Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This isn't a diet book. It's a hysterical account of one man's journey on a diet. Penn is a great storyteller and has been a huge influence in my life. We've known each other for over 20 years and have some crazy friends. He tells lots of funny stories and Presto will keep you laughing. The real message in Presto, his permanent lifestyle transformation, is in the book, but we likely won't hear it reported widely in the media or on blogs. Some ideas may indeed be very contrary to what the popular diet and exercise dogmas most often teach. Most reports will probably focus on potatoes and Penn explains the funny magic act behind this often maligned food. We can watch as this unravels in the press. We can listen as the media and blog machines kick into high gear with the "paleos and vegans' debating as the "carb vs fat" arguments mound. Where does he get his protein? We'll hear experts tell us all about how wrong this is (ignoring his success) without first talking to his physicians. One doesn't get too crazy with the loud, formerly overweight talking half of one of the most successful Vegas shows without second, third, and fourth opinions, right? Of course he's done it and we see the results, but some were once critiquing his approach based on information found in a tabloid article. His response to that article will make you cry with laughter and perhaps enlightens us on how stories get twisted. Presto contains many bites of wisdom all plated with Penn's comedic genius. Penn's transformation challenges status quo and suggests we can all make a change. Like much of his advice, Presto centers on breaking away from accepting mass mediocrity and instead seeking the best. Our struggles are real, but laughing at our mistakes brings us much closer to success than living a life driven by fear. We hear a lot of exaggerated claims about slowing metabolisms (the latest biggest loser distraction) and warnings against losing weight too quickly. Of course none of this will apply to the 196,000 people that had some form of bariatric surgery last year or the 703,000 in the 4 years prior. These people can't eat Penn's diet now without difficulty and I'd really hope to inspire those considering this option to do something really crazy: change your lifestyle. For Penn, his train wreck in health was the license he needed to be crazy and REALLY do something this time, no matter what. While people very well be convinced by the inner chatter, friends, family, and conventional medical wisdom that they don't have the willpower or are metabolically broken; maybe that isn't true. Penn's success suggests we can make a lot more progress with laughter along the way. It's not crazy to surgically rearrange someone's intestinal tract to limit their ability to swallow, but we are to lead to believe that it's crazy for me to tell Penn to voluntarily do the same thing. Okay, I'm a nut. My friend is doing great 17 months later, off 6 powerful BP meds and happy. We do crazy things for friends, right? Laced in the humor is a simple message - Change your lifestyle. Really. Change it. There's no need wait for the next new diet book or even reach for a potato. We probably won't hear this headline and that's actually what Penn did; he changed his relationship with food. Penn's success can be summed up in two sentences: It's nearly impossible to lose weight with moderation and to keep that weight off eating a controlled quantity of what was eaten to gain it. Further if social relationships dominate one's plate and these relationships are with people that eat unhealthily, the odds of moderating the food and the social pressure are overwhelmingly in favor of failure. When disruptive ideas are introduced, no one is completely correct. We want this to be, but history teaches we usually aren't. There are some paths that lead to cul-de-sacs and some that inch us closer to the truth. Presto has the ability to move you a mile, but it involves a permanent change that goes against what is socially normal. Penn is okay with running against social norm when it's for a just cause and we should all be happy for his success.