Penn Jillette is an almost unbelievably extreme person. If he were a fictional character, I'd mock the author for creating someone so unrealistic.

He was fat, and had serious medical issues. Rather than being "reasonable" (actually, he did that too, briefly, and had ok results), he did something extreme -- a complete dietary change, kicked off by a two week "potato famine", and in doing so lost >100 pounds in months.

He's careful not to present this as medical advice, but it's a book filled with both lots of interesting entertainment industry asides, and insights into the human condition. A good book, and a *great* audiobook, narrated by the author. ( )

The author is a well known national TV personality with a permanent Las Vegas venue. Penn is half of Penn & Teller. Penn is the big loud one and Teller is the short mute one. I have seen their live show and can attest to the fact, that he states in the book, that they always stay after their show to "meet and greet" their audience and take selfies (I have one of myself with each of them.) Penn details his personal journey of losing 90 lbs in 90 days. Along the way, we learn of countless other adventures in Penn's very interesting and unique life. The book is not prescriptive (i.e. he is not telling anyone to do what he did), after all, he is a carny who once stuck his penis into a hair drier (or so he claims). His story is both entertaining and informative, particularly, for those currently trapped eating SAD (the Standard American Diet). I found his story particularly fascinating because Penn was 6'7" and 330 lbs before he lost his 100 lbs while I was once 6'6" and 350 lbs. I took 4 years to shed 100 lbs, Penn did in 90 days, obviously, Penn is crazy! Penn eliminated SOS (Salt, Oil, and Sugar) from his diet except for rare NaA (Necessary an Appropriate) celebrations like birthdays. Penn was motivated to lose the weight because his Systolic Blood Pressure (the high number) had reached the level of the voltage in the UK (220V). He was hospitalized for his blood pressure and was taking 5 different prescription meds when it dawned on him that he might not be around to see his kids grow up. After losing his weight he was off all his blood pressure meds. He tries not to label his diet but it is largely the Furhman (Eat to Live) program or as Penn called it, an unethical vegan diet. ( )

I wasn't sure what to expect for a book about dieting by a comedian magician. I love Penn & Teller, so I decided to give this a shot. Overall, I was entertained and intrigued by Penn's tale of how he managed to lose his weight. It offers an interesting look at one man's determination to improve his health, and doing it in a way that would appeal to him. Penn is upfront that this was a diet that worked for him, but not work for you, and I didn't take this as a self-help type book that I should take as a new diet fad. I found his diet to be interesting, and I liked the inclusion of some of the recipes for the foods that Penn now loves. I may even try a couple of them.

A word of caution, if you are not familiar with Penn's writing, be warned that he swears. A lot. Cursing is second nature to him and he puts as much swearing in the book as he adds Tabasco sauce to his food. I think he does it for shock value (or he just doesn't care) and it really adds nothing to the story, so be forewarned.

Penn does a good job of narrating the book, though I think there was a problem with the editing. Several sections (like the disclaimer about the book) seemed to be out of place - the disclaimer appeared at the end. And at times I would be listening to a track about a subject, and the next track seemed to jump ahead or back in the narration. I couldn't tell if that was just Penn's style of writing, or a problem with the audio production.

An interesting read that looks at one man's attempt to improve his health through a radical diet. The diet may not be for everybody (and Penn readily admits this) but it was entertaining. If you are a fan of P&T and just like to know about their private lives, this is also a good look at Penn's life behind the scenes of his shows. ( )

Diet and autobiography and advice. All with the caveat--don't take diet advice from a juggler. The diet described is fairly extreme, but some people feel more comfortable with extremes than with moderation. Warning: much crude language--although it is hard to argue with the statement that Donald Trump's hair looks like cotton candy made of piss.

It’s Penn Jillette again, so you think – more debunking of fraudulent magic? Questioning God, perhaps? But no. This is a 300 page memoir of dieting. Took me by surprise. I would not have read it had I known. But Jillette pulls it off by simply being Penn Jillette. He is loud, obnoxious, rambunctious, sarcastic and he swears way too much for it to have any impact at all. But he’s entertaining, self-deprecating, highly opinionated, and funny. So it works. Much better than run of the mill diet books.

Like most Americans, as he got older, Jillette got heavier. He noticed that while chocolate cake was a treat his mother made a few times a year, it was now available daily, if not hourly. There is junk food everywhere – at meetings, in the green room, backstage, and he ate basically all day long. He was sluggish, out of breath, and in denial. And he was on blood pressure meds and other joys. And this is someone who has never smoked, drank or taken recreational drugs. By losing a hundred pounds, he found he could give up the meds. He could taste tastes better and he lost his cravings for doughnuts and other such staples of SAD – the Standard American Diet. And with this book he has become an evangelist for it.

To the the point of being aggravating. It’s a 300 page testimonial to Ray Cronise, who designed his program, and who is himself now leveraging off helping Penn Jillette lose that hundred pounds. It’s a multipronged multimedia marketing campaign, and that lessens the love, at least for me. For the millions of the overweight and obese, I hope it is inspirational.

The book desperately needs editing. It is terribly repetitive. Jillette has no problem saying the same thing eight or ten times. It is possibly the longest diet memoir in history. It’s almost a page a day of his diet. But it’s from the heart, and it’s the usual honest, forthright and fearless Penn Jillette, so there’s little point going on about it.

The message is terrific. Eat better and you will crave better foods. It’s a virtuous circle. You lose the extra weight, you feel more energetic, and your body thanks you by making life easier. But it’s not magic.

David Wineberg ( )