SHADES OF HOPE A Program to Stop Dieting and Start Living

The author is a recovering binge eater and bulimic whose eating disorder treatment center involves the familiar 12 steps of AA and a lot of structure and emotional work. Her narrative unfolds gradually as the book describes how pathological overeating is often rooted in family-of-origin identity issues, low self-esteem, and co-dependent relationship patterns. Narrator C.J. Critt delivers this material with a steady tone and a good ear for phrasing. She tilts her performance toward the dramatic, which works well with the many inspirational anecdotes but less well with the insights and recommendations. The book’s approach to recovery involves acknowledging the power of one’s addiction to food, following rigid food plans, and understanding how particular emotions cause destructive eating patterns. T.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2012]