This book is an excellent investment, Talli Williams (Montreal) Joanna Lynn set out to demystify for the general public the discourse of dietitians and various other specialists and has done so with great success. The book is informative and well organized. Everything becomes clear: trans fats, carbohydrates, cholesterol, you name it! The style is crisp and uncomplicated; the illustrations are entertaining; the quotations combine the useful and the funny. A book for all ages. A handbook, as pages are included for your notes and comments. A perfect gift, to yourself or for others. An extraordinary first book for author Joanna Lynn, Jane Gellert Ph.D., New York Written for those who have a general interest in nutrition, those looking for information which will help them design a workable diet and/or those who would like information which they can share with adolescents or adults who are struggling with weight issues, the book is user friendly and easily “digestible”. Ms. Lynn is to be congratulated on her heroic success at organizing a massive amount of information in a format which is quite accessible. While written in straight-forward jargon-free language, the book respects the intellectual level of all its readers.  Make no mistake, however; it is not an “easy” read.  It is meant to be read and pondered in small bites. To this end, Ms. Lynn has organized her book into clear topics and sections and provided the reader with diary pages on which they can record relevant facts and their own reflections on the material. In fact, the book is so well organized, that it could easily be used as a textbook in high school and university settings.  Each topic such as Vitamins, Minerals, Fats, or Carbohydrates is divided into smaller sections which give the reader an overview, definitions, facts about how the body uses these nutrients, why we need them and what happens when we don’t get enough or get too much and then a small summary of what has been covered.  Indeed, I would suggest that it is an educator’s dream of how we can best access, learn and use material. Ms. Lynn has been thorough and yet judicious in her choice of the information she presents.  Knowledgeable readers will find new tidbits that are encouraging and useful.   I was delighted to discover that my efforts at walking would indeed reduce that fat which collects around one’s tummy more effectively than intense high activity which burns carbs!   All in all, this book provides an experience far greater than its slim size would suggest. Let’s Fuss about Food by Joanna Lynn, Trafford Publishing (2007), ISBN 142511143-2, may be found in local bookstores and on-line at Amazon.com.  I recommend it to you without reservation, and since this is a review written for an academic community, I would also say that Ms. Lynn deserves an honorary Ph.D.  Certainly this book is the equivalent, if not superior to, most doctoral dissertations.  Kudos, Ms. Lynn.  I await the next book in the series. De-mystifies the world of food and nutrition! Helen Filippou, Montreal Since becoming a mother, I have been increasingly interested in food and nutrition. While there are many informative books out there, this one takes us back to the basics. We constantly read and hear about counting calories, increasing protein, cutting out fat, but have lost sight of their importance to our health. While books on diet tell us what to eat or not (in order to lose weight) and nutrition textbooks scientifically explain, "Let's Fuss about Food. Part 1: Our Core and More" de-mystifies the world of food and nutrition. Written concisely with a touch of humor in a direct and unencumbered tone, this book equips us with the information we need to make informed decisions about what we eat. Being easy to read and well organized. It is a valuable reference book for anyone's library; teens, young adults, parents, grandparents. I am very excited about the next addition to the series, which will move beyond the basics so magnificently covered in Part I. No-fuss series on fussing about food, Joanna Daneman, Middletown, Delaware This is a simply written but not "I'm talking DOWN to you' book, part of a series on nutrition for the rest of us. Since nutrition in the US is pretty difficult these days, what with weird additives, on-the-go food that fails to meet the nutritional grade and poor habits for kids, this is a must-read. For one thing, if you are falling into the "my kids will probably only eat MacNuggies" then you should take a look in this book. I know plenty of parents who absolutely won't give in to this noxious habit of feeding kids easy stuff like fries and chicken-donuts, or whatever they are. You can get ideas on what makes nutritious meals and adapt your home and car eating habits accordingly. Especially good for new moms and persons exiting college, you can find just about anything you need to know about fiber, vitamins, foods and basic nutrition. It's a slim book, and maybe that is just what we all need. Thumbs up on this one.  Great Basic Primer! Norman Goldman, Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures Anyone looking to gain a basic knowledge about food will be well nourished by Joanna Lynn's Let's Fuss about Food: Part 1: Our Core and More. This book is the first in a series of handbooks that is dedicated to the fuss about food. Most of us will appreciate Lynn's thorough, yet accessible, research as she enlightens us about key terms as nutrition, dietitian, calories, proteins, carbohydrates, probiotics, fibre, fats, water, vitamins, minerals, cholesterol, antioxidants, blood pressure, red and white blood cells, hormones, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and muscles. Moreover, with her inviting conversational tone and lighthearted approach she zeros in on her topics in such a way that she hits upon exactly the right combination of detail and nuts-and-bolts facts. And while not everyone can be a health or food scientist, most of us have enough curiosity and intellectual capability to easily grasp the informative material presented by Lynn in Let's Fuss about Food: Part 1: Our Core and More. Did you know that some bacteria could be friendly? There are millions of bacteria that live naturally in our digestive tract and a majority of these even protect us against different types of disease provided we have a proper balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria. As Lynn points out and succinctly clarifies, there are certain foods that are a source of beneficial bacteria and these are call probiotics. Even though we all have probiotics in our digestive tract, sometimes due to stress, diet and medication we may not have enough to maintain proper health. How many times have we purchased a bottle of vitamins and minerals, looked at the label describing its contents and still don't have the foggiest notion as to what they are and what effect they have on your body? Lynn has now come to our rescue with her scoop on vitamins and minerals. Each chapter of Let's Fuss about Food: Part 1: Our Core and More is only a few pages long and is accompanied by appropriate illustrations drawn by Valerie Maynard. Sprinkled throughout the handbook are sayings uttered by the famous and not so famous. My favorite is Orson Welles' dictum: "My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four unless there are three other people." Lynn also provides a few empty useful pages where readers can write down their thoughts, keep track of their daily activities, jot down questions, and create or collect recipes.