The weight training/exercise portion of this book does not offer enough detail for a beginner. Even though it has pictures, I found myself wondering if I was doing the exercise correctly. On some, I obviously wasn't b/c my back hurt. There is little information on where you should (or shouldn't) feel the tension in your body. The information on why cardio doesn't work was interesting and somewhat helpful. I'm not a dieter but the food section was a bit of a "duh". The bottom line is, and this is has been proven over and over and over again - burn more than you eat and you'll lose weight - exercise and eat what nature provides (don't eat processed food). I wouldn't waste my money on this book.