Author T. Colin Campbell, the study's project director, provides an intelligent, well-documented analysis of the study's results, an analysis that explodes the most common American dietary myths. In addressing the dietary sources of the most common diseases, including cancer, Campbell unleashes a no-holds-barred attack on the commercial interests that profit by selling the American public unhealthy food. He also shows how readers can use the study's results to change their diets and improve their health.
©2006 T. Colin Campbell; (P)2009 Phoenix
"[These] findings from the most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease are challenging much of American dietary dogma." (The New York Times)
"Reflects the profound changes that industrialization is bringing to diet and disease patterns in China, statistics that have had an impact on reevaluating dietary policy in the United States and worldwide." (The Washington Post)
Self made, independent deep thinker, who never follows blindly just because you told me to! Man for others...
"Deserves a second listen"
Heart disease, cancer, DM, MS, and so many other disease are exploding in the United States. Find me a hospital that is not building or planning to build a cancer center and I will show you a dying hospital. This book really looks at what we are eating and the conclusions are clear, we are eating ourselves to an early, premature death. It also shows the link between our NON protective Government and the Food Industries to promote cheap low quality "food". This book will make you look closer at what you are eating and understand the investment you are making in yourself with today's meal will affect your health some time in the future. I found the information to be presented in a manner that allows the reader to understand and make his or her own conclusions from the findings presented. The referenced materials clearly show this is not your average book. This is book is jam packed with detailed information and will be referenced by many future authors. It will change what and how we eat and hopefully make this a healthier stronger country. I hope!
I find having a book read to me in this audio format, give me the opportunity to think about the topics in a different way. The timing of the words, pauses, and just the readers understanding of punctuation, increases my depth of thought somehow. I found myself building topics and connecting things I might not have if I was reading it myself.
I am moved when I see our leaders of this Nation, supporting laws that will make us sicker and sicker as a nation. Its clear our National Health Problem is rapidly going to exceed the ability to treat all the sick. Hospitals and Healthcare is growing to become its own industry. Is that good for our country? This book clearly illustrates we, as a nation, do not have long before complete economic collapse. The few healthy working people will be left to support the growing sick population and a National Healthcare Insurance will not be able to fix this crisis! It makes me wonder what ethics these businessmen and congressmen are using because the economic impact is going to be the downfall of our country! Gun violence is truly dramatic and headlines worthy to sell TV ads but when you think about the 3600 heart attacks every 24 hours across this nation, who is crying about that number? We have big problems in this country and they are clearly bigger than LAW trained career politicians can even understand. When you think about what this book is saying, maybe you will shift your thinking and vote differently with your next meal. But I am sure if you are still in your foggy brain from all these bad foods you will remain ignorant, tired, and unable to think clearly anyway so this issue will be far beyond your ability to understand!
This is book should be a wake up call but most will never find it, read it, or understand the impact it will have on this nation... sad.
"Extremely Important Material"
Despite the vituperation against the medical, pharmaceutical and food industries, this is important information for anyone who wants to avoid cancer, diabetes, obesity and other diseases associated with diet. The material is very well presented and makes a clear and irrefutable case for avoiding animal protein.
"A Reasoned Argument for Diet Change"
I'm a meat and potatoes guy, always have been. I can count off the vegetables I will willingly eat on one hand. I think vegans are all wacked-out, hippy nuts! Now, having said that, in the past month after reading this book I find that I have drastically cut back on my dairy consumption, I have only had beef a handful of times, and I am eating a more vegetable-based diet. I don't know that I'll ever go vegetarian, but I will definitely be more omnivore than carnivore.
This book does not try to bully one like Skinny Bastard and it isn't all new-ageish like Dr. Weil's 8 Weeks to Optimal Health. Facts are presented with minimal commentary by the author.
I love learning, teaching, and exploring!
"One thing is for certain..."
The main point I got from this book was that there is a lot of misleading information out there about what consists of a healthy diet. The author provides scientific evidence that animal-based diets can lead to adverse health effects. He advocates eating a plant-based, whole foods diet and cites some examples where this diet has reversed symptoms of heart disease.
The author connects a range of diseases with protein from animal-based foods. He points out that a lot of information on nutrition is misleading and that his information mainly considers individual nutrients separately which misses the whole picture.
The book was very good and convincing. However, the information did get a little bit repetitive, perhaps as a way to emphasize the point. I'm not ready to give up animal proteins entirely but I am convinced and have started to incorporate more plants into my diet.
"The truth I have been looking for..."
Finally there is hope that I am not predestined to die from my genes. These doctors have the answers to a heather life and it is very simple... Just eat plants. If it means no heart disease, no diabetes, no cancer.... WOW, I'm in. Yes, I agree, this book will change your life it you follow their advice and eliminate animal products from your diet. A must listen for all. Enjoy.
"Compelling and Thought Provoking"
The best non-fiction book from Audible I've had the pleasure of listening to. The author makes a compelling argument for the use of a whole food, plant based diet to avoid Western health problems and possibly reverse some diseases. It is not a diet book or a glitzy self help book. This is revolutionary. The author pieces together conclusive medical research as to the problems with American's obsession with eating meat. He is not some hippy vegetarian but a respected clinical resesarcher and advisor. Don't worry, he explains it simply. This will keep your interest and make you think twice before grabbing the chicken fingers or hamburger. If you've watched others die an uncomfortable death due to cancer or heart disease, if you want to avoid that for yourself, then stop what you are doing and listen to this book!
"Unconventional"
Great narrator. Very unconventional information that animal-based diets,including dairy, are causing our diseases of affluence, including obesity and cancer. Well worth listening too. We won't hear this message in many other places given its business implications.
"Life Changing Information"
The book is a well researched analysis of the effects of our diet on our health, specifically focused on it's impact on promoting cancer and heart disease. The volume of high quality evidence clearly points the reader to a diet that is significantly different than the existing Western diet. It also challenges a political system that protects the interest of big business at the expense of the masses. This would be a great place to start eliminating unnecessary health care costs and suffering. The food we raise and condition our children to eat is killing them, and it's getting worse. So read up, and many thanks to the Campbell's for starting the real food revolution! And "YES" I am a convert! Seems like an opportunity for another Micheal Moore documentary.
"Life changing information for me."
I will definitely be listening to The China Study again.
I was a bit sceptical about the ideas expressed in The China Study at first because some of it reads like a conspiracy story. So I did some Google-ing and found some well written criticisms on the internet. After listening some more, and being reminded that Campbell himself is a scientist and bases his observations only on properly peer reviewed information and his own published material, I went back to the criticism and looked a level deeper. Surely enough, the criticism itself did not have the kind of academic rigour you find in this book (ie it wasn't always based on science or drew questionable conclusions from data) or even worse had some link with the food industry and nutrition that Campbell criticises.The problem with reading this stuff is that *everything* seems way out. If, like me, you base (based) every meal you cook around the meat part (the protein central to a healthy diet, right?), it's almost impossible to imagine doing it any other way. And on top of that, so many of the vegetarian/vegan diets and support groups have a fairly strong hippy, earth loving flavour which doesn't seem practical for a young first-worlder. It feels a long way away from the science making such a strong argument that eating a typical western diet makes you sick in the long run.Some of Campbell's claims, such as that second-phase cancer and heart disease can be *reversed* by changing your diet seem too good to be true. And then you listen to the facts and wonder what you have to lose. Even if you don't believe those assertions, the statistics on the *risk* of cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other diseases from the typical western diet are alone enough to make you seriously think about making some life changing decisions.Since following Campbell's advice I feel a more healthy human being and wish I'd read it before I was 38. I am 11 kilograms lighter (I wasn't overweight but I was at the top end of the recommended range for my age and height, and now I'm in the bottom-middle range) and much, much fitter. According to the science referenced, this would happen for you too. I'd at least suggest listening to the book, then making up your own mind. One other piece of advice - there is a "China Study" cook book coming out in 2013, which might make the change easier too. Good luck!
I felt Stefan read the book very well - in fact I just felt like I was listening to Campbell himself.
"dont read this. It will change your life too much!"
I really had a hard time staying with this one, especially for the first hour or so. I put it up for a month, and then came back to it. The up side, it has changed my life. It may have added ten or 20 years to it too. I have learned much from it, and I have been experimenting with the knowledge I have gained, and so far, the results are not tremendous… nothing like I hoped for, but unlike any other time in my life, there are indeed results. If only half of us took the Authors advice, I suspect we would not need a health care debate any more, nor would we have a financial crisis, but abounding excess of wealth.