My Beautiful Life: How Macrobiotics Brought Me from ... (ISBN 1899171134)

Aligning With the Healing Powers of the Universe:
"Cancer." This dread diagnosis is now heard by one out of two men and one out of three women. In telling the story of her illness and subsequent recovery, Mina Dobic openly talks about the kind of problems we all face these days - emotional family conflicts, environmental pollution, stressful work life, and thoughtless eating habits. All these present our bodies with conditions they can't handle. For Mina, these pressures accumulated to the point that in 1987 she was diagnosed with fourth stage (terminal) ovarian cancer metastasized throughout her body. But this courageous woman was not about to surrender her life to outside influences. Her spirit rebelled against doctors judging she had "two months to live". How could anyone else know the strength of her heart? Of her soul? How could they know the depth of her passion for life and desire to care for her family? With the help of a doctor friend knowledgeable about the importance of a balanced and nourishing diet, Mina took matters into her own hands. Undergirded by the loving support of family and friends, she faithfully followed the instructions of Michio Kushi, a leading macrobiotic healer. In six months she was pronounced cancer-free! I liked this book because it testifies to the miraculous healing powers of our human bodies and the Universe which created us. Her story assures us that cancer need not be a sentence of premature death. I found very helpful the details of her daily routine and recipes that restored her health. Reading it can help prevent cancer. It is a beautiful gift for anyone struggling to overcome this life-threatening disease.

Life Changing...:
Mina Dobic's book, My Beautiful Life, inspired me to visit the Kushi Institue in Becket, Massachusetts, and pursue an IMA degree in Complementary Health Education at Antioch McGregor University in Yellow Springs, Ohio. A high school Human Anatomy and Physiology teacher and currently director of a charter conversion school in Ohio, I believe this book has changed not only my life...but lives of hundreds of my students, friends, and professional peers. I first read a brief description of the book in a catalog. Intrigued, I ordered it and could not stop reading...underlining..highlighting! Knowing full well that the homeostatis of the body is dependent on the health of each and every cell, Mrs. Dobic's description of her cancer, her fight, her flight to Brookline, Massachusets to consult with Michio Kushi, and her eventual victory over disease made excellent sense. I was overwhelmed with the hope...and the power one must claim to take control of their own health. I am currently teaching a macrobioitc class and have suggested to all of my students that they must read this inspiring, hope-filled story of a brave, strong Yugoslavian woman who did more than beat the odds...she created an entirely new lifestyle for herself and her family. I would be honored to someday meet Mrs. Dobic...and sample one of her macro pies! Her inspiring story has caused many of my students to take a long, hard look at what they are feeding their cells...and believe me,they are often just plain shocked! Healthy, wholesome eating is a choice...select whole, organic grains,vegetables, temperate fruits (if you live in Ohio), and drink your organic tea! Slow your life down...sing a song daily...walk barefoot in the grass...stop chasing the dream...and begin living it. Read My Beautiful Life and you will feel empowered to do so! Marcia Balmut Ward, Director - Graham Digital Academy, Graham Local Schools, St. Paris, Ohio

all lies, in my opinion:
Promoting a diet of organic produce, little refined sugar and whole grains is wonderful; suggesting that such a diet is a CURE for cancer is quack medicine, irresponsible and immoral. Dobic eradicates all developments in science since the Enlightenment and wants readers (many of whom must be desperate cancer patients) to believe that miso soup can destroy a tumor. This isn't 'natural medicine'; this is Orientalism: exoticizing the east to make money in the west. This book is so badly written, one wonders whether the PhD she touts (and touts and touts) is real; the text is mostly unintelligible and occasionally laughable. After reading every page of this book, hoping to learn more about the macrobiotic diet (about which there is MUCH to admire), I understand that the author is neither a scholar nor a healer nor a writer-- just a hotel cook who got very lucky. There are many, many, many better books on cancer, healthy cooking and inspirational/spiritual philosophies. This may be the worst I've ever encountered, if not the worst book I've ever spent real hours of my life reading. How many lives, how many families, has this woman already destroyed with her quackery?

Ridiculous, unverifiable claims:
None of these methods are scientifically proven or even tested. All we have to go on are the dubious testimonies of people claiming that they cured stage 4 cancer with some seaweed. I urge anyone who is in a dire health situation to reconsider the advice of charlatans.

Fabulous book:
My beautiful life is a fabulous book. Very powerful, inspirational, and motivating. Mina Dobic is a very powerful healer and has has helped numerous people transition to a macrobiotic lifestyle.