
Rating: 
Summary: The Story Isn't Finished
Review: The first thing that grabbed me was the title. As a three-plus decade veteran of the food wars, I always want to know how it works for other people. Then I saw that Courtney Rubin was the author. Like many other reviewers, I followed Rubin's Shape articles faithfully...now I get to see how the story ended!Well, not really. I love Courtney's voice; her wit and down-in-the-trenches honesty make the book a serious page turner. There were so many "Yes! That's exactly what it's like!!" moments while I read. As for her observations about others--isn't that how we all think when we are stressed and struggling? How refreshing to hear someone admit that there are times when it feels like no one on earth can understand how low you really are. When food has become your confidant and medication, a lack of food leaves a big hole. If you haven't felt it, you'll never get it. The reason I give the book three stars (3-and-a-half, actually) is that the latter third of the book felt like it floundered. The narrative thread that was so strong in the beginning seemed to unravel and lead to a very vague and nebulous ending. I understand that rarely are there neat and tidy ends to real life stories. Courtney is young and her story is still happening. For me, though, the book would have felt more solid with something a bit more conclusive. By "Month 20" I was starting to get frustrated by a sense of redundancy that was capped off by a fast fade..."Okay, enough of this, story over." Maybe this book should have simmered a few more years before coming to press. I do wish Courtney Rubin all the best and thank her for a glimpse into her struggles and victories.
Rating: 
Summary: I would have given it no stars, but Amazon requires a rating
Review: This book had all the hallmarks of a diet memoir: it was self-indulgent, solipsistic, whiny and asinine. After reading it I ate a pint of Haagen Dazs Vanilla and decided that I blame nobody but myself. It was liberating. I am so sick of people who sit around name-dropping and blame everybody--their mother, their sister, their friends--for their fat butts. The worst part of this book was that it wasn't even well-written! Courtney should quit her day job.
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