Scientists no longer believe that weight gain and obesity are primarily the result of percentages of fat or carbohydrates in our diets. Instead we are learning that weight gain is heavily influenced by both mindfulness and social context. Hanh and Cheung explore the convergence of nutritional science with Buddhist teaching and find complementary insights. Together, they provide approaches that can help to heal both individual and societal illness that is being manifested as an epidemic of obesity. Everyone can learn from this book.

If Vietnamese Zen Buddhist master Nhat Hanh says the same thing over and over, it could be because not enough people have heard him, and those who have need a reminder. He speaks to both groups in this work, coauthored by Harvard nutritionist Cheung, urging mindfulness about what people put in their mouths. It's a diet book and a meditation book, an unusual hybrid that makes sense for Nhat Hanh because it applies his essential wisdom: pay attention; breathe. If you consistently do that, you'll eat less, and at least two-thirds of Americans surely need to follow that advice. This book adds a lot of eat-this-and-not-that rules, as well as exercise guidelines, delivering so much information the effect is a little overwhelming. But the core meditation instructions are quintessential Nhat Hanh, steely and loving. This could be the diet-and-exercise book for those who have failed using other methods and need a fresh approach. For Nhat Hanh's many fans, it is the sole wellness book they'll need to remind themselves to only pay attention.

SAVOR rises above the cacophony of nutrition and weight loss books by shedding light on the how of eating and living, and not just focusing on the what. It presents a fusion of Buddhist principles of mindfulness with up-to-date nutrition science, brought to you by authors who are world leaders in their respective fields. This welcome approach can open one's heart, mind, and taste buds to truly appreciate the central roles that food, nutrition and physical activity play in our individual lives and in our paradoxically fast-paced yet sedentary society. While the focus is on achieving and maintaining a healthful weight, these principles can be applied to other areas, to cultivate a more thoughtful and joyful appreciation for the foods we eat and the activities we do. This is truly a book to savor.

Successful long-term weight loss is 10% knowing the right facts and 90% having the right state of mind.  Even the best diet in the world will ultimately fall short, without the ability to look deeply within, set goals consistent with our greatest good, and live consciously. Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr. Lilian Cheung, in Savor, have brought us a profoundly beautiful and powerful guide to mindful eating and living. I plan to savor this book regularly, and recommend it to everyone who eats.