Book Review: The China Study

Date: March 17, 2008
Author: T. Colin Campbell, PhD, and Thomas M. Campbell II
Title: The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-Term Health
Rating: 7/10

I borrowed it from: The Montgomery County Public Library, Silver Spring branch, and I haven't returned it, yet.
This book made me feel: Angry, adventurous
Why I like it: I can use it as a shield when carnivours try to pierce me with stupid questions - just read the book.
Why I don't like it: Dr. Campbell didn't convince me that the research design methods used for studies he didn't respect as disreputable. I still believe in the studies that prove his point. I just wanted to be more convinced that the studies, which didn't prove his point, weren't valid studies. It wouldn't take much more convincing.
The plot in five words: death/suffering/diet/life/whole

This book made me think of: Colleen Patrick-Goudreau who recommended this book on her podcast.
Memorable character: Dr. John McDougall
Memorable quote:

This is especially true when no subjects in the study population consume a whole foods, plant-based diet when it is their diet that is most consistent with the biologically-based evidence, supported by the most impressive array of professional literature, consonant with the extremely low disease rates seen in the international studies, far more harmonious with a sustainable environment, possessed of the power to heal advanced disease, and has the potential, without parallel, for supporting a new, low-cost health care system.

Person I met while reading this book: I started a new blog.
Something memorable that happened in my life during the time it took to read the book: My brother is a good cook, and he is a carnivour. However, since he is so intuned with how to cook things, he had a better understanding of how I should sear tofu on my first try. If he wasn't there it would have been a failure of tofu pieces, but with him there, and his food artistry/understanding, it was palatable. Just goes to show that an intuitive person with one food, can be intuitive with another.
If I could recommend this book to one person, it would be to: Anyone in my family.
How this book changed my life: I have scientific proof to back up my lifestyle.
Will I read it again: Most likely.

Notes: When I started this blog project I didn't know what would interest me the most. I knew I was a big lover of fiction, but it didn't take long for me to show my love of food. After reading this book it's possible that my next career, in many years, may be health related (vegetarian dietician or acupuncture.) Also, the findings in this book are not news to me. The agencies that are there to protect; government, medical, education, are actually hurting us because they block this low-cost easy change information. To prevent disease, to cure disease, pills and procedures are not the answers. So much could be prevented with a whole-foods plant based diet. Now, how to tell my family members this . . .