Appetites: On the Search for True Nourishment

by Geneen Roth

#1 New York Times bestselling author of Women Food and GodRoth speaks of issues that, chauvinism aside, only women can truly understand and identify with. In the past, her books were about food, weight, dieting, and the almost universal obsession that women have with their bodies and self-esteem. Now her canvas of introspection and discussion has eight chapters examine the nature of women's friendships, the craving to be famous, the longing for safety, and the search for a parallel life (or the perfect fantasy), among other topics. Based on intensely personal experiences, written with intensely emotional and intellectually probing prose, Roth's book pushes far beyond the issue of weight to ask what will make women happy. Her not-so-easy answers, divined from decades of therapy, of experiential beingness, of Buddhist practice, will speak to many."Roth tells of her own experiences with a non-blink frankness cushioned by the gracefulness of her prose."—Chicago Tribune"Just the right mix of confession, sass, and style."—Publishers Weekly

Genres: Self Help, Health, Nonfiction, Memoir, Feminism, Diets, Psychology

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Geneen Roth's pioneering books were among the first to link compulsive eating and perpetual dieting with deeply personal and spiritual issues that go far beyond food, weight and body image. She believes that we eat the way we live, and that our relationship to food, money, love is an exact reflection of our deepest held beliefs about ourselves and the amount of joy, abundance, pain, scarcity, we believe we have (or are allowed) to have in our lives.

Rather than pushing away the "crazy" things we do, Geneen's work proceeds with the conviction that our actions and beliefs make exquisite sense, and that the way to transform our relationship with food is to be open, curious and kind with ourselves-instead of punishing, impatient and harsh. In the past thirty years, she has worked with hundreds of thousands of people using meditation, inquiry, and a set of seven eating guidelines that are the foundation of natural eating.

Geneen has appeared on many national television shows including: The Oprah Show, 20/20, The NBC Nightly News, The View and Good Morning America. Articles about Geneen and her work have appeared in numerous publications including: O: The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Time, Elle, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She has written monthly columns in Good Housekeeping Magazine and Prevention Magazine. Geneen is the author of eight books, including The New York Times bestsellers When Food is Love and Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything. Her newest book, to be published in March 2011, is Lost and Found: Unexpected Revelations about Food and Money.

Reviews

[Fadzai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled initially with this book as I was expecting more of a prescriptive 'how to' approach, when what the author does is position it as more a discussion based on her own experiences and insights from other people.

However, I got into it and came to understand the style she adopted - because the book is about life lessons pertaining to women and their relationships with food, their bodies and their emotions, it is impossible and undesirable to have a one-size-fits-all approach. There are insights that some readers will find useful, and others that readers will not be able to relate to. And that's ok.

As someone who has been exposed to Martha Beck, Marianne Wilson, and A course in miracles, I found that this book for the most part reinforced and reminded me of key concepts that I was already aware of. What was new and refreshing were the references to everyday experiences relating to food, dieting, and bingeing as they made the book real and honest.

[Cristine Mermaid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Geneen Roth, I've read her other books and they made me feel less alone and inspired me. This one was more of a memoir and I wasn't expecting that. I struggled a bit because she is thin, in love , and a famous writer so it came across a bit whiny to me that she was complaining about her life, a bit self indulgent. However, it's all relative and pain is pain and perhaps I just envy her a bit. Her story was quite interesting especially about the epic earthquake in California in 1989 and her personal experience with it and how it affected her.

The last couple of chapters though are what pushed this book from 3 stars to 4 stars for me. This is what I was looking for, insightful and thought-provoking about how we use food to try to nourish ourselves in ways outside of nutrition and that it never works. It asked extremely provocative questions (such as...what would you think about if you didn't spend so much time thinking about food and your body, what would you put that energy toward, what could you accomplish) and discussed the truth...that becoming 'thin' isn't the answer to that gnawing soul emptiness. Empowering and empathetic.

[warmdesertwinds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first heard of Geneen after her bestseller "Women, Food, and God" hit the front shelves of bookstores everywhere. The title intrigued me. Did some women approach eating as a form of spirituality? Could food be as highly regarded as religion? The mediocre reviews for the book however drove me away. Instead I looked at the other books the Geneen has written. The selection on the shelves were overwhelming. I randomly decided on Appetites. Seemed the least focused on actual dieting and the most focused on the importance one places on eating.

Some people give themselves a rule. "Read 50 pages. Don't like it? Toss it."
I, however, give every book I pick up a fighting chance....unless it's *completely* and totally unbearable. Hell, I even finished my first and only romance novel.

It took me 145 pages to decide that I didn't actually hate this book.
The first 145 pages were borderline torture. Whining, oh endless whining. Were women seriously this obsessed with this food? And I don't mean in a healthy sense, but in a purely superficial sense? How pathetic is the average American female? How do people let themselves become slaves to every calorie? How is this happening?!

Women, all over this country, are letting themselves develop addictions. Replace every reference to food in this book with alcohol. You'll get the same message. Sad state we live in.

However around page 145, Geneen starts to talk about things other than food. Friendships, parenthood, childhood, adulthood, relationships, curiosity, and safety. And here I actually took back a thing or two. Geneen gives some great insight on what actually matters in life and advice on how to become the person you are meant to be. I did have a few problems with some of the advice she gives, particularly her distaste for role models. She tries to make an argument that role models are in fact a terrible thing to have and that a person should never try to be anyone other than themselves. Yes, much of your personality is the result of your genetic makeup, however a bit of it does develop through socialization. A good role model can help you turn into a better person--a person that is still, ultimately you. I certainly wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for some of the role models that I have admired over the years. Geneen even contradicts her very statement as she devotes an entire chapter to admiring her cat. Who says role models needed to be human? Many of mine are not.

Other than that, a decent self-help book for both people with eating disorders and those without. Shares some tips on what actually matters in our lives.

[Von · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar to her other book that I read (Women, Food, and God), I found her writing style and interpretations to be a bit loose. And I simply can't relate to how many women place so much emphasis on their physical appearance. However, her wisdom about how most of us want to hold on to an idea of what we thought we wanted in life rather than yielding and finding the joy in what our life is already giving us is profound. I wrote down several lines of her book in a journal for my reflection at a later time.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I had extremely high expectations for this book. Maybe I should start with Roth's earlier books? This one was not only a little too New-Agey for me, but it didn't seem to have much of a focus. There were some good points made, and I enjoyed reading about her overall triumphs to get published, find love, accept herself, etc., but this was more of a memoir than an actual self-help book. I've avoided the self-help genre for the most part, but I thought this would be a good one to read. Eh, not so much.

[Meisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly a review of the author's illness journey to discover the cause of illness and fix the problem, mixed in with personal anecdotes. Parts were very insightful, but had to go through much personal broadcasting to get to the insights.

[Jess]

Both the similarities and differences between my experiences/struggles and the author's were interesting. Some great reminders of how we limit ourselves and how we can try to let go of those limits.

[Lindsay Nixon · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favorite book by Roth. Women, Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything is much better for the topic.

I suspect this book, which is actually a recording of a lecture + Q&A at the end, was the precursor to WF&G.

I do appreciate how Roth can be so open about her struggles and share her very personal thoughts, though I found little in this "book" that was informative or actionable. It's mostly a scant version of Feeding the Hungry Heart: The Experience of Compulsive Eating with an interview and her sharing a couple more personal stories. I've asked for a refund, which I almost never do.

I'm in the process of working on research around "appetites" and came to her books for a look into the spiritual side (after having exhausted my research on psychology/biology/neurology--when I research for work I cover ALL the bases lol) and this left me looking elsewhere...

[Rachel]

My review from 2001:

The author has written several books on the preoccupation with being thin by women in our culture. I could dismiss it as more white middle class whining, from which I am not exempt, but there are some endearing things to it. The one that struck me enough to review the book is the way a person can seemingly heal from something, or grow in a certain way, but then the problem resurfaces and he or she has to deal with it again. This is something I've been wondering about lately. She doesn't have any more insight into it than I do, but it is the same line of thinking.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Appetites after Women, Food, and God, and it was clear to me that this was an earlier work by Roth. The writing is not as tight and is sometimes a bit rambling. I appreciated the memoir-ish parts (I do love a good memoir) and still found some profound bits to highlight, but overall it felt a bit too much like someone’s unedited journal for me to give it a higher rating. Not sad that I read it, but wouldn’t necessarily pick it up again.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Geneen Roth book. At times her self-confidence and self-acceptance came across as arrogance - but maybe that says more about me than about her. But there were still several passages that resonated with me - and I could always use a reminder that true contentment must be found within rather than outside our selves.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another great read

Truly enjoyed this one. She has a way of writing that draws me in and makes me want to read more of what of what she is writing. She has done this again with this book.

[Christine Mathieu · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've really tried to read this one. I did read the first 50 or so pages, but it's just a waste of my time.
Will keep searching for better books on eating disorders. They have to be out there somewhere...

[kmm1985 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poignant and moving, but a bit disjointed at times.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book by Geneen Roth that I have read. A lot of it was plushy inspirational type, but I ended the book feeling challenged and encouraged to embrace a "bigger" life.

[Indu · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is intended to be a book about some empowering realizations on our self defeating mind-body weight drama. It achieves the purpose well in some places. In too many others it was a scattered memoir where Geneen Roth dips into her life problems to make a very roundabout kind of point.

Most of the chapters start at some point of her life and go into a rambling of personal troubles with food and otherwise- which were too much like reading a journal. I didn't appreciate that at least half the book went into such a mode. The rest of it, where she finally tied up the story and came to the point was good reading.

I suppose I wasn't looking for so much personal story, but rather for content that could be useful to me.
Hence a little disappointed.

[Laila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't read every word of this book, but I feel that I got something valuable from it. This is mostly a personal story about Roth's continuing struggle with self-worth and body image. If you have issues like that, you might want to give this book a try, if for nothing else than the feeling of companionship.

[Julie M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great insights on feeling like you don't have enough, or aren't enough, or cannot get enough. Reminder to slow down, savor, eat, communicate and live in the present! Gentle guidance for over eaters/unconsious or stress eating, with strong implication for other facets of women's lives. I found this book reassuring and helpful during a difficult time.

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not her best work. I am an admirer of much of her work, especially the earlier work around food and emotions. This book, however, is a series of essays, most of which I found redundant and simplistic. There is a tendency to write in sweeping generalizations, assuming all experiences are similar to hers. So I found a few helpful gems but ended up skimming most of the book.

[Leena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of Geneen's best books. I understand what she is trying to do here - tell her story and draw lessons the reader can relate to - but when it is all about her, her, and her, it comes across just a bit narcissistic and whiny. Some good bits, like the story of her huge cat Blanche, but otherwise mediocre and forgettable.

[Lisa Greer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Geneen's writing, but again, for people struggling with eating disorders and addiction issues, it does very little good. In fact, her claim that emotions lead to eating is false. It's the other way around for most people I've talked to.

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book chronicles Geneen Roth's continuing struggles with body image, but the tone of the book is overall positive. This work is more biographical and less prescriptive than her other works, but still worth the read if you are a fan.

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always want more from her books. I feel like she says so much without really saying much. I guess I am frustrated with her writing style and maybe I miss out on content in the process. My favorite line... one of the last of the book: "you are the feast." I'd like a book about that!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that one needs to read more than once. And the second time, I hazard a guess I'll get different things from it than the first. I'll add to my review then ... but I loved this book.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this years ago, it changed me. i was already changing and this book happened to find me at the right time. they always do, don't they?

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just read this one. Intense, but thought provoking.

[Monika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Geneen Roth writes from a personal perspective ... easy reading, but chock full of insights.

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always loving Geneen!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book better than Women, Food and God. Less hokey. Fave quote: "You are the feast."

[Chavonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

When one learns to stop eating emotionally, feelings are INTENSE. This book is a great reminder that life will not begin when thinness or any goal is achieved--it must begin now. A phenomenal book.