Curves

If you don't mind wading through subtly persistent salesmanship throughout the book, the Curves guide has a wealth of practical advice that clearly continues to help women around the world achieve better health and lasting weight loss. Packed with information-—including multiple diet plans for different body types and different stages and tests designed to lead to the proper combination—-the first few chapters are a little overwhelming. Are you sensitive to calories or carbohydrates? Need to lose more or less than 25 pounds? Hold steady—-the hugely popular 30-minute exercise program (for either home or health club) is utterly simple, well designed, and accompanied by thorough instructions and helpful illustrations. Shopping lists and recipes are included in later sections, which vastly simplify your life once you've determined which diet and which stage you're starting; straightforward tips at the very end provide the key highlights that make the program a success. Still, some readers may take offense at the regular mentions of the record-breaking franchise and the assorted brand-name products (protein shakes, official club membership coupon) and the somewhat over-the-top customer profiles, all of which are from women who lost over 100 pounds through the Curves centers. Underneath the hype, you'll find a solidly crafted program offering plenty of long-term benefits—-even if you don't ever set foot in a health club. --Jill Lightner