Living Lean

Larry North's program is based on exercise and diet principles well-known to fitness professionals but often mysterious and counterintuitive to people struggling with weight problems. He explains, in an engagingly conversational (but annoyingly self-aggrandizing) way, how eating actually speeds up metabolism and burns calories, and how exercise can be effective without being too strenuous. Sometimes he goes overboard in putting down strenuous exercise--there's a lot to be said for pushing yourself hard--but if his approach makes entry-level exercisers more comfortable, that's probably a good strategy.