I have just finished reading Robb Wolf's new book, The Paleo Solution. I would like offer my comments on the book to the board, and to anyone else who might be lurking here. While opinions of (and, heck, definitions of) "Paleo" eating differ, it is always a topic that seems to generate a lot of discussion, some of it good, some of it bad, most of it ignorant. My hope is that this review will push that discussion in a positive and more enlightened direction.
Although I had seen his name tossed about on the forums, my first real introduction to Robb Wolf was actually through Greg Everett's Olympic Weightlifting book. Robb did the nutrition section for that book. EDIT: I think that last sentence was mistaken. While Everett's book may have led me to Robb, I don't think Robb himself "did" the nutrition section, as I stated...not sure where I got that, my bad. Anyway...Though the nutrition component was relatively brief, I was impressed by what I saw. Since then, I've more or less kept tabs on Robb's doings. I've continued to be impressed.
I am fully aware that many of you, if not most of you, have already made judgments about both Robb specifically and "Paleo" in general. I suspect most of these judgments are based on things you have read secondhand on internet forums and the like. You have quite likely conflated him/his approach to nutrition with that of other "experts" in the field. In my opinion, this should be remedied before reading further. If you have not yet done so, listen to at least 3 (preferably more) of his podcasts before you start making judgments. There are a lot of interesting things you can glean from these podcasts. However, the main thing I hope you observe is that Robb does not intend Paleo eating to be a religion or a historical reenactment (his words, paraphrased) If we understand that, the whole concept of Paleo is much less inflammatory (pun, not intended) and more approachable. Now, on to the book...
Target Audience
The book is clearly targeted at beginners. This is neither praise nor criticism, just something you need to think about with respect to your expectations. The Paleo Solution is definitely heavier on science than most other popular diet/nutrition books. However, The Paleo Solution is by no means an academic textbook. Generally speaking, Robb does a good job of striking a balance between approachability and scientific substantiation of his arguments. I will note a few exceptions below.
Tone
The tone is informal, with many attempts at humor (some of them are successful!). If you listen to the podcasts, you know what you are in for. I do appreciate that it is not a "feel good" diet book. Robb constantly reminds the reader that this stuff only "works" if you do it. Robb does not sugarcoat.
Content
Note: This is NOT comprehensive, just some points I wanted to touch on for the purposes of the review.
Robb opens by detailing some of his own life experiences and those of his family and clients. Some of these experiences are quite remarkable, indeed, but I won't spoil them here. Then there's some brief discussion of the theory behind the Paleo diet. There's plenty of substance to encourage the reader to keep going.
Nutrition is, not surprisingly, the "bread and butter" of this book. I'm not going to make this an exhaustive review, but allow me to hit a few points quickly. This is roughly in order of the book, but not entirely, since he returns to some points throughout the book to elaborate/expand:
-I found the hormone section interesting. However, I do not believe it matched target audience (beginners) in the slightest. In Robb's defense, he repeatedly reminds the reader that one need not know how this stuff works in order to do it and see results. He encourages people who do not want to delve into the science to skip to the more application-oriented sections of the book. Fair enough, I suppose.
-While we're talking about hormones, I feel that Robb's description of the development of insulin resistance was disproportionately brief and lacking in detail, compared to his discussion of other hormones. I am sympathetic to Robb's difficult task of trying to make the book approachable for beginners and scientifically accurate. However, considering the time Robb spent talking about hormones which he returned to only on passing, it seems like insulin resistance deserved a more thorough exposition. (Insulin related topics were referred to often throughout the book.)
-Robb dedicates considerable page space to a description of our digestive processes. Good, fundamental stuff that a lot of people do not understand, and I was glad to see it.
-Robb does a great job with cholesterol, fat, cardiovascular disease, and myths associated with them. While this information is certainly available elsewhere, I appreciate Robb's explanation and organization in dealing with these common (and dangerous) misconceptions.
-Robb makes a great case against grains, which is, in fact, much more articulate than similar arguments I have seen levied on internet forums. Imagine that.
-The case against legumes and dairy is somewhat lacking, in my opinion...Robb spends a whole chapter doing a excellent job of building a case against grains, and then concludes the chapter by basically saying it would be redundant to rehash similar arguments for legumes and dairy. The may well be appropriate (this is a beginner's book, after all). For me, however, I would have liked to see more detail regarding legumes/dairy. I think it's easier to beat up grains, with their considerable lack of redeeming qualities. In my opinion, dairy, and to a lesser extent, legumes, have more to offer than grains, as far as redeeming qualities.
The cortisol/stress chapter is probably the one I could benefit most from (Robb would probably ask me why I am writing this review instead of sleeping...). Not terribly surprising stuff, in general, but important stuff.
The "Fitness" chapter is, well, probably useless to you if you frequent these forums--I'm assuming most of us here are fairly advanced athletes, ("advanced" relative to Robb's target audience). There's nothing wrong with the Fitness chapter, it's just not geared toward the serious athlete.
Next, Robb devotes a couple of chapters to implementation and tracking of progress. Well done--Robb makes an excellent case against the "difficult to implement" excuse (an excuse that I use, BTW). I especially liked the section on bloodwork. It was clear, concise, and, most importantly, founded on the right assumptions about cholesterol, fat, carbs, and so forth--a rare thing indeed.
There is an extensive 30-day meal plan, complete with recipes. I'll have to withhold judgment until I try some of them, but it made me hungry!
Finally, there is a brief supplement section. It covers the basics, like Vitamin D and fish oil. Nothing fancy, just the basics, which is perfectly in keeping with the overall context of the book.
Final Analysis
The Paleo Solution was well worth the price. The bulk of the book is packed with interesting, applicable, and scientifically accurate content. Robb effectively tackled the unenviable task of laying out this often "contrary-to-popular-belief" approach in layman's terms, while still holding true to the substantiating science. Were there flaws? Yes (several, as I see them, are noted above). But, by and large, Robb got the job done, and that's no small feat.
The matter of expectation must be addressed. If you are expecting an academic book, or a training guide for advanced athletes, you will be sorely disappointed. That's just not what this book is.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in nutrition, especially if they want to see a "demystified" argument in favor Paleo nutrition. I'm guessing if you have ever had a discussion with a staunch Paleo proponent, it has been with an internet zealot, and, well, we know how productive that is...
This is also the kind of book I would like to give to the most out-of-shape, disease prone, and generally sedentary people I know. They are the true target audience of this book, and would reap the greatest benefit from it.
Although I had seen his name tossed about on the forums, my first real introduction to Robb Wolf was actually through Greg Everett's Olympic Weightlifting book. Robb did the nutrition section for that book. EDIT: I think that last sentence was mistaken. While Everett's book may have led me to Robb, I don't think Robb himself "did" the nutrition section, as I stated...not sure where I got that, my bad. Anyway...Though the nutrition component was relatively brief, I was impressed by what I saw. Since then, I've more or less kept tabs on Robb's doings. I've continued to be impressed.
I am fully aware that many of you, if not most of you, have already made judgments about both Robb specifically and "Paleo" in general. I suspect most of these judgments are based on things you have read secondhand on internet forums and the like. You have quite likely conflated him/his approach to nutrition with that of other "experts" in the field. In my opinion, this should be remedied before reading further. If you have not yet done so, listen to at least 3 (preferably more) of his podcasts before you start making judgments. There are a lot of interesting things you can glean from these podcasts. However, the main thing I hope you observe is that Robb does not intend Paleo eating to be a religion or a historical reenactment (his words, paraphrased) If we understand that, the whole concept of Paleo is much less inflammatory (pun, not intended) and more approachable. Now, on to the book...
Target Audience
The book is clearly targeted at beginners. This is neither praise nor criticism, just something you need to think about with respect to your expectations. The Paleo Solution is definitely heavier on science than most other popular diet/nutrition books. However, The Paleo Solution is by no means an academic textbook. Generally speaking, Robb does a good job of striking a balance between approachability and scientific substantiation of his arguments. I will note a few exceptions below.
Tone
The tone is informal, with many attempts at humor (some of them are successful!). If you listen to the podcasts, you know what you are in for. I do appreciate that it is not a "feel good" diet book. Robb constantly reminds the reader that this stuff only "works" if you do it. Robb does not sugarcoat.
Content
Note: This is NOT comprehensive, just some points I wanted to touch on for the purposes of the review.
Robb opens by detailing some of his own life experiences and those of his family and clients. Some of these experiences are quite remarkable, indeed, but I won't spoil them here. Then there's some brief discussion of the theory behind the Paleo diet. There's plenty of substance to encourage the reader to keep going.
Nutrition is, not surprisingly, the "bread and butter" of this book. I'm not going to make this an exhaustive review, but allow me to hit a few points quickly. This is roughly in order of the book, but not entirely, since he returns to some points throughout the book to elaborate/expand:
-I found the hormone section interesting. However, I do not believe it matched target audience (beginners) in the slightest. In Robb's defense, he repeatedly reminds the reader that one need not know how this stuff works in order to do it and see results. He encourages people who do not want to delve into the science to skip to the more application-oriented sections of the book. Fair enough, I suppose.
-While we're talking about hormones, I feel that Robb's description of the development of insulin resistance was disproportionately brief and lacking in detail, compared to his discussion of other hormones. I am sympathetic to Robb's difficult task of trying to make the book approachable for beginners and scientifically accurate. However, considering the time Robb spent talking about hormones which he returned to only on passing, it seems like insulin resistance deserved a more thorough exposition. (Insulin related topics were referred to often throughout the book.)
-Robb dedicates considerable page space to a description of our digestive processes. Good, fundamental stuff that a lot of people do not understand, and I was glad to see it.
-Robb does a great job with cholesterol, fat, cardiovascular disease, and myths associated with them. While this information is certainly available elsewhere, I appreciate Robb's explanation and organization in dealing with these common (and dangerous) misconceptions.
-Robb makes a great case against grains, which is, in fact, much more articulate than similar arguments I have seen levied on internet forums. Imagine that.
-The case against legumes and dairy is somewhat lacking, in my opinion...Robb spends a whole chapter doing a excellent job of building a case against grains, and then concludes the chapter by basically saying it would be redundant to rehash similar arguments for legumes and dairy. The may well be appropriate (this is a beginner's book, after all). For me, however, I would have liked to see more detail regarding legumes/dairy. I think it's easier to beat up grains, with their considerable lack of redeeming qualities. In my opinion, dairy, and to a lesser extent, legumes, have more to offer than grains, as far as redeeming qualities.
The cortisol/stress chapter is probably the one I could benefit most from (Robb would probably ask me why I am writing this review instead of sleeping...). Not terribly surprising stuff, in general, but important stuff.
The "Fitness" chapter is, well, probably useless to you if you frequent these forums--I'm assuming most of us here are fairly advanced athletes, ("advanced" relative to Robb's target audience). There's nothing wrong with the Fitness chapter, it's just not geared toward the serious athlete.
Next, Robb devotes a couple of chapters to implementation and tracking of progress. Well done--Robb makes an excellent case against the "difficult to implement" excuse (an excuse that I use, BTW). I especially liked the section on bloodwork. It was clear, concise, and, most importantly, founded on the right assumptions about cholesterol, fat, carbs, and so forth--a rare thing indeed.
There is an extensive 30-day meal plan, complete with recipes. I'll have to withhold judgment until I try some of them, but it made me hungry!
Finally, there is a brief supplement section. It covers the basics, like Vitamin D and fish oil. Nothing fancy, just the basics, which is perfectly in keeping with the overall context of the book.
Final Analysis
The Paleo Solution was well worth the price. The bulk of the book is packed with interesting, applicable, and scientifically accurate content. Robb effectively tackled the unenviable task of laying out this often "contrary-to-popular-belief" approach in layman's terms, while still holding true to the substantiating science. Were there flaws? Yes (several, as I see them, are noted above). But, by and large, Robb got the job done, and that's no small feat.
The matter of expectation must be addressed. If you are expecting an academic book, or a training guide for advanced athletes, you will be sorely disappointed. That's just not what this book is.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in nutrition, especially if they want to see a "demystified" argument in favor Paleo nutrition. I'm guessing if you have ever had a discussion with a staunch Paleo proponent, it has been with an internet zealot, and, well, we know how productive that is...
This is also the kind of book I would like to give to the most out-of-shape, disease prone, and generally sedentary people I know. They are the true target audience of this book, and would reap the greatest benefit from it.
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