Alison Reads

One day the author, in his late 20s, realized that he had crushing bills and no way to pay them, plus he had gained more than 100 pounds since he graduated from college. So he decided to stop going to bars nightly and limit himself to $8 per week food budget and 800 calories per day, which basically meant eating lentils and eggs and very little else. While partly a description of what it was like to exist on lentils for month after month, the book also describes his freelance journalism work, including trips to Bosnia and the Rainbow Family Gathering in Montana. I had little sympathy for the hard drinking he did for years, but ended up admiring the author’s dedication and will-power.