A life coach columnist for O magazine challenges opinions about will power being a key element in weight loss, introducing an unconventional program that incorporates a series of four-day habit-changing steps that culminate in an overall healthier lifestyle. Reprint.

PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION: “A solid introduction to the dialogue between the disciplines of cultural studies and religion…. A substantive foundation for subsequent exploration.”—Religious Studies Review “A splendid collection of lively essays by fourteen scholars dealing with religion and popular culture on the contemporary American scene.”—Choice

"Oracle carefully explores the dangers and benefits of diet and exercise books, sex manuals, and self-actualization schemes. It is a timely and fascinating work, and will be of great interest to health-care providers and thoughtful consumers." --Joseph D. Matarazzo,American Psychological Association

Contains studies, surveys, and statistics on issues related to weight in America, covering weight and physical health, dietary treatment for overweight and obesity, political, legal, and social cocerns, and other topics.

From the lightning bug dance of a summer night to the charm of Chautauqua Institution in winter, from spring's maple sugarin' season to the grape-rich aromas of autumn, from hardware stores to porches, from rocking chairs to wind chimes, I've Become My Mother serves up slices of life with wisdom and humor. This selection of essays is drawn from the files of "Moseyin' Along," a popular back-home column which has appeared for more than a dozen years in a group of up-state New York weeklies. Readers seeking an antidote to the stresses of the big city will join those who treasure memories of the rural northeast in celebrating these glimpses of a slower-paced lifestyle.