Down Size

September 15, 2014
Spiker’s intimate, hilarious, and sometimes poignant guide to weight loss offers practical advice to anyone who has ever struggled with weight and body image. What makes this book work, where so many diet guides do not, is Spiker’s painfully honest disclosures, from his long list of “top temptations” to his record of weight gain and his “maximum waist size.” Spiker, coauthor of the You series with Michael Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz, doesn’t just describe his own struggles with weight, but offers stories from other people who have struggled with food and have figured out a healthy response. Spiker also calls on professional input from a number of experts, including colleague and friend (and TV celebrity) Oz. Readers looking for the standard diet book fare—recipes, lists of dos and don’ts—won’t find that here. Instead, they’ll find a refreshing and inspiring book with a wide range of suggestions for reframing their lives, including sustaining motivation and concentrating on process instead of goals. Most importantly, Spiker advocates personalized diets over a one-size-fits-all approach. Throughout the book, he gently nudges and encourages readers, winning their trust by sharing personal moments from his own weight-loss story. Agent: David Black, David Black Agency.