Continued from part 1.

It is as if Dr Cordain left his manuscript with an editor who knew little
about science and cared for nothing other than selling books, certainly not
the impact books might have on peoples lives.  If I am right, this is
simply irresponsible publishing.  Was it the same editor who came up with
ghastly headings such as <Hello grains, hello health problems>. Where do
they learn this contempt for readers?

Now, on to the good things.  The book draws heavily on new research which
covers findings not previously brought together in as easily accessible a
form as this book.  For example, my own understanding is now better of the
role of insulin in the increase in body fat, the importance of the acid /
base load in skeletal strength and the optimal omega 3 and omega 6 ratios.
But my earlier criticism stands: the book provides no basis for its
assertion that the paleo ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 was about 2 to 1; it
does not help with the chemistry of fats, how they arise in our foods nor
the physiology of their absorption and application.  That is what I want,
not recipes.

The book has a few lists of diseases which are impacted by diet and could
be treated by the Paleo Diet.  These are a good selling point, but there is
generally too little on their mechanisms to increase our understanding.
All we get is that the Paleo Diet may help; try it, you have nothing to
lose.  A 250 page book should have been able to do better.

The book lists some useful URLs for further information.  For those who
need it, there are six weeks of suggested meals and a chapter of recipes.
Personally, I find recipes <half a cup of chopped celery> distinctly un-
paleo, but I can live with them.   They do not distract from the book,
except to the extent that they take space that might have been better used
to help the reader become better informed.  The book has a great
bibliography of 20 pages, but the links from the text to the relevant
references are missing.  There is also an excellent index, far better than
usual in mass market books; there, I have something totally positive to say
about the publisher!

Chapter 11 is Paleo Exercise.  The plus is that the book emphasises the
integration of diet and exercise.  The minuses are two: the book is focused
on pathologies, secondly  its paleo exercise routine is also dumbed down.
However, the intelligent reader should be able to pick from the clues
provided to devise their own routine which is closer to paleo than the
aerobic and strength programs advocated.  Essentially, the book misses on
power, the essence of paleo.  <Gentle exercise> does not cut it; there was
little pampering in the paleo world; however, the book hints the way to go
by advocating increasing intensity rather than duration.

Appendix C is one of the most important and forward looking parts of the
book: tantalizing information, with huge implications for evolutionary
fitness.  But Appendix C is too short.  Basically, it describes how humans
are changing the planet’s ecology.  Every day we are destroying what is
left of the paleo world: fresh vegetables have insecticides, upper
atmosphere ozone depletion is exposing us to carcinogenic doses of solar
radiation, sunscreens contain hormone disruptors, GM may destroy the
biodiversity profile, our water supplies are very un-Paleo, even ocean fish
may be contaminated with our mercury.  There is scope for a book building
on what we as individuals can do to halt the destruction of the biosphere,
rather than, for example, meekly accepting the lower quality of today’s
fresh vegetables by taking artificial antioxidants.  And how about the
author’s advice on page 206 to <drive to a trailhead> to go for a jog
rather than running in the polluted city?  We should, in fact, note that
our own driving is polluting the city and that we should become activists
against this pollution, not merely adding to global pollution in order to
improve our personal lifestyle.  Big issues.

In short, a useful book.  It gives the thinking reader many stimulating
springboards to further explorations and investigations.  It updates
Neanderthin and will help me explain to others why I eat the way I do!
Thanks, Dr Cordain, and good luck with the second edition!

Keith

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