Customer Rating: 
Summary: Healthy oils are essential
Comment: Some of the ideas in this book are great; others are terrible. The important work that has been done since the 1980s concerning the essential, healing role that omega-3 fatty acids play in the human diet is not reflected in this book. Be very, very cautious if you use this book. Be sure to read widely to make up for the major deficits of scientific, nutritional knowledge that plague this author.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Informative and Well-Written
Comment: Once again, Mischio Kushi has written an informative and precise book on how to maintain your health, even when facing a diagnosis of cancer.
Like so much of the macrobiotic diet, this is a healthy and great diet to begin to feel great and regain your health.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Informative
Comment: This book is informative, but since cancer patients have to see a nutritiionist and eat whatever their body allows them to eat, this can be difficult. But, if the the patient can eat whatever they need to, this book has lots of good advice and suggestions.
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Summary: The most thorough treatise on the subject
Comment: This book does an excellent job of summarizing and organizing all of the work done by Michio Kushi and others over the span of decades working with cancer patients. Though Macrobiotics is based on much Japanese culture, this book is geared to the westernized/American reader so there is very little in the way of cultural chasm to jump over.Many of the reviews up here are rather ill-informed. Though Macro has been around for decades, most of modern medicine now accepts its precepts, including the AMA, WHO, National Institute of Cancer Research and others. Most of the major natural lifestyle books that have been published in the last 30 years acknowledge learning much from Michio--some are direct carbon copies of Michio's works!
In any case, I have used it and seen first hand my family members recover directly from changing the diet and lifestyle. The changes to body and health happen within a few weeks. My family and I looked and felt better within 6-8 weeks, and the member that had been diagnosed with cancer and given 6 months to live, had the cancer go into remission and lived a number of years longer--and did not die from cancer. I make no claim it will work in every case, but it is a tremendous aid in re-establishing ones good health. If I were to come down with cancer or other serious illness I would go strict Macro. It not only effects your chronic health, but your more general weight and energy levels as well. It is a bit hard to stay on for the long haul with our modern lifestyles, but you do the best you can--and you do it seriously if you are sick.
There has NEVER been any serious and backed up accusation that anything on the diet is in any way dangerous to your health, so there is zero downside to trying it.
As to the sad passing of members of Michio's family from cancer, what can one say. There appears to be a weakness in their genetic make-up that allows this. Nobody knows if they would have died at a much earlier age, and for all we know Michio was attracted to the study of health and cancer due to this family predilection. This is a common reason people get into the study of health.
I am forever grateful for the work this man has done and shared with us.
Customer Rating:
Summary: take it with a pinch of salt...
Comment: Sadly, both Michio Kushi's wife and one daughter have died of cancer. Being that they were Japanese, the healthiest and longest lived people in the world, this doesn't really speak well for the diet. However, macrobiotics, when taken with common sense, have been known to help cancer patients, some say to the extent of "curing" them. Follow your own instincts... and keep in touch with a trusted doctor!
