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Je ne sais quoi French Women Don't Get Fat is an elegantly written (elegant much like the book's sophisticated, successful professional writer) and tantalizing with its simplicity, its smatterings of the French language here or there (giving it that little mysterious je ne sais quoi, I suppose, that helps to entice readers), and its common sense, "lifestyle" approach. Unfortunately, though it is entertaining, informative and well-written, it is not particularly original and just capitalizes on a multimillion dollar American obsession with weight. Unfortunately the book comes across also as slightly condescending and unrealistic. All Americans wish they had time to slow down and cook for themselves, for example, to sample some of the dishes for which Guiliano provides recipes. This isn't always possible. Overall, in fact, the book is a tribute to savoring life itself-and it will require a great deal of cultural retraining and reconditioning for the American mind to grasp or embrace this-to such an acute degree, in fact, that most Americans would neither submit nor have time to submit. While Guiliano does address head-on a number of simple and effective steps we should, ideally, all take to alter our lives and figures (drink copious amounts of water, stop beating ourselves up, always take the stairs or walk), she advocates many things that are unrealistic for many Americans. Some people cannot walk to their destinations (no matter how much they might like to); many people cannot afford fresh, seasonal vegetables and fruits from farmer's markets, even if they happen to have access to the farmer's market's Guiliano heralds and romanticizes in the book. Time is a valuable commodity for most Americans for whom budgetary constraints are often a major concern (and budgets are shrinking all the time). That is not to say that this book is without merit. That would be entirely unfair. In her defense, Guiliano is not necessarily directing this book to EVERY American woman, but for women more like herself... successful, probably with some disposable income and the time to enjoy life (although she is a CEO of Clicquot and lives in America and is thus subject to some of the more rigorous challenges of American workaholic life, she is still French, and French people DO NOT have the same approach to work as Americans. I have personally lived with a number of French people, all of whom are intelligent and extremely hard workers when they are at work. Unlike most Americans, though, they are completely able to shut work out when they get home and insist on being able to go home and enjoy their time off, while Americans will just stay at the office, if not physically, then mentally). In any case, the average, middle class American woman might aspire to be thin like a French woman but would also need, if she were to follow Guiliano's advice, to aspire to live like a French woman, and that would require more than just reading this book. In fact, as I said, it would require a whole cultural re-education, starting with American women's toxic love-hate relationship with food. Some of Guiliano's points are quite valid-most diets are a form of "unsustainable extremism" that lead to "falling off the wagon" and into even worse circumstances. She therefore advocates "moderation" and a form of "indulge a bit now (but don't overdo it) and pay/sacrifice/compensate later", which is an idea neither French in origin nor unique or groundbreaking in any way or form. Any person who has struggled with weight has been to their family doctor and been told, "Well, you just need to adopt some moderation... and maybe some trade offs." Any student of economics knows that there is an opportunity cost for everything. Eat the cake now, forego the bread later. Basically these simple principles are touted here as "French secrets" when these basic ideas are neither French nor secret. It is the triumph of marketing and good writing that frames them this way. This underscores the point that there is no secret to French women's being thin except perhaps that they exert more self-control (and smoke!) A French woman may, however, enjoy a better relationship with food and sensuality than her American counterpart, who attaches virtue to going without and to abstinence and deprivation. One point on which Guiliano is clear: Stop equating food with guilt and sin. From a psychological standpoint the French are most definitely better off. Guiliano also point out with validity that gyms house pieces of equipment that look like weapons systems and seem as though they are built to maximize the Puritan American mentality and mantra of "no pain, no gain". Many every day activities, like climbing stairs, would yield the same health benefits, but Americans feel hell bent on imposing self-punishment. In fact it might be that Americans will not exercise at all unless they set aside that special time at the gym to do so. In the end, Guiliano pushes the concept of "balance", but all of the book, despite introducing personal anecdotes and sharing lovely vignettes about herself and her own experiences with weight gain and straddling two cultures, does not cover new ground, it just frames the same old story with a new cast of characters. It is a best-seller because it was marketed correctly and because it reads fluently and fluidly and quickly and gives a solid, common sense approach we should all already know and be practicing. (I cannot say I appreciate all the shameless plugs for Veuve Clicquot, either.)