This is a very, very restricted diet, yet very much not a fad diet. It's actually backed by science, and Doctor Ornish actually is well known in the medical community for being able to reverse blockages to the heart using diet, instead of surgery or drugs. So this actually isn't snake oil, but rooted in science, and the focus of the diet isn't actually losing weight, but getting healthy. The down side? Well, this diet bans meat, poultry, fish and seafood--which may be fine for vegetarians, but hard on the rest of us. He also bans avocados and nuts and seeds--which would also be hard on vegetarians. And is arguably unnecessary, because as noted in a review of the diet on WebMD:

Frank Hu, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at the Harvard School of Public Health, is critical of how severely fat is limited on the diet. "The data from numerous studies show that it is the type of fat, rather than the total amount, which is related to cardiovascular health," he says. "Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated oils actually protect against cardiovascular incidents." For example, Hu says, Ornish advocates limiting the consumption of fish and nuts, and Hu adds, "There is strong evidence that the fat in them is protective against coronary heart disease in both epidemiological studies and clinical trials."

Translation--salmon and walnuts are good for you! Still, this is much, much healthier than most diets out there, it doesn't require calorie counting, and even if you decide not to rigidly follow it, this book offers tasty and healthy recipes for Appetizers, Salads, Soups, Main Courses and Side Dishes, Pasta, Pizza, Bread, Rice and other grain dishes and Desserts. So recommended, even if with a grain of the proverbial salt. ( )

Vegetable Gumbo, p. 238, delightful blend, "Serves 4" means serves 12, could use a roux even if counterproductive and more salt/celery.

It's a bad idea to follow this diet. The body needs more protein and fat than he recommends. He's really just another animal activist in Dr.'s clothing. (Don't get me wrong. I am all for the ethical treatment of animals, but keep that bias out of my nutritional information.)