The Tuft's University Guide to Total Nutrition

You may look at this tome and groan: it has 342 pages and no pictures. You want to learn about good nutrition for yourself and your family, but how will you ever make it through all that text? The good news is that the writing is highly accessible. The author, Stanley Gershoff, knew he was writing for regular people and not for his peers at the Tufts University School of Nutrition, where he is the dean emeritus.

A testament to the book's readability is the fact that this is a second edition with revised and updated text. Total Nutrition has been popular in part because of its lack of glamour or slick typography. This is not the place to look for fad grapefruit diets or outlandish claims for the cure-all effect of vitamin E capsules. Instead, Total Nutrition is a reliable, intelligent resource that is not nearly as heavy as it looks. Bold headlines and frequent use of charts make it easy to dive in at random or zero in on specific issues such as the special vitamin needs of the elderly or food sensitivities. Advice on deciphering food labels, shopping wisely at grocery stores, and choosing healthful options when eating out is especially useful. Healthy recipes and suggestions on menu planning are scattered throughout. --Brenda Pittsley