Skinny Bitch

Not your typical boring diet book, this is a tart-tongued, no-holds-barred wakeup call to all women who want to be thin. With such blunt advice as, “Soda is liquid Satan” and “You are a total moron if you think the Atkins Diet will make you thin,” it’s a rallying cry for all savvy women to start eating healthy and looking radiant. Unlike standard diet books, it actually makes the reader laugh out loud with its truthful, smart-mouthed revelations. Behind all the attitude, however, there’s solid guidance. Skinny Bitch espouses a healthful lifestyle that promotes whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and encourages women to get excited about feeling “clean and pure and energized.”

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars This really works, but is hard to maintain
Okay, this plan really does work, I lost 5 lbs in four days…and you don’t feel hungry at all if you follow it. However, it is pretty hard to maintain, and I don’t like that they recommend processed food, even if it is vegan.

Some of the material (about the food industry) is pretty upsetting, but I think it’s important that everyone understands exactly what is involved in producing meat and other animal products. Although it hasn’t made me a vegan, it does make me better understand what is involved in producing the food that I eat and less likely to consume excessive amounts of meat and dairy. It made me think about the ethical and environmental implications of consuming food, and change some of my food preferences based on that.

The information on the history of the FDA and their ties to other industries was especially illuminating for me. The basic premise of the book is that the FDA has manipulated us into thinking we NEED to eat tons of meat and dairy, when we don’t need any. I’m not too sure about the ANY part, but I agree that we Americans typically consume way more than we need.

I did take some things from it, like eating much much less meat, usually only with dinner and only fish, with brown rice or a baked potato and veggies. I did eat only fruit for breakfast, and basically veggies and tofu for lunch, which was easy for me because there’s a deli where I work that has lots of vegan options and fresh fruit. If you don’t have that available, I think it would be a lot more difficult to stick to.

I do recommend this book, but I think it’s more of a “lifestyle” book than a diet plan. If you’re thinking about it, I would pick up a copy, it does have some really good ideas, alongside the vegan propaganda.

2 Stars Having a Beef with the World
“Skinny B*tch” is Kim Barnouin and Rory Freedman’s bestselling vegan rant. It’s one thing to extol a healthy lifestyle and provide commonsense advice–it’s another to have loooong,profanity filled rants and name-calling of the reader. Did these women ever graduate from high school? Or do they consider Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls their role model?

“Skinny B*tch” makes some good points. People do overdo it on meat,dairy,and eggs. Those are leading causes of obesity. Caffeine,alcohol,and sugar are indulgences that shouldn’t be had in excess. Laziness leads to obesity. Processed food can be bad for you. We should care about the humane treatment of animals. After all,how many people avoided beef after seeing the cruel treatment of cattle at that factory farm? How many people go for grass-fed beef now? Or look for cage-free eggs?

Rory and Kim take it further. They make no secret of their hatred for people who eat meat,dairy,and eggs. People who eat pork are branded with the scarlet ‘P’ for pig. Their over-the-top rants are more alienating than opportunities for bringing more people in. The mean spiritedness and bullying isn’t motivating. At least the hippies at Cafe Gratitude are about happiness,affirmation,and goodwill–they’re raw food vegans,but they’re grateful.

“Skinny B*tch” reads more like a PETA rant than a diet book. Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food” agrees with the writers,albeit in a less obnoxious way-don’t eat lots of processed food,eat mostly fruits and vegetables. Michael Pollan is more reasonable. Some other good vegetarian/vegan books are the late Linda McCartney’s “World Tour”,the Hippy Gourmet,Troth Wells’ “The World in Your Kitchen” and the Intergalactic Cafe. Vegan restaurateurs like Juliano,Cafe Gratitude,and Blossoming Lotus offer excellent cookbooks. If you choose to be vegan or vegetarian,there are happier options,with less b*tching.

5 Stars Great book that makes you think!
I have read many reviews and just want to add mine. This book has changed my view of food! I always knew that animals were killed for my meals but ignored the details – it was easier. Now that I know just a little about what cows, chickens, and pigs go through, I can’t bear to eat them. I am pretty tough which is why I enjoyed the language (some of us just need it in our face to see it) but I was crying while reading the slaughterhouse chapter. Thank you for this book!

2 Stars Good Info but kinda rude…
I would recommend John Robbin’s “May All Be Fed” over this. Although not as recent, he teaches about healing ourselves as part of the bigger picture of healing the world. Skinny B promotes the negativity and self absorbtion that is far too rampant in our culture.

5 Stars One of my favorite books – Total Moxie!
This is a great, fun, and fast book. If you need a swift kick in the butt to motivate you to embrace the vegan diet, then this book is for you. It has moxie written all over it.

Skinny Bitch is a no-nonsense, super funny, give-it-to-you-straight, can’t-put-it-down, sassy book. It’s one of my favorite gifts to give out during the holidays. Rumor has it that they’re writing a book for the dudes out there, too! That will be cool.

Kristen Suzanne

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