I just read this book, and I think you're right. In my opinion, Anchell is not much of a writer. I was enjoying the first part of the book, and then once he presented his diet, the rest of the book seemed really disjointed and flimsy on facts.

So, if you want to try the diet, all you need is the basics of what to eat, because the rest of the book doesn't really convincingly explain much at all. I'm glad I got it used at Amazon for only $3. But if you want to understand why it works and feel confident that he knows what he's talking about, the book doesn't help.

The first course of each meal is 1/2 lb or more of fresh meat with fat, and the second course is an "ordinary portion" of one of the following:
white potato
sweet potato
small bunch of grapes
slice of watermelon
rice
half grapefruit
banana
pear
raspberries or blueberries

Then you can proceed to drink "up to several cups of black coffee or clear tea." Water is the only other thing to drink. Spices and herbs are fine, but no condiments with added sugar. Butter is recommended a lot.

He says: "Just a crumb of any food not listed on the diet - even a sugarcoated medicinal tablet - will convert some of the food you've eaten into fat." The list of specific carbohydrate foods listed to choose from at each meal, he says, were "selected by Dr. Pennington ... and I have verified them clinically. Whenever other carbohydrates are used - cantaloupe instead of watermelon, for example - weight loss stops or is lessened."

I noted that his sample menu plan includes a lot of spuds, usually twice a day. One day even listed potato chips! Yikes! And some of the fruits are higher on the glycemic index that I think is advisable.

Anyway, for what it's worth ...