Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease: The Only System Scientifically Proven to Reverse Heart Disease Without Drugs or Surgery
by Dean Ornish
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Book Reviews of Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease: The Only System Scientifically Proven to Reverse Heart Disease Without Drugs or Surgery
Book Review: There are better books out there these days
Summary: 2 Stars
After my older brother suddenly died of coronary artery disease at age 40 due to genetically high cholesterol, I needed to learn everything possible on the subject so that I could avoid suffering the same fate. I read all the books on the shelf, among them Dr. Ornish's. I disliked this book because it is rather narcissistic and is focused more on Dr. Ornish himself than on educating us about how to avoid heart disease. Take a look at chapter 1 and you'll see what I mean: "I was trained to treat hypertension..."; "I first became interested in conducting research on heart disease in 1975..."; "I began to wonder..."; "I went to the medical library and began reading extensively"; "It seemed like an exciting opportunity, so in 1977 I decided to take a year off..."; "I hadn't had enough clinical experience to be jaded..."; "I was unwittingly giving many of them hope for the first time since their illness had been diagnosed"; "I went back to medical school and graduated in 1980"; "From 1981 to 1984, I completed my internship and medical residency in Boston."; "In July 1984, I moved to San Francisco..." This is just the tedious first six pages. Trust me, it goes on and on like this. Do you want to learn about how the heart works? You'll finally get a few sentences on that subject when you get to page 42, squeezed in between more "I did this and I did that." You'll get a little info on LDL and HDL when you get to page 51. Sure, there is useful information within the 672 pages of this book, but you'll be forced to become an expert on Dr. Ornish and his life story to find it. And remember, this book is more than 15 years old. Perhaps back in 1990 he needed to devote 300 pages to convincing people that he was correct in believing that diet, exercise, and stress affect your risk of heart disease, but that that is common knowledge and not controversial now. The research is far more advanced in today's world. If you are interested in Dr. Ornish personally and the history of the study of heart disease in the 1970s and 1980s, you'll probably enjoy this book. But if you are serious about educating yourself on heart disease and how best to avoid it, I would recommend Dr. Robert Superko's "Before the Heart Attacks : A Revolutionary Approach to Detecting, Preventing, and Even Reversing Heart Disease" (2003) or Dr. Harlan M. Krumholz's "The Expert Guide to Beating Heart Disease: What You Absolutely Must Know" (2005). These books are more up to date and provide far more useful information. Book Review: Great Book
Summary: 5 Stars
When I follow the diet and work on the other aspects of the program I feel better, lose weight, am happier and have better test results. The book is easy to read and understand. The program is not for the die hard meat lover. It takes commitment to follow. From the reviews I have read and comments from coworkers and friends, it also takes an open mind and balanced attention. I am currently purchasing this book for my adult son. It all depends on what a reader is looking for. Dr. Ornish does not give a quick fix. I am a believer. Book Review: Very Respectable
Summary: 5 Stars
Dr. Ornish is a very respectable name in the cardiology field. In my line of work, I look to promote my cardiologists who are based in four major hospitals in the New York City metro area. Dr. Ornish should always be commended for his books. Another cardiologist who is also excellent is Dr. Richard Stein at Beth Israel Medical Center in NY. His new book, "Outliving Heart Disease" is another great read.Book Review: Please read carefully and reread.....
Summary: 5 Stars
It is important to read and reread this book carefully. You may be thinking you are following the diet....but not as carefully as needed. For example, I tended to focus on saturated fat rather than total fat: Ornish limits total fat to about 25-28 grams per day for a 160 lb. person. This means all nuts are out of this diet (nuts range from 14 to 25 grams of total fat per one ounce!) Read over labels carefully: a low fat imitation butter product may be 1 gram of saturated fat per tablespoon, but 5 grams of total fat!! Ornish takes a broad view of heart disease (exercise, isolation, stress, fat, etc.) The recipes are delicious: the potato soup was great when I prepared the soup stock beforehand. Hearty dishes that can be used for a complete meal are also in the book. I recommend this book and his other books. I just purchased his "Everyday Cooking" to obtain more ideas for recipes, etc. Book Review: Wonderful in theory but..........
Summary: 3 Stars
The average person would probably not be able to follow the diet recommended in this book. However, I usually try to take some of the ideas from one diet, and combine it with good parts of others, to come up with something workable.