The Philosopher's Diet: How to Lose Weight and Change the World

by Richard A. Watson

Book Overview

Rich food for thought--the thinking person's diet book. This is a philosopher's guide to losing weight and keeping it off by embracing an approach to life. An erudite and fascinating combination of common sense, Cartesian philosophy, and the presumption that understanding the mysteries of weight loss and the universe are somehow compatible, even sympathetic, ambitions. If Descartes had sat down to write a treatise on losing weight as a metaphor for maintaining discipline amidst life's vicissitudes, it would have read much like this. Richard Watson wants you to lose weight, as he did, while gaining new wisdom about yourself--and what you eat.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1567920845
• ISBN13: 9781567920840
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: David R. Godine Publisher
• Length: 109 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.3" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Losing weight and changing the world...

Richard Watson, a philosophy professor, is opinionated enough for all of us - he will tell us how to lose weight, how to exercise more, and how to be happy and all in a very slim paperback of 109 pages. The writing is very amusing and the author will make you laugh. Basically, however, is does admit that losing weight is very, very hard and this is a refreshing change from all of the diet books that say do this and do that and you will be thin and happy. Professor Watson's diet is to stick to 900 calories a day until the day you've lost all the weight you want to lose - stick to it - whether it takes 10 months or 10 years. After you lose the weight - start running - every day. This book is no different from other books in the message - eat less, exercise more - but the writing is funny, clever and charming and should be read as humor rather than as a basis for life change.

A Diet for Thinking People

While I'm not going to eat only 900 calories a day, and I'm not going to run seven days a week, I am going to take most of the messages in this book to heart. The advice is nothing new, the author admits. But the way he presents it made me laugh and made me want to try his approach. If you're looking for a quick fix and easy solutions, you're not going to find them. If you're looking to take control of your weight (and your life) this book just might be the one you need.

Might change your life - it's up to you

Watson presents a simple formula for long term weight loss along with the philosophical argument for why this is a worthy aim. A quite inventive concept that made a real impact on me. I doubt that I read much here that I didn't already know about the fundamentals of exercise/weight loss/nutrition/eating habits. Let's face it, we all know what is and isn't good for us. But this book coupled the simple rules of weight loss to the all important WHY to make the life change needed to allow us to lose excess pounds and keep them off.Eat less - more healthy food - exercise more - I know all this. yet as I sit here today there is some reason I haven't changed my habits. The Philosopher's Diet did an excellent job of rationalizing why I should act differently.Bottom line - this book has encouraged me to get and stay in the shape I desire much more than anything else I've run across, probably because it challenges the reader to take the road less traveled, and I like a challenge.

Food for thought

This book might make you laugh, may make you angry, will definitely make you think. The author states things boldly but with enough humor to soften the blow. One of the questions he poses: is it immoral to overeat in a world where many people are hungry? (Read the book for the answer) He challenges you to change the way you live your life and look at and respond to the world. If along the way you lose weight it's an added benefit--but the gift he has given with this book is much better than just weight loss.

Life changing book

THis book really makes you think twice. It changed my habits. I'm in the best shape of my life because of this book. i have recommended it to everyone I know