Customer Reviews

The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health, and boundless energy (Primal Blueprint Series)

5 star:		(190)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

First let me say that I am a believer in the Primal Blueprint Plan. I stumbled across Marks Daily Apple web site and wanted to learn more. I was pleased to discover that he had written a book. I figured rather than dig through the web site to find out more, I would buy the book and have the whole plan at my fingertips -- no more searching the web site.

WRONG. The book continuously gives an introduction and then section after section, refers you to marksdailyapple.com for more information. It doesn't say where on the web site, either. If I have to mine through the web site, why did I need to buy the book?

I agree with other reviewers who indicate the book is very repetitive without giving solid examples -- lots of overview. There isn't a 7 day plan or 30 day plan or sample work outs, just generalities. Again, if you want examples, you are referred to the web site.

I purchased the Kindle version of the book -- there are no charts or graphs, all text. I am not sure if the printed book is presented in the same format, but I find it hard to read. For example, identifying fruits from most favorable to occasional, a chart would have been easy to read. Instead, it is written in paragraph format.

Again, I am a supporter of the plan and am beginning to adopt it myself. However, I can't really recommend the book. It seems that all the info you need is on the web site. If you buy the book, you will be referred to the web site anyway.

So I read Sisson's book and have been a regular reader of his website [...]

I found that the book gives a good introduction to the Paleo-style way of life (cut the sugars, grains, processed carbs, and processed fats/trans fats) and focus on proteins and fats (good fats). This is from the simple premise that we evolved in an environment where grains weren't highly available and that sugar was difficult to extract (as there were NO government-subsidized grain programs and NO Green Revolution of the 1960s to mark the explosion of cheap grain availability). Furthermore, our primitive ancestors tended to be a lot more active than what we have been especially over the past half century (hugely to blame thanks to sedentary-style desk jobs that much of America has switched onto).

It all makes sense, and I do believe with everything Mark is saying --- and I would recommend this book.

The only reasons why I gave this book a 3/5 was because I felt that the biochemistry needed a bit more explanation as it was a little unorganized (he gives some basic facts about human metabolism but doesn't really explain it all the way through), and then goes on giving recommendations for how to do the program. It would have been helpful if he gave some more quantitative data as well.

For instance, he doesn't really explain how much higher carb intake to fat deposit turnover is compared to fat intake to fat deposit rates. It's important to describe these things quantitatively (and I understand it can't be too too complex given the audience) because a 100% rate stands out a lot more than say a 5% or even a 1% rate compared to the other.

So he will describe some basic biochemistry (which again is appropriate) but neglects to fill in some other pieces that make the entire picture clear.

The second minor complaint was that the book never really made references to its sources for evidence WITHIN the text and it should have used footnotes and not endnotes at the very least. The way the book is setup is that it makes verifying his claims more difficult to do because he doesn't cite sources when he needs to. This is important because it lends more credibility to what he is saying, and helps those who are doubtful to reassure themselves at the appropriate points when necessary.

Third, I don't like the subtle recommendations for his own supplements --- I mean, it's his book yeah, but I think it is unprofessional to be recommending your own products especially when you're trying to teach people the right thing. It makes the author look biased for the wrong reasons, looking for a quick buck especially when there are a lot of competing nutrition guides out there with similar claims. My advice is: Don't waste your money on any supplements as they're overpriced here, and you can find better deals at other stores. The only supplements that I use, btw, are a Centrum Multivitamin, Omega 3 fish oil pills (take 2 1000 gs a day), and 1000 IU of Vitamin D3 (I live in a high latitude/long winters). And how significant these benefits are by taking these specific supplements is still up for debate --- in Sisson's own words, you may be literally pissing gold. Mark, if you read this, you should realize that your message will be more easily accepted by people, who are already skeptical of supposed health claims, if you don't advertise in your book for your own personal profit.

Fourth, there should have been more recipes and a recipe guide/schedule in visual format that would help people get started on the Paleo-style way of eating.

The book is about 270-280 pages long, and it's in relatively big size font, and at the price it's selling at, I'm sure that the next edition (if there will be one),can afford and should include a good template for a beginner 30 day recipe guide for commonly/easily available foods/spices/condiments/etc. in American grocery stores.

Besides these points, the book is a good read, and is not overly complex or overly simple and it has a good balance of information and advice to follow.

Nevertheless, I would also urge all of you to read the book (and any other nutritional book) with a critical mind and don't just passively accept the arguments the author makes without verifying it for yourself.

Finally, I would also be cautious/wary of all the 5-star reviews that this book and any other book gets on Amazon.com and any other website --- especially seeing as you really can't tell if the writers work for the publisher/author, or if they may be influenced by a hive mind mentality (following the crowd), a placebo effect, or are just plain dumb.

After reading numerous posts and amazing pictures of 'primal' meals by my facebook friend, curiosity got the best of me and I ordered this book. I expected it to be just like Atkins but it wasn't. Yes, it does promote low carb eating but it's not NO carb. I tried Atkins a few times and although I loved how I looked and felt when I didn't eat carbs, I could not sustain that for life.

Eating primal is something that I have been implementing in my diet w/o actually realizing it. The author does a great job explaining and drawing parallel examples of Grok and Korg....and I noticed that when I don't eat grains, I feel amazing. So I decided to get rid of all grains in my life as well as sugar (which is really hard for me as I am a chocoholic). I feel amazing, I don't feel bloated like I did before, I have so much energy and I am excited about eating....I can have a WHOLE egg with the yolk...something I haven't done in years.

The fact that I am encouraged to eat lots of veggies and some fruit and even dark chocolate is very appealing to me as this was the minus I saw with the Atkins diet.

I am not looking at this as a diet, I am looking at it as a lifestyle change. Since I've already cut out a lot of starches and sugar out of my life in the past year, this recent transition is not very drastic for me.

Since I am at my goal weight, I am not looking to LOSE weight but rather maintain it which is always a challenge for me. I am hoping that this way of eating will help me stay at this weight without putting too much effort into it.

And if you are just starting out cutting out grains and sugar (not carbs!) out of your diet and you find yourself not knowing what to eat...it really is easy. Roast some veggies and throw some steak/chicken/fish on the grill. Add cut up avocado, tomatoes or any other veggies on your plate with eggs. Have a huge salad with chicken or beef cut up and put some interesting nuts or seeds...flax, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc. Make a homemade coleslaw that you can add to any meal....bag of coleslaw, thinly sliced red/orange pepper (I buy those mini bell peppers), grated green apple (or not), lots of fresh cut up herbs (cilantro, dill and scallions are my fav) and make dressing out of 2tbsp oil (I love sunflower seed oil) to 2-3tsp red wine vinegar...add some garlic, salt, pepper and voila...a wonderful side dish with any meal! Fills you and healthy too!

Think outside of eating just eggs and bacon (nothing wrong with those though) and add veggies! marksdailyapple forums are a wonderful place to get advice from other primal followers.

I've been familiar with paleo-lifestyle for about a year now. I recently heard of Mark on an episode of the Lew Rockwell Show.

Wiki: "Mark Sisson is an American fitness author and blogger, and a former distance runner, triathlete and Ironman competitor. Sisson finished 4th in the February 1982 Ironman World Championship."

I agree with most things in the book and have shifted my eating habits in his direction. I thought the book was informative, easy to read, but way too fluffy. I didn't like the fact that the book exceeded 200+ pages for the content presented. I feel like you could have understood everything in the book by just reading a few articles and in less time.

The book could have been easily trimmed to 100 pages.

Though, if you aren't familiar with the primal lifestyle then this is a good book to get started.

Mark presents an exercise routine and some dietary guidelines which I liked.

I agree with the other three star reviews. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence from Mark, which is fine, but there is very little in the way of scientific evidence. Yes, you can go looking in other books for the information and find it, but I think it would be far more acceptable for a great deal more references through the book alongside Mark's anecdotes.

Don't get me wrong, I think this works and will work long term. The Primal Blueprint is a lifestyle from which one will enjoy everything Mark claims. How can it not, you are what you eat. It's not a diet per se, and should't be seen as a diet in isolation to the other lifestyle changes - there are 10 of them and they all work together. This book CAN provide a quick-fix to one's weight problems, but if it is only weight being focused on then ultimately the dieter will fail - ask any dietitian. The Primal Blueprint is about changing your life, for life, not a month, two months etc.

After reading the book cover to cover, I think the greatest tip to take from it is the 80-20 rule. Apply it to everything and you can't fail long term. Not that the other rules are not excellent also, it's just the 80-20 rule will help you keep going, pick you up if you falter, and deny you nothing.

I have been following TPB for two months and hearing/reading about it for about five. My goal is not weightloss. I don't know how much I weigh, nor do I care. What I want is to be strong enough, fit enough, healthy enough, energetic enough, to tackle whatever I choose to challenge myself with. I now see that I can, and the weight is looking after itself.
The hardest thing to get my head around was how grains/sugars/bad stuff had worked their way into every aspect of my normal diet. It took a week or more to re-adjust my views on quality food and just how much of it is available once I started looking.
Don't worry about the supplements, I'm sure they're good, but they aren't needed if you eat well. You'll need your money for new clothes as the old ones become too roomy.

I've been exploring the world of health and fitness for over 20 years. I've tried just about everything from the sublime (Paleo / Primal / TacFit / CrossFit / Martial Arts) to the ridiculous (Hollywood Juice Diet / Spending hours on cardio machines), and many things in between.

The Primal Blueprint is no tricks, no gimmicks, and in this day and age, it can actually save your life. In the last 50 years or so cases of cancer and diabetes have skyrocketed. What has changed? More and more people are looking to the food we eat. With artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, processed foods, nitrates, hormones, antibiotics, and genetically modified foods being so pervasive is it really any surprise? Obesity has reached epidemic levels in the USA, with over 60% of the population being overweight and our fast food nation isn't helping curb that trend.

Mark Sisson and the Primal Blueprint look back in time for the answers. What foods did our bodies evolve to eat over millions of years? What foods in recent history are we eating that they have NOT adapted to? Being aware of those simple things can have profound health benefits which include: clearer skin, brighter eyes, consistent energy levels (instead of spikes and crashes), lowered toxicity, dramatically lower weight (without losing muscle), and more.

After a lifetime of searching, my girl and I found the Primal Blueprint and have been living it ever since. We've lost over 75 collective pounds and are looking & feeling like we're 10 years younger. Most importantly, it's a sustainable lifestyle, not a quick fix that you'll rebound from twice as heavy as when you started. We're so into it we even started our own website, PrimalPalette dot com, to document our journey. Good luck and GROK ON!

I recommend this book to anyone. It has drastically changed my life and by reading it I have gained a lot of quality of life. Unlike others I wasn't looking for a weight loss book, this book will do more than just shape your figure.
Mark clearly outlines a full lifestyle approach to a healthier life. Taking into account all aspects we face everyday. Food, stress, sleep, recovery are just a few. Anyone can profit from this book, even if you are not overweight or looking to loose weight. I believe if you implement only 1/3 of the concept he outlines you will still find yourself with a lot more energy to face life. If you have read about paleo before - this book goes beyond the paleo diet integrating other vital aspects. I found it easier to implement than the paleo diet, since it gives you more freedom of choice.
The book is written in a style that keeps you reading. Mark's tips are drawn from life so that it will allow anyboday to make improvements to their own life. And if you have any questions beyond the book his blog offers a full archive of every possible aspect you could think of.
Why do I recommend this book? Personally I feel fitter, healthier, more aware and have more energy than at any other point in my life. My rashes and skin problems (neurodermitis) which bugged my over 20 years and couldn't be linked to any allergy or similar have disappeared. I am less injury-prone and small "problems" with inflammed tendons/muscles that never could be pinpointed have improved if not disappeared since. I sleep better, get up better and can concentrate better and longer. I would never trade in what I have gained from this book. (And yeah, I love my improved body shape, even if I wasn't out looking for it.)

I was already familiar with the Paleo/Primal lifestyle, so I picked up this book not to be introduced to a new diet/lifestyle, but to probe for new insights into topics I might have already been familiar with. Sisson's book did not disappoint. I enjoyed his insights into familiar topics as well as new ones. After reading the section on vegetable selection, I went back to the start, read it again, and scribbled in the margins, "best section of the book!" But I spoke too soon. There were many more "best sections" to come.

I consequently bought 3 more copies of the book and, as we Paleo/Primal people are want to do, handed them out to friends and family, despite some eye rolling. In addition to wanting to literally save the lives of people close to me, a small part of me gets satisfaction knowing that I spread the word in the days before it caught on and changed the world.

I give this book 5 stars, it is a must read. First let me state that I am an early 30's type I diabetic who also has to take thyroid medication. I am also an endomorph. I know a thing or two about unwanted weight gain. To combat this I have exercised seven days a week very intensely for the past three years: deadlifts, weighted dips/pullups, bench, running, squats. I even thought I adhered to a strict diet. Why bore you with this? I was still pushing 223, and nothing I did seemed to affect my stubborn fat. This diet Mark proposed seemed like a variation on the paleolithic diet which I have used and worked so well at controlling my insulin dependent diabetes. However, it was too much of a pain to stick with. This book got great reviews so I though I would try it out. Result? My blood sugars immediately leveled out, I now use a fraction of the insulin I used to(which extends my life). I immediately started to "look" thinner, as if my body had previously been suffering from inflammation and was now reacting favorably to the new food. Much of my joint pain disappeared. My energy reserves for endurance increased. I have lost eight pounds in four-weeks which is a health amount of weight loss, it keeps melting off. The diet is also easy to stick with, relatively little is banned, but that little is often the base staple of most households. Other family members have tried it with similar results. I have tried everything to improve my often fragile health, this is the real deal. If you care about living healthy into old age, buy this book. If you want to (probably) die early and worn out, go back to the pasta. Two caveats: Your food budget will increase slightly, and the first two days you feel like you are starving. Work though it, you will be happier for it.

This book gives a terrific review of the harm done by our carb-intensive foods. I was initially very skeptical, and as I continued reading the book, I started to see its logic better and better. So I decided to gradually cut carbs from my diet. Took me just under a week to replace my oatmeal breakfast, lunch sandwiches, dinner pasta, and dessert.

I managed to replace my diet with filling doses of vegetables, fruits, eggs, meat, nuts, and berries. Without even trying hard, I lost almost 10 pounds in about 6 weeks. I seem to have stabilized at my current weight which is just slightly over what I weighed when I was 22, and which I suspect is my "natural" weight.

I also took the book's advice and vary my workouts so that these sessions are more satisfying.

Best of all, the diet change has significantly (if not completely) reduced any cravings for sugar and other carbs. I look significantly more pleasing to myself in the mirror when I step out of the shower. And my energy levels have improved.

All in all, I am very grateful to Mark Sisson for writing this book (and to my gym friend who recommended this book to me). Its message is counter-intuitive and I have to warn you - your brain will initially fight against its recommendations, because it runs against everything you hear from the media, from your doctor, and from the conventional wisdom. But give it a try and you will be amazed.