Prescription for Life: Three Simple Strategies to Live Younger Longer

by Richard Furman

During his more than thirty years as a vascular surgeon, Richard Furman literally held clogged arteries and diseased hearts in his hands and wondered why the person lying on the table hadn't been more careful. Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in America, and in most cases it is completely preventable. So why are we slowly destroying our bodies and killing ourselves? And what can we do to turn it around?

The good news is, simple, sustainable lifestyle changes can mean the difference between health and infirmity, between life and death. Putting his three decades of experience and education to work, Dr. Furman gives readers the strategies they need to live not just longer, but younger. This essential resource to health helps readers

-achieve and maintain their ideal weight
-reduce their risk for life-threatening diseases
-make exercise a natural part of their lives
-learn what foods to eat and what foods to avoid

It even shows how following the plan can not only eliminate heart disease, but also keep people safe from various cancers, dementia, diabetes, stroke, erectile dysfunction, and other age- and obesity-related problems.

Dr. Furman wants readers to realize that poor health during one's "golden years" is not inevitable. It can and should be avoided at all cost. And with his expert advice, readers can live long, healthy, vibrant lives, enjoying time with friends and family instead of wasting it in doctors' offices and hospitals.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Fitness, Diets

402 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2014

Reviews

[Ginger Marin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read many nutrition and diet books and articles over the years and I have to say I was not very impressed with Dr. Richard Furman's "Prescription for Life" mainly because I was expecting something new. This book, however, reads like a nutrition treatise for the complete novice as it largely advocates a Mediterranean-style diet along with exercise after forcing us to wade through numerous case studies of his patients' and friends' health issues, all a result of clogged arteries and high cholesterol.

A vascular surgeon, Dr. Furman's mantra is to avoid foods with cholesterol at all costs. Maybe that's the right prescription for some people but maybe not everyone. Some foods like an egg contain valuable nutrients in the yolk which also balance out other nutrients in the white. The good doctor ignores that part of the equation as well as telling us to stop taking vitamins and herbs, even though other doctors have informed us repeatedly that the nutritional value of our produce has declined markedly in the last 50-years. And his advice on the best breakfast of oatmeal with a ton of fruit piled on top would make other doctors' heads spin - diabetes anyone? That's a blood sugar spike for sure.

The book is too long and redundant. Dr. Furman also spends 3 chapters on erectile dysfunction and the last part of the book, the actual 21-Day Outline, is roughly 45 pages telling you to go back and read other pages of his book. A disappointing experience.

Disclaimer: I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having recently been doing a lot of research on nutrition and healthy living, I was delighted when Revell Group asked me to review “Prescription for Life” by Richard Furman, MD, FACS. His book was the last in a quite a long list of other doctors and nutritionists I have read.

Dr. Furman is very passionate about what you need to do to live a long and healthy life. If you are the kind of person who likes your information straight up, sort of like a shotgun wedding, then this is the book for you. By the time you are done reading it, you will be married to this information with no going back into your blissful ignorance. Suddenly McDonalds and Burger King may look like the halls of the damned and cheese will give you night terrors. Be warned.

If you need your information fed to you in a gentler, the evidence speaks for itself kind of way, without a side of snark, then find another doctor. Overall, his information is literally death-defying. However, its delivery leaves no doubt that he is committed to making sure that you remember it every time you take a bite. So he accomplishes his mission, but it is up to you if you can live with the marriage.

I want to thank Revell Group who gave me this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: PRESCRIPTION FOR LIFE
Author: Richard Furman, MD. FACS
Publisher: Revell
October 2014
ISBN: 978-0800723712
Genre: Health & Fitness

From the Inside Flap
"While many respond negatively to the thought of exercising, dieting, and changing their lifestyle, Dr. Furman has managed to take what is threatening and make it thrilling. When you finish this read, you will actually be excited about the possibility of a longer, healthier life."--from the foreword by Dr. David Jeremiah

Putting his three decades of experience and education to work, vascular surgeon Dr. Richard Furman gives you the strategies you need to live not just longer, but younger. This essential resource to a lifetime of health helps you

• achieve and maintain your ideal weight
• reduce your risk for life-threatening diseases
• make exercise a natural part of your life
• learn what foods to eat and what foods to avoid

Poor health during your "golden years" is not inevitable. It can and should be avoided at all cost. And with Dr. Furman's expert advice, you'll be well on your way to living a long, healthy, vibrant life.

From the Back Cover
"Dr. Furman lays out a thorough review of the medical literature, written in layman's terms in such a way that is easily understood. Read it. Apply it. If you are like the majority of Americans, you will become 7-12 years younger physiologically than you presently are chronologically."-- Bill Frist, nationally recognized heart and lung transplant surgeon, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Cressey and Company


Dr. Richard Furman is a vascular surgeon with decades of experience. But his personal journey into living younger longer began with a tight pair of pants. Rather than go up a size, he decided to get back to his ideal weight. He changed how he ate. He began to exercise regularly. He started intensive research into what it takes to prevent the kind of conditions his patients had. What he found changed his life . . . and will change yours.

Do you want to be healthy and active all of your life?

Do you want to enjoy not just long life but quality life?

Do you want to be there--wholly there--for your family and friends?

Aging is inevitable, but heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, stroke, erectile dysfunction, and other age- and obesity-related problems are not! Simple, sustainable changes you make today can mean the difference between enjoying time with friends and family, and wasting it in doctors' offices and hospitals.

PRESCRIPTION FOR LIFE is a must have on everyone’s bookshelves. It includes basic plans to be healthy, instead of getting “age related” or “obesity-related” diseases. As someone who has gone through breast cancer, I want to reduce my risk of more cancer, so I read those sections with interest. I also read the sections for medical issues my husband suffers with and learned that some are signs of more serious problems! Time for him to go to the doctor for a physical, I think.

This is a must read book. Don’t hesitate. Pick up your copy today. Mine is going on our bookcase – after I have my husband read it. And I’m going to start changes in our diet and exercise today. $9.99 Kindle. $15.06 hardcover. $19.73 audio cd. 352 pages.

[Suzy Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book after a friend raved about it. I was sorely disappointed. Furman had a few good points (the importance of exercise and eating right) but was way off the mark on his nutrition advice. He seems to have missed much of the recent research on fat, carbs and cholesterol, and this book is only a year old. One star for getting some of it right, but most of it was outdated, old-think.

[Dr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this book doesn’t cause you to stop and review your lifestyle- probably nothing will. Backed by strong medical studies (explained in laymen’s term) and personal examples, Dr. Furman makes a case for this change needed. Three strategies that everyone can institute and lives can be saved. I cannot say how much I believe every person must read this important book.

[Shannyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for beginners to healthy eating and exercise. Has some good tips and recommendations to start you off on the right foot, as well as some sobering stats to keep you motivated. As a health professional myself, I found the majority of the info in the book to be accurate and all of the studies mentioned are listed in the back for reference.

[Alice Galeotti]

Good information imparted passionately, but redundancy abounds.

This good doctor imparts much solid advice about exercise, diet, and lifestyle necessary to live younger longer. However, the writing is too cluttered with anecdotal accounts of personal experiences, both of the author's and his patients. Much of his dietary advice seems dated, such as the recommendations to avoid egg yolks completely (egg cholesterol has been recently shown not harmful like other dietary cholesterol) and drinking nonfat milk (high in sugars) only. No mention of health problems possible from eating wheat or gluten either. Not a bad tome on how to get healthier, but seems in need of a good edit and update.

[Katelyn Grell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creating healthy habits is the main purpose of Richard Furman’s documented medical research and twenty-one-day plan called the Prescription for Life. The book constantly comes back to three ideas: diet, exercise, and maintaining the ideal weight. These three concepts are key to living longer and psychologically younger. But in order to do this, a decision has to be made and a commitment to that decision has to be made. Furman shares many of his patients' stories that have either committed to their decision to become healthy which added years to their lives or has not committed and continues on with unhealthy food, inactive bodies, and overweight lives which will soon lead to the heart giving out. The heart is what keeps people alive; the book not only explains why the heart is the most important part of the body, but how to protect it as well, which is by—mainly eating fruits and vegetables, exercising at least thirty minutes a day, and getting to an ideal weight which can be roughly found by using a baseline of 105 pounds for a male and adding five pounds to each inch he is over five feet or using ninety-five pounds for a woman adding four pounds each inch. I had a realization of the poor lifestyle people around me—myself included. I have always been passionate about being healthy and active but I did not have that extra push to actually change, specifically, my eating habits. I wanted to read this book to inform myself of the effects that could soon be in my future and how I can prevent it. This book is primarily directed to adults who have poor lifestyles and have made the decision to change healthier but need help on how to commit to their decision.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will scare the begeesus out of you. We all should be aware that certain foods are bad for us. And, let's face it, as we age, we have to be more cautious. Dr. Furman's approach says, cut out any food with cheese, eggs, and meat. Ok, good advice, but never again? Dr. Furman would tell you "NEVER AGAIN!!!". Additionally, he says to read labels and not eat anything that isn't 0 fat, 0 saturated fat, 0 trans fats (which are illegal in the U.S. anyway), and 0 cholesterol. Ok, he makes a bit of exception for saturated fat but only if it includes mono and poly fats. The book made me create a menu of the foods that were allowed, and some have been very tasty and filling. This is Good!

However, he also made me take a step back and I thought, "is this any way to live"? Not fully enjoying meals, being scared of what I just ate and how soon it will kill me? We all know people that eat whatever they want and are in their 80s and 90s. I think we should be vigilant when it comes to our health, but not at the risk of missing the enjoyment in order to live to be 102 rather than 99.

Note: This is a quick read. Especially if you don't smoke or aren't overweight. If that's your case, you can cut out about 1/4 of the book.
53 out of 100.

[Jenny Carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stuff now outdated

There is some good advice here, interesting facts; however, he is rather dogmatic about cutting dairy out all together. Now, there is new research which proved that full fat milk is actually better, and eggs are good. I think he missed the point about wholesome food, and doesn't even address pesticides, or other harmful additions to food. He isn't wrong about exercise, it has many benefits, not just to lose weight. We have lost the sense that exercise is a must do, especially as we live sedentary live compared with our ancestors.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s no big reveal in this book, which is good because there’s no secret to losing weight and getting healthy. It contains the usual sound advice: exercise, don’t smoke, cut portions, eat lots of vegetables, etc. The only part where advice seems to be changing with the times is in regard to animal fat. I was surprised to find this was written in 2015 since the diet recommendations felt very 90’s food pyramid. The author promotes toast with jam over a scrambled egg for breakfast, recommends no cheese and almost no animal products.

[Kasey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prescription for life had some very interesting points and advice. I have been trying to go by the plan (its so hard to give up cheese!). Exercise is key to a healthy lifestyle. I mainly purchased this book to read about ways to help prevent or slow down dementia. Everything that is preventable includes going by the plan and exercise. I will continue to eat healthy and exercise but I might add cheese and butter back. 😁

[Jason Hollen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great breakdown of the physiological effects poor nutrition, inactivity, and obesity have on your body. Easy to follow steps to change your lifestyle and start living a better life. I've implemented some diet changes and have seen some promising early results.

[José Costa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the book deserves a new edition with the nutrition aspects updated.

[Sylvie M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A scared straight book, that will change your mind, from getting ready by reading about better living to an action minded plan.
A call to action with doable prescriptions.

[Barbara Yetman · Rating 4 out of 5]

VERY interesting! I will definitely be changing the way I eat!

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr Furman has spent 30 years fixing clogged arteries as a vascular surgeon. He knows what has clogged the thousands of arteries and watched patients leave his hospital only to consume the same foods that caused the patient to end up in his operating room. In his book, PRESCRIPTION FOR LIFE, he completely lays out his plan for your best life. He gives you the foods to eat and not eat. He gives you an exercise plan for even those who are currently couch potatoes. Then he offers the drastic news of what will happen if you don't follow these steps. He doesn't mince words and tells you this plan won't be easy, but is necessary for living a longer, healthy life.

When I am reading books like this, I want a straight-forward approach. I don't want the author to be wishy-washy and leave room for judgement. I don't want the book to be bogged down in medical terminology or studies. I want the author to convince me, whole-heartedly that this is what I should do and give me ways to make it happen. Richard Furman does exactly that. Reading this book will scare you, shock you, and make you realize what you are putting in your body, no matter what age you are, really does make a difference.

Richard Furman began this plan at the age of 42. I read this book at the age of 42. It is never too late to make a change in your life. The parts of the plan that were helpful for me included his basic explanation for reading nutrition labels and what exactly to look for in the food you are buying. I also appreciated that Dr. Furman gave examples of people who were either his patients or just his friends and how the plan changed their life. In contrast, he gave examples of people who were given the plan and didn't follow it.

Richard Furman lays out the six foods you must remove, not cut back on, but remove from your diet right now. These six foods are guaranteed to be foods you eat on a regular basis. I would bet that the one food he insists you give up is one you eat nearly every single day. In fact, this one food was his absolute favorite food. One he was given as gifts from his co-workers and patients. Once he realized what this one food was doing to his arteries, he stopped eating it and it was his absolute favorite food. He doesn't just tell you to remove the foods, but explains, in lay-man's terms, why you should remove them from your diet and what they do to your body. This part of the book was an eye-opener for me. He explains why you need to stop them cold-turkey and not just eat them once in awhile. Dr Furman offers his ten minute plan as a way to give up things like smoking, snacking, and giving up certain food items.

This book opens your eyes to the food you eat, the lifestyle you live, and the future you deserve. His patients that followed his plan, as well as those who didn't, give great examples of his program. This "prescription for life" isn't for just the overweight or obese, or for those with heart problems, diabetes or cancer. This plan is for everyone including the physically fit. He gave one example of a man who was very active as a coach, running and lifting weights every single day. But, because of the food this coach was eating, he was a walking heart attack waiting to happen. Thankfully, he took Furman's advice with amazing results.

It is never to late to begin this plan to be healthy and active. You deserve to live a long life and a quality life. The author doesn't stop here in his "prescription for life". He wants your soul to live on into eternity. As you read, the author shares Bible verses and guidance to make sure, once death comes, that your are living out your life in eternity.

If you are concerned about the health of a friend or loved one or if you want to enhance the years you have left on this Earth, then I highly recommend you read this book and start the plan. It certainly won't be easy, but the results will be worth it.

The proceeds from this book will be donated to Samaritan's Purse for World Medical Mission to help build housing for doctors serving at mission hospitals abroad.

[C.E. Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

With highly esteemed recommendations (a foreword by David Jeremiah, a Christian pastor and author of dozens of books, and a preface by Bill Frist, a former senator and heart and lung transplantation surgeon) I knew this book would contain exceptional information. Their contributions are forthright and personal, and ready the reader for the inspiring, life-changing pages of Dr. Richard Furman’s, Prescription for Life.

This is one of the most motivating self-help books I’ve read in some time. It’s much more than I expected. Prescription for Life illustrates a sensible approach to being your healthiest you.

The book is divided into seven parts:
1. What You Need to Understand about the Aging Process
2. Eat the Right Foods
3. Reach Your Ideal Weight
4. Exercise
5. Preventing Dementia
6. Preventing Cancer
7. Preventing Erectile Dysfunction
These seven titles seem rather simple, but the content of each section is full, interesting (which can be a rarity in health-conscious type books) and motivational.

I’d like to emphasize the motivational aspect. It doesn’t do us a whole lot of good to arm our brains with information on what we should or should not do to our bodies, if we aren’t motivated to implement the changes needed. But Prescription for Life has induced a hunger, so-to-speak, to modify the way I look at my body, age, exercise, food, and overall quality of life. I can’t name one other health-conscious type of book that has ever done that for me.

We all know eating the right foods and regular exercise results in a healthier body, but this book goes much deeper than that. It delves into the “how” and the “why” our bodies react to what we put into them, and the activity (or inactivity) we subject them to. It also touches on stories about individuals who waited until it was too late to decrease their risks of diseases, ailments, or even death. These stories aren’t scare tactics, but serve as warnings and motivations to do what we can…now.

The strategies in this book aren’t difficult. They aren’t miracle cures, lose weight fast plans, or look twenty years younger remedies. They are common sense approaches that fuel you with valuable information and the right tools to live a long, healthy, wonderful life.

Cover: Like it
Title: Like it
Publisher: Revell
Pages: 353
First Lines: “If only I had known.” Those are the saddest words a doctor can hear from someone who has just been diagnosed with a severe health problem—one that could have been prevented. But you are about to learn how to prevent the most common health problems that damage your body. I know this is a bold promise, but once you have read this book, you will never need to say, “If only…”



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Revell Books book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The options I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

About the Book:

During his more than thirty years as a vascular surgeon, Richard Furman literally held clogged arteries and diseased hearts in his hands and wondered why the person lying on the table hadn't been more careful. Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in America, and in most cases it is completely preventable. So why are we slowly destroying our bodies and killing ourselves? And what can we do to turn it around?
The good news is, simple, sustainable lifestyle changes can mean the difference between health and infirmity, between life and death. Putting his three decades of experience and education to work, Dr. Furman gives readers the strategies they need to live not just longer, but "younger." This essential resource to health helps readers
-achieve and maintain their ideal weight
-reduce their risk for life-threatening diseases
-make exercise a natural part of their lives
-learn what foods to eat and what foods to avoid
It even shows how following the plan can not only eliminate heart disease, but also keep people safe from various cancers, dementia, diabetes, stroke, erectile dysfunction, and other age- and obesity-related problems.

My Review:

So often we go through life wishing for better health or a better body. In Prescription for Life, it is definitely possible to have both. The author leads you down a more healthy path to a more lengthened life. In Prescription for Dr. Furman gives you three simple strategies to live younger and longer.A plan he promises if applied correctly can change your life for the better. He also has a section on different ways to combat or avoid chronic illnesses that deserves a second look.

I went through the section discussing dementia and learned that there are actually two different types. One being Alzheimer's and the other being vascular. Alzheimer's is known to be a degenerative problem within the brain but the other one mentioned is directly related to the arteries within the brain that have become diseased. My family members eventually all suffer from this disease which I always thought just meant that it was a part of the aging process. Apparently, the author says that these can be prevented with diet and exercise. I am not a doctor but I am not too sure that I all together agree with his theory.

He gives you ways in which you can implement his eating and exercising strategy. Most should find this book very helpful and full of information regarding disease that may be prevented with diet and exercise. If you are interested in learning more, you can at this link.

**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from Revell.

[Narita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn’t just another book about being healthy, nor is it written by an author that has the “do as I say, not as I do” mind set. Neither is it a book with the latest fads. It is just a basic down to earth guide for improving your health. Dr. Furman made this same journey to better health for himself. After he got himself on track he began to look at his patients conditions and how they could improve their health. Possibly even escape facing the problems of many common illnesses and disorders that plague our modern day society.
I liked the book because first of all, it was easy to read. Not a lot of medical mumbo jumbo that sent me to the Google search engine for the meanings. Secondly I liked the fact that it was all easy to implement. I didn’t have to go out and buy special foods or nutrition powders to achieve my goal. None of the advice was complicated or overly detailed like a lot of books. When you are already struggling with changing your lifestyle, an exhaustive program turns you off and makes you feel you can never accomplish it. Dr. Furman’s book gives you a “can-do” attitude!
We are all living longer but not always better. The emphasis today is on forever being youthful, in appearance and in body. The problem is the main focus is health for youth, not health for a better quality of life. Yes our days are numbered by the Lord, but our productivity and well-being in our later years can be enhanced by taking care of ourselves now. So many times I have heard people with a debilitating disease due to bad habits or elderly people that can no longer be active say, “If I knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself!”
It is never too soon or too late to begin taking care of yourself. It is in our control and choice to be proactive in our health. I personally do not want to be a burden to my children financially or physically. It will take commitment and time but the results are transforming, not just for a short time but the rest of your life! A refreshing book on living healthier!
I received this book free from Revell Publishing which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Victor Gentile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Furman in his new book, “Prescription for Life” published by Revell teaches us Three Simple Strategies to Live Younger Longer.

From the Back Cover: Dr. Richard Furman is a vascular surgeon with decades of experience. But his personal journey into living younger longer began with a tight pair of pants. Rather than go up a size, he decided to get back to his ideal weight. He changed how he ate. He began to exercise regularly. He started intensive research into what it takes to prevent the kind of conditions his patients had. What he found changed his life . . . and will change yours.

Do you want to be healthy and active all of your life?

Do you want to enjoy not just long life but quality life?

Do you want to be there–wholly there–for your family and friends?

Aging is inevitable, but heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, stroke, erectile dysfunction, and other age- and obesity-related problems are not! Simple, sustainable changes you make today can mean the difference between enjoying time with friends and family, and wasting it in doctors’ offices and hospitals.

Dr. Furman has written a book that asks one very important question: do you want to take control over your health or let disease rob you of your health and future? Dr. Furman is not taking prisoners, it is make the healthy changes or risk your life and future and continue doing what you are doing now. There are seven parts to this book: What You Need To Understand About The Aging Process, Eat The Right Foods, Reach Your Ideal Weight, Exercise, Preventing Dementia, Preventing Cancer, Preventing Erectile Dysfunction. We want to get healthy, this is a way to get there. It does require commitment. And it does require that we make a major change in what we do and eat. If you are ready to do that then this is the book for you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Kendra Burrows · Rating 4 out of 5]

{Full disclosure – Revell Publishing gave me a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.}

There are many “lifestyle change” books on the market. And they all give similar advice. Eat well, exercise, lose weight. This book is no exception.

What makes Prescription for Life different is that it is written by a thoracic and vascular surgeon, which means he performs surgery on the heart, lungs, and other organs in the chest along with the arteries that feed them.

Dr. Furman describes in detail information he has that we are not privy to –such as what our hearts and arteries look like from the inside, and how they differ in healthy versus unhealthy individuals.
More than that, he breaks down the information – from major medical studies and basic anatomy lessons – into very simple language that makes it easy to visualize what is happening in our arteries when we treat our bodies in healthy or unhealthy ways.

Rather than the flat-abs and bikini-body approach to eating and exercise – which is only motivating to me until that first slip-up when I decide I’ll never look like a Victoria’s Secret model so why bother – this book motivates by telling you exactly what is happening to your body and how you can change it.

Dr. Furman emphasizes – in detail – the ways our eating and exercise habits affect our susceptibility to heart disease, stroke, dementia, erectile dysfunction, and death. {And reminds us that death, although something to avoid, is not the worst-case scenario, as anyone who has watched a love one live out their last 15 years as a shell of their former selves can attest.}

He gives concrete and easy-to-remember details of his Prescription for Life, a doctor’s note for adding years to our lives and life to our years.

The book is a bit repetitive, but I think my thick skull needs that sometimes, to reinforce the information that may very well save my life. If you need extra motivation to treat your body the way you know you should, I highly recommend this book.

[Joanne Viola · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all have a desire to be healthy and live longer. Yet with all the information and plans and food pyramids, at times, how to achieve a healthier life can become difficult to navigate. In his book, Prescription for Life, Dr. Richard Furman sorts through it all for his readers.

A vascular surgeon with decades of experience, Dr. Furman makes this journey towards health easy to understand. This is truly one of the most helpful and motivating books about health which I have read.

The book is divided into seven parts:

What You Need to Understand about the Aging Process
Eat the Right Foods
Reach Your Ideal Weight
Exercise
Preventing Dementia
Preventing Cancer
Preventing Erectile Dysfunction

These seven titles seem rather simple, but the content of each section is full, interesting, and easy to comprehend. I found this book to be very motivational, creating a desire to make changes in my life. Dr. Furman’s goal is to help readers improve the overall quality of their life. To do so, one must have strategies regarding exercise – weight – diet. Dr. Furman gives the information in such a way to create desire to be healthy.

Within the covers of this book is a wealth of information which was collected over many years of practicing medicine. To live life fuller, our bodies must be healthy. This book presents three simple strategies to achieve a fuller and healthier life.

*** I received a copy of this book from Revell for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Sheryl Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I'm not quite finished as I still want to go through the study guide at the end and the 21 day program, I found this book to be one of the biggest eye openers on health that I have read. After reading this book, I am convinced that I need to make some life changes with my eating habits, my exercise, and my weight. Author Richard Furman is a vascular surgeon who has dedicated his life to sharing what he has learned during his years of performing surgery. With the simple truths he shares from his years of work in the medical field, a person can add years internally to their life.

I liked this book because even though it is written from a medical standpoint with lots of medical test and studies to back it up, Mr. Furman writes it so that the everyday person can pick up the book and read it and understand what he is trying to say. Mr. Furman uses examples that are easy to understand to get his message across and intertwines real-life stories from his medical practice that back up the message he is trying to get across to his readers.

After reading this book, I am definitely going to make some changes to my lifestyle. If you want to live longer younger, this is a must book to read. You will never look at food the same after reading this book.

[Katrina Roets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently, I made a decision that I needed to change my life. I've had high cholesterol for as long as I can remember and I've been overweight for nearly as long. So, when this book came up for review, I jumped at the chance. I'm so glad that I did..while it took me a little while to get through (it gives you a lot to think about), I learned a lot too. For years, I've heard that I need to lower one type of cholesterol and raise another, but nobody told me how to do that. This book does. Filled with a ton of information and written in a way that anyone can understand it, I found myself highlighting entire passages and I even have a post it sticking out at one part to remind me where to find a certain chart. If you have weight, cholesterol or heart problems, this book could be a major help to you. Even if you're in perfect health, this book could make you look at certain things differently. As for me, this one is going into my bedside table so I can pull it out whenever I have a question.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

To live younger longer, well who wouldn't want to do that? Well with Prescription for Life Dr. Furman provides easy to use information that can allow you to do just that. Written in an easy to read manner this little book is chock full of useful information for anyone looking to get and stay healthy! Not just another diet book, instead The Prescription for Life plan shares information in order to understand about the aging process. Filled with useful information on how to lose weight and keep it off, and what foods to eat and what ones to avoid,to exercise and why it is important. Whether you are looking to add years to your life or add life to your years this book will motivate you into doing that. Written in a down to earth manner with ideas that are easy to incorporate into daily living this book is well worth investing in.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review.

[Teresa Locklear · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off a little dry for me. The more I read the more information I got. One thing I do find hard is that it seems so many different people have different ideas. The words on the cover sound so easy " Three simple strategies to live younger longer." It's not always so easy though to put those "easy" strategies into play. I feel like there is quite a bit I could do that I learned in this book, but I couldn't follow everything. I did learn some interesting little bits of information that I wouldn't have known if I hadn't read this book. I think it's an interesting read for all.

[Michael Beveridge]

Simple Yet Direct

Very thorough plan for disease prevention and maintaining a healthy lifestyle in a simplified yet direct manner. The read introduces you to the things you don't really want to think about but stresses the importance of addressing them before they become significant concerns. It's all what we already know...eat right, exercise, and lose weight. However, Dr Furman uses harsh realities to motivate the reader and lays out the plan to encourage the reader. I will read it again for continued encouragement .

[Kasey Cocoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by Anita: I just loved reading this book. It's such a life-changer without being all preachy or terribly boring. There's valuable inside this book that I think everyone could learn from. The way it is written it's easy to read and understand, and it's so easy to make these changes. Anyone who want's to live a healthier longer life should read this. We received an ARC through Revell Publishing in exchange for our honest opinion. This in no way influenced our review.

[Julie Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book if you are solely interested in Heart Disease. This retired heart surgeon is trying to help with preventative measures after years at looking at diseased hearts and people whose lives are either near the end or severely altered due to stroke or heart attack. Who would not want to heed his advice? It is life changing if you choose to follow his prescription for life. If you are content to take a pill and hope for the best then don't bother to read.