Taking consideration of the fact that a bariatric surgeon, and a tv show one at that, wrote this book - this was an excellent read. I was on the fence about the whole thing, just sitting on the fence. I had several hangups about getting a cosmetic surgery instead of buckling down and working hard to lose the weight myself. Even though that hasn't worked. Ever. This book goes through every reason you can't get the weight off, every risk of surgery, every option besides surgery, every benefit of surgery, every up and down that comes post-surgery, and every pitfall that you will face. The key take away from this book is that surgery is not the beginning, and it is not the end; weight loss surgery is a tool to use to get to your goal. This book is very blunt and very clear. I appreciate the factual information given, and yet there are many personal touches that keep the book from being overly dry and too technical. I like the breakdown and organization of the book as well. I can honestly say this book addressed my fears, my hangups, and my hopes equally. I cannot wait to talk to the professionals and get more information about my specific program I will have to follow.