The Raw Foods Resource Guide (ISBN 1587612321)

A tiny little gem!:
I just love this little book, and I wish I'd had it when I first started working toward a raw diet. Don't let it's little size fool you (about 6x8" - perfect stocking stuffer!). It's one of the most useful books on raw foods that I've ever read, despite it's having only 90 pages. Jeremy Saffron, author of The Fasting Handbook: Dining from an Empty Bowl, has mastered the art of saying a lot by saying very little. He chooses his topics with care and covers them succinctly and completely. Let me tell you what you'll get out of this book besides a complete list of raw restaurants and food sources. He answers all the questions that I and many others asked as raw food newbies (and frankly were still wondering about), like "Is nutritional yeast really raw?" and "If you could give me a list of the top five foods to include in my diet, what would they be?" I especially liked his sections on travel, dehydrating, foraging, and culturing, and extras like Easy Indoor Gardening and Types of Raw Food Diets (Hydrorians? Who knew?). This is THE perfect gift for someone considering adopting a raw food diet.

It is what it says it is! Score this a definite recommend!:
This book offers the basics on the "raw food lifestyle" without glossy pictures, celebrity promotion or sensationalism. It is simple bottom line information and commentary on the major topics of raw food living, including: what is raw food, its history, benefits, sprouting, tips for travel and even a few warnings. Then there are the resources, which include restaurants, educational centers, events, books, magazines, websites, retailers and products (mostly in the US but also some around the world). The price is right and the book is light enough to carry with you for impromptu information. Do not expect an encyclopedia of detailed information but you will get a good foundation. Already familiar with raw food? Buy only if you need a list of resources.

Easy to understand and good reference.:
Besides the summary of harmful ingredients in food, I really appreciated the chapter on detoxifying your bathroom. It's given me a tool in deciding what personal products to use on my body. We spend so much money on good nutrition so why poison the body by using toxic grooming products. This book is definetely an add to your reference library.

Not a 'how-to' as claimed by publisher.:
This book covers a wide range of topics, but none of them in-depth. The publisher's claim that it is a 'how-to' is not even close to accurate, and that is why I gave three stars. If you have zero experience with the raw food lifestyle, this book is a fabulous start. But, if you are looking to expand on even the smallest detail, this book won't help. Without pictures, the build-your -own dehydrater is pointless, and the information on sprouting is just eneough to give an idea of how it's done but leaves many questions unanswered. For example, the section headed "Cutting and Storing Fresh Foods" doesn't have on iota of information about cutting and storing fresh foods! Nothing. It reads that if you cut fresh food, the fresh food will begin to oxidize.. (uh... ok) and that the egyptians stored grain in pyramids. There is not one bit of useful information in this section, and that is pretty much how the whole book reads. The paragraph devoted to juicing reads "Juicing is extracting (water and vitamins) by removing the pulp and fiber. Juicing is a great way to stay hydrated and enjoy a wide range of nutrition. Juicing is extremely cleansing and healing." That's it. That is the entire section on jucicing. The back part of the book is devoted to websites and addresses of raw-food friendly websites, restaurants and centers. Maybe they will come in handy. All in all, this is a book written with love and good intentions, but isn't of much use to someone who's ready to take action. I want to love this book, and I want to be able to be as positive as the other reviewers, BUT in my honest, thoughtful opinion, The Raw Foods Resource Guide, is for either people with zero knowledge of the raw-food lifestlye, or for people who don't know how to use a computer to find raw-food friendly websites, restaurants and centers.

defining RAW:
This is a great book for beginners to RAW Food. I love this book. Jeremy Saffron has other great books on this subject. A must-have.