The Chairman: A Novel

Book Description

No one knows the dark side of “The Street” better than master storyteller Stephen Frey, author of such riveting novels as Shadow Account and The Day Trader. Now, in his most ambitious work to date, Frey proves that no writer can put a high-powered hero at greater risk, nor offer readers more thrilling rewards.
A towering legend among New York private equity partnerships, Everest Capital is aptly named. When its founder meets an untimely death, thirty-six-year-old superstar Christian Gillette gets the top job. But with the power and prestige come risks. The day he narrowly escapes a fiery explosion that consumes his limo and takes two innocent lives, Gillette instantly understands how intense those risks are.

It comes as no surprise to him that he has enemies in the world of multibillion—dollar deals. But now that he controls Everest, he’s not going to let those enemies keep him from taking the firm–and himself–to even greater heights. Gillette has never hesitated to be aggressive, even ruthless, in his pursuit of success. This time will be no exception.

But in order to forge the alliances necessary to achieve his goals, Gillette forsakes a cardinal rule: Never trust anyone. The only certainties are the insidious campaign of corporate sabotage that could cost Gillette his job and the relentless assassination attempts that could cost him his life. To break a deadly conspiracy of greed, he’ll be forced to walk–then run–an ever-blurring line between loyalty and betrayal, attack and retreat, survival and destruction . . . in the ultimate game of profit and loss.

With The Chairman, Stephen Frey presides with intensified skill over the market he has so dramatically cornered–sharpening his patented brand of hard-boiled high-finance intrigue to its keenest cutting edge yet.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Fun Introduction Into the World of Private Equity............2007-05-17

For many of us who hadn't taken the time to read the latest financial non-fiction or waded through the pages of the Wall Street Journal, IBD, or the Financial Times, "The Chairman" gave an exciting, although fictional introduction into the world of Private Equity funds and the demanding task of managing them. Add in murder, intrigue, conspiracies, corporate politics, a colorful cast of characters, interesting plot twists, and you have, in my opinion, the most interesting of Stephen Frey's financial thrillers since "The Takeover".

Since I've read the book, I now have taken the time to go through various financial periodicals and read about the fascinating world of private equity funds. You can't pick up a paper without reading about yet another business venture snapped up by a private equity fund. Even former NBA star Magic Johnson has one that is acquiring property and businesses all across the United States.

Hedge funds....now that's an area Mr. Frey should tackle next!

Great Start....poor finish.......2006-08-04

When I first started reading this book, I thought I was going to be in for one hell of a thriller...unfortunetly I was until I got towards the end of the book and found myself wondering how such a great beginning can have such a terrible ending. I couldn't believe that the main character dies from FOOD POISONING!! I mean I wasn't expecting the ending to be the best that I have ever read, but I was mad to discover it seemed like a 5th grader had just finished off the ending for him. It turns out that the IPO trick did not work and the killer utimalty comes out on top in a sense...he may not have been able to kill the chairman, but he died anyway of FOOD POISONING...what a joke. Anyway if you want to learn how to start off a good book just read 3/4 of it... 1/4 was bad.

The Chairman kept me glued to my chair!!!!!.......2006-08-04

Unlike Frey's first novel I read "The Day Trader" this novel is much improved. After reading just one page I was immediately sucked into the novel. I found each page to be better than the last and before I knew it the novel was complete!!! As a summer intern at an investment bank I felt that this novel was a very accurate depiction of the financial world. Even when I was at home reading this book, I still felt like I was sitting in the office listening to the constant closing of deals. If you are a student about to enter the financial field I strongly reccomend picking up this book....ITS A MUST READ.

dAMN Thrilling and Packed.......2006-07-20

This book is my third book of the fiction series I started reading. I am not a book reading guy, but this book made me keep turning pages till the last one. It thrill's you more enough and gives you hunger to read his next conituing novel "The Protege", which I finished the next day and waiting for his next novel "Power Broker"...which is the continuation of those two.

This Book is more breath taking and brilliant writing. I love the way the author takes the story. To be frank he is the second author whose book I read and got thrilled. I rate him to be one of the best among my fav. authors.

This is a for sure book to read...

Very Good Frey.......2006-07-01

Christian Gillette,just 36, is promoted by a narrow vote to be The Chairman of Everest Capital, a premier private equity firm in New York City following the untimely death of his predecessor. Lot's of excitement comes from the plot. Including parts played by some of his former colleagues who had been managing partners in the firm,a U.S. Senator with Presidential ambitions,a chief investment officer of the country's largest insurance company, two brothers ex FBI agents offering worldwide security services and a competitor from another large equity firm. Did the former chairman die of natural causes? Who was attempting to murder Christian Gillette and why? You'll find out as you quickly turn these pages.

Average customer rating:

The Chairman : A Novel

Manufacturer: Ballantine Books of Canada
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HKSH62

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Heathcliff/chairman
George Gately
Manufacturer: Jove
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0515093319

The Takeover, The Inner Sanctum, The Legacy, The Insider, Trust Fund, The Day Trader, Shadow Account, The Chairman (Set of 8 Legal Suspense Novels)

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The Takeover, The Inner Sanctum, The Legacy, The Insider, Trust Fund, The Day Trader, Shadow Account, The Chairman (Set of 8 Legal Suspense Novels)
Stephen Frey
Manufacturer: Ballantine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000UEEI5O

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The Chairman: A Novel
Stephen Frey
Manufacturer: Random House Audio Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0345482077

Download Description

It comes as no surprise to him that he has enemies in the world of multibillion–dollar deals. But now that he controls Everest, he’s not going to let those enemies keep him from taking the firm–and himself–to even greater heights. Gillette has never hesitated to be aggressive, even ruthless, in his pursuit of success. This time will be no exception.

Amazon.com

One of the most impressive aspects of Dick Francis's long and celebrated career (he's won three Edgar Awards, the Silver Dagger, the Gold Dagger, a Cartier Diamond Dagger, and was named the 1996 Mystery Writers of America Grand Master) is the freshness that he brings to each of his novels. Though every one of his 30-plus works of fiction has drawn from some aspect of the world of horses, Francis turns this constraint into a powerful source of inspiration. In 10 Lb. Penalty Francis adds several new arrows to his quiver. His protagonist, Ben Juliard, narrates the tale in a vivid first person that begins in his insecure late teens instead of the settled middle age of the usual Francis hero. Also, Ben's relationship with horses is more of a fading dream than an active reality. The book begins with Ben's expulsion from Vivian Durridge's stables; he's removed with a false accusation of glue sniffing. But as Ben soon discovers, it is, in fact, his powerful father's machinations that are behind his ill fortunes. The elder Juliard is "standing for Parliament," and the bachelor candidate needs his son by his side for a year of campaigning if he hopes to win. Ben accedes to his father's wishes. He almost always has, but he soon finds that his "gap year"--his year before entering college--is going to be a nightmare. Orinda Nagle, the widow of the recently deceased Hoopwestern MP, and her companion, Alderney Wyvern, resist George's campaign from the start. Then, Usher Rudd, a muckraking journalist, turns his vitriol to George. When an attempt is made on George's life, he and his son find themselves inside a vigorous tale of suspense that takes several narrative years to sort out.

Francis's lucid prose is the driving force in this political mystery, and the realistic rendering of the complicated father-son relationship between George and Ben adds a sophistication and weight that marks the author's best fiction. --Patrick O'Kelley

Book Description

A wanna-be jockey accepts a job in his father's campaign for Parliament--and realizes that politics can be the most perilous horse race of all.

Customer Reviews:

Francis breaks the mold.......2006-09-12

Often times Francis' novels are dismissed as being formulistic, the characters more cardboard charactures than living, believeable characters the plots really just variations on one plot and the stoic hero the same character in various disguses. These are more or less true statements, Francis genius is that he does so much so well within this formula. This novel though breaks out of his usual formula.

Rather than a tough middle aged man dealing bravely with tragedy the hero here, Benedict Juilard, is a 17 year old boy who, despite being the unplanned result of a teenage romance left with a single parent had a comfortable, even priviledged life. His main problem as the story opens is the disappointment of not being able to spend his gap year (the year between high school and university) the way he had planned. As the story progresses we meet his father, George, who is launching his political career and see the pair begin to forge a long overdue relationship.

The 'horse connection' here is perhaps the weakest of all Francis work and the mystery thriller element is almost absent. This would more accurately be listed as a 'coming of age' story. Anyone looking for the usual Francis fare should look elsewhere but if you are looking for a well told, sensitive story try this one.

Author Penalized for Losing Interest.......2006-07-21

Why is it people only find a review helpful if they hear something positive? Anyway, there are plenty of positives in this book. I have read several Dick Francis novels, and I must say it is interesting when he tackles subjects other than horse racing, which he does quite admirably. The main characters are interesting and very likable. The book moves along at a great pace, just like in horse racing.

So what goes wrong? Well, for one, in plotting the book in my head, I imagined the election coming at the end of the book. I was quite surprised when it did not happen this way. The winner is announced halfway into the book. And then things wander aimlessly, just as another reviewer mentions. In fact, it reads like one LONG epilogue. It is as if Francis's publisher called him up one day and said, "Psst. Wrap it up." It seemed like there was so much more that could have been done with the campaigning aspect in the book.

For what it's worth, the last half of the book is not totally meritless. It's just that for a mystery book, there is really nothing mysterious or dangerous going on in the last half. The climax happens so quickly and leaves about ONE page for the true epilogue. The thing with some Francis books is there usually is not much of a mystery to solve. We know who the "bad guy" is. The same thing applies here. Aren't villains sometimes the best part of a movie or a book? The problem is we never really get to KNOW much about the "bad guy".

So three stars - 4 for the first part of the book and 2 for the last part. Hey, one can do worse. At least he didn't carry it on for 500+ pages.

Lacks a purpose and climax.......2005-03-09

This book starts out rather interesting, but after that it is all downhill... By the end of the book you are left wondering what happened to the plot. This book completely lacks a climax. I would definitely recommend not reading this book, unless you're very interested in horse racing and politics. I was told it was supposed to be a mystery about the main character, Ben, abusing drugs, but the majority of the book was about Ben's father running for Parliament. I am not a political person so this did not interest me at all.

I didn't care who won........2003-08-16

Dick Francis is one of my favourite writers - but this is NOT one of his best. He has a typical Francis hero - underestimated, honourable, tenacious - the only difference this time being that this hero, Benedict, is a teenager in the shadow of an energetic, charismatic father, George Juliard.

When writing one of his books Francis often decides to explore a particular profession or occupation- for example film direction in "Wild Horses" or aviation in "Rat Race".

In "10lb Penalty" he tackles politics,and Benedict's father is standing for parliament. I was looking forward to seeing whether Francis got the details right about elections and campaigning.

He was fairly accurate with his details, but he didn't convey the flavour of campaigning- to political activists, elections can be just as exciting as the Grand National, but you wouldn't guess that from this book.

What bothered me more was that I didn't really care who won the election. George Juliard is just too flawless to be interesting. Although politics are supposed to be his whole life, we never get a clue as to what his beliefs are. In fact we don't even get told which party he belongs to - although he almost certainly is a Conservative , and his main opponent Paul Bethune probably a Liberal Democrat.

Actually, the Bethune family are more interesting that the Juliards. The unfaithful but witty husband, the wife who hates being dragged into politics and the grunting teenager sons make up a more realistic political family .

Oh yes, there's a murder plot. But it wasn't very believable.

I didn't care who won........2003-08-16

When writing one of his books Francis often decides to explore a particular profession or occupation- for example film direction in "Wild Horses" or aviation in "Rat Race".

In "10lb Penalty" he tackles politics,and Benedict's father is standing for parliament. I was looking forward to seeing whether Francis got the details right about elections and campaigning.

Oh yes, there's a murder plot. But it wasn't very believable.

Reader's Digest Select Editions: 10 Lb. Penalty by Dick Francis, Plum Island by Nelson Demille, the Starlite Drive-in by Marjorie Reynolds, Homecoming by Belva Plain (236)
Average customer rating:
Reader's Digest Select Editions: 10 Lb. Penalty by Dick Francis, Plum Island by Nelson Demille, the Starlite Drive-in by Marjorie Reynolds, Homecoming by Belva Plain (236)

Manufacturer: Reader's Digest Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0888504799

Product Description

Novels include: 10 lb. Penalty by Dick Francis, Plum Island by Nelson Demille, The Starlite Drive-in by Marjorie Reynolds, Homecoming by Belva Plain.

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10 Lb Penalty
Dick Francis
Manufacturer: G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OL4O7U

Average customer rating:

10 Lb. Penalty
Dick Francis
Manufacturer: New York: G.P. Putnam's & Sons, 1997
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 3991430258

Average customer rating:

10 Lb. Penalty

Manufacturer: Books On Tape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0736637877

Average customer rating:

10 LB. Penalty
Dick Francis
Manufacturer: Berkley Pub Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NXX4KW

Average customer rating:

10 Lb. Penalty
Dick Francis
Manufacturer: Recorded Books, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: B000OWX3G2

Average customer rating:

10-lb Penalty
Dick Francis
Manufacturer: Pan Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QYADTI

6 Titles By Francis - Rat Race - Shattered - Risk - Proof - 10 LB Penalty - The Danger

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6 Titles By Francis - Rat Race - Shattered - Risk - Proof - 10 LB Penalty - The Danger
Dick Francis
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000PWG87W

Product Description

6 Mass Market Paperback Titles By Francis - Rat Race - Shattered - Risk - Proof - 10 LB Penalty - The Danger

Reader's Digest Select Editions : Volume 2 1998 (Plum Island, Homecoming, 10 Lb. Penalty, The Starlite Drive-In)

Average customer rating:

Reader's Digest Select Editions : Volume 2 1998 (Plum Island, Homecoming, 10 Lb. Penalty, The Starlite Drive-In)

Manufacturer: Reader's Digest Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Book Description

The dark alleys of the Shinjuku District in Tokyo are filled with uncontrollable crime. Citizens seek the help of the City Hunter, a sure shot professional gunman who never misses his target with his Colt .357 magnum.

MANHUNT - Volume 4, number 5 - May 1956: Lenore; Squealer; The Man Who Never Smiled; Kill Fever; The Red of Bougainvillea; Devil Eyes; Preacher's Tale; Oedipus; The Strangler; City Hunters; Ten Minute to Live; The Unholy Three; The Pigeon

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MANHUNT - Volume 4, number 5 - May 1956: Lenore; Squealer; The Man Who Never Smiled; Kill Fever; The Red of Bougainvillea; Devil Eyes; Preacher's Tale; Oedipus; The Strangler; City Hunters; Ten Minute to Live; The Unholy Three; The Pigeon
N. F. (editor) (Frederick C. Davis; John D. MacDonald; Robert S. Swenson; Rey Isely; Grove Hughes; Jack Ritchie; Max Kane; Walt Sheldon; A. I. Schutzer; George Lange; George Fielding Eliot; William Campbell Gault; Claudius Raye) King
Manufacturer: Flying Eagle Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GVWU7E

Anti-Aging Zone
Average customer rating:

It's not as complicated as Sears wants you to believe

The book of chains

Best of the "Zone" books

Good information, terribly badly presented

The best Zone book to read

Anti-Aging Zone
Barry Sears
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Healthy | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Geriatrics | Internal Medicine | Medicine | Medical | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
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Omega Rx Zone: The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil

The Zone: A Dietary Road Map to Lose Weight Permanently : Reset Your Genetic Code : Prevent Disease : Achieve Maximum Physical Performance

Mastering the Zone: The Next Step in Achieving SuperHealth and Permanent Fat Loss

What to Eat in the Zone: The Quick & Easy, Mix & Match Counter for Staying in the Zone

Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0060392436

Amazon.com

Barry Sears started the diet movement of the decade with the Zone's 40-30-30 eating plan (40 percent carbohydrate, 30 percent each fat and protein). In The Anti- Aging Zone, Sears explains that he thinks aging is not caused so much by depleted hormone levels but by a lack of communication among hormones.

So what exactly do these hormones have to do with aging? Estrogen and testosterone levels affect sex drive and skin tone; a drop in melatonin can lead to insomnia. Wavering serotonin levels have been shown to be a factor in depression. Insulin gone haywire can mean diabetes. While the intricacies of these hormonal interrelationships are the makings of a graduate degree in endocrinology, Sears offers a layperson's short course. It boils down to this: the vastly complicated hormonal action in humans is controlled by eicosanoids, what he calls "super hormones." And eating in the way advocated by The Anti-Aging Zone, he argues, can help maintain proper eicosanoid functioning, thereby preventing the litany of health problems associated with aging--both mental and physical.

The Anti-Aging Zone is sure to be controversial: Sears recommends a daily intake of just 1,200 calories for women and 1,500 for men, about 40 percent fewer than the U.S. RDA. It's also not just a diet plan, but a lifestyle plan, with guidelines for meditation (to reduce levels of cortisol, a stress hormone) to improve brain longevity, and moderate amounts of exercise, including strength training. But Sears adds a solid guide to supplements (the essential, the important, the exotic and expensive) and herbs, and a rundown of the mind-body-diet connection. While The Anti-Aging Zone isn't especially easy to follow, it's an eye-opening and educational guide to the aging process and the control you have over your own health.

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

Americans have been systematically overeating for the past 15 years, author Barry Sears states, and thus cheating themselves out of longer, more functional lives. So passionate is Sears about his central idea--eat less, live longer--that it seems as if he has to deliberately put the brakes on his own voice to keep his theories from tumbling out in one big incomprehensible jumble. (Even with the brakes on, many words--like cal'rie--lose a syllable.) Odd cadences aside, Sears makes the case that his high-protein, low-carbohydrate, moderate-fat Zone diet plan will help people live to a riper old age. (Running time: 3 hours, 2 cassettes) --Lou Schuler

Book Description

How old are you now? Want to look younger, live longer, and feel better?

Enter the Anti-Aging Zone

With his #1 New York Times bestseller The Zone, Dr. Sears began revolutionizing nutritional thinking in America. Now, his cutting-edge hormonal-control research is elevated to a new level that promises to change forever how we look at aging.

No one wants to get old or show the signs of age. In fact, for centuries many have searched for, and often promised, the fountain of youth. So what makes The Anti-Aging Zone different?

In this new, breakthrough book. Dr. Sears goes beyond looking at food as simply a source of calories and explains the incredibly powerful biological effects it has on your hormones. From this unique perspective, food is more than a source of sustenance; it becomes the most powerful drug known to man. More important, it is the only drug proven to reverse the aging process. In addition to unraveling the mysteries of your hormones and their role in aging, Dr. Sears reveals the essential dietary information you need to start your own age-reversal journey. Using his simple and easy-to-follow program, you will be able to live longer and live better beginning with your very next meal.

As Dr. Sears explains, the aging process isn't caused as much by the depletion or lack of hormones as we get older, but rather by their impaired ability to communicate with each other. Little-known "super-hormones" called eicosanoids can reestablish the critical communications links between your hormones, which is the key to age reversal. The brilliance of this anti-aging approach is that these exceptionally powerful super-hormones can be altered by the foods you eat, and, in particular, by the Zone Diet.

Your body is a vast, complex biological Internet whose hormonal communication can be orchestrated with great precision by the Zone Diet. Hormones from melatonin to serotonin, from estrogen to testosterone, from cortisol to DHEA, can all be controlled if you are willing to treat food with the same respect as you would any prescription drug. Ultimately, hormonal miscommunication is the underlying cause of many conditions associated with "getting older" such as insomnia, wrinkles, dry and dull skin, waning sex drive, depression, chronic pain, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Using The Anti-Aging Zone as your guide, you can look and feel better that you ever imagined.

Millions of people like you are now facing the hard realities involved with getting older. Dr. Sears separates the hormonal hype from reality and gives you the necessary tools to add years to your life and improve your appearance. The Anti-Aging Zone is your passport to a longer and better life.

Enter the Anti-Aging Zone...you have the power to reverse aging beginning with your next meal.

Ask yourself these life-changing questions:

Why am I aging?

Is it too late to reverse aging?

What type of diet will increase my sexual energy and desire?

What is my biological Internet?

How do my hormones control aging?

Can I make my hormones communicate more effectively?

Do high-carbohydrate diets accelerate aging?

How does stress reduce brain longevity?

What are passing grades on my Anti-Aging Report Card?

Begin you Anti-Aging lifestyle today!

The Anti-Aging Zone includes:

A week of Anti-Aging Zone meals for males and females

Anti-Aging Zone meals for the business traveler

Anti-Aging Zone meals in fast-food restaurants

A simple, at-home Anti-Aging Zone exercise program.

Customer Reviews:

It's not as complicated as Sears wants you to believe.......2006-08-15

Sears wants you to think he has come up with a complicated system which he calls The Zone.

In reality, all you need is to eat naturally, like our ancestors did thousands of years ago. Eat greens, vegetables, berries, fruit, mushrooms, nuts. Eat lean meat (our ancestors hunted for healthy, lean animals). Eat egg whites, but avoid yolks. Most of the modern contaminants stick to fat molecules, and yolks are mostly fat. Plus it's the wrong type of fat, as chickens are not fed properly. Eat wild fish (but not too often; don't forget about pollutants).

That's it. Forget grains (and everything made from them). Forget potatoes and hard beans, soda and juices. Forget vegetable oils. All that junk is completely unnatural for humans to eat; our ancestors couldn't imagine that was edible. And that's why we have diseases that they didn't have.

Forget milk. Milk is only good for babies under 3 years old. Studies show that milk (and even yogurt) causes hyperinsulinemia (insulin "spikes" that lead to diabetes etc.) in adults.

Yes, his advice to take fish oil is great. Farm-raised animals are fed with junk food; consequently, they lack certain fatty acids that are vital for our health. Fish oil is a convenient way of restoring the balance. But Sears' fish oil is not the purest and cheapest on the market.

I'm a physiologist, and I've helped a number of people to change their eating habits. Those people have gotten rid of many problems, like obesity, allergies, asthma, arthritis, and excessive fatigue. And they don't complain that the food is not delicious enough. They learned to use their imagination a little bit and combine various healthy foods to create their nice and simple "recipes", and realized they enjoy their food even more than before.

The book of chains.......2006-02-21

Here is the extremely simple advice on page 55: reduce your calorie intake and live longer. It is really simple, but that doesn't really help. A low calorie diet translates into the hated: no bread, no pizza, no cookies, no pies.

In hopes of making low calories interesting, Sears offers lots of ways to understand how your cell chemistry works. Maybe it will help you pick the right balance of diverse foods which can make a low calorie diet interesting. If you take this book seriously, you will learn a lot of biochemical cycles. For some reason, I find this stuff fascinating.

The causes of aging:
a) Excess insulin causes one to increase calorie consumption. Excess calories result in excess free radicals and premature cell deaths.
b) Excess insulin causes DNA damage and faster cell replication. Faster cell replication will produce more mutations, and associated dangers.
c) Excess glucose causes AGE (Advanced Glycosylated endproducts) and neural death in VMN (ventromedial nucleus). Together, these damage the hypothalmus, which eventually raises insulin levels.
d) Excess cortisol causes neural death in the hippocampus. Hippocampus failure causes chaos in the hormone system.

Protein plus glucose produce 'schiff base'. 'Shiff base' produces 'Amadori Adduct' which in turn produces AGE (advanced glycosylated endproducts. As mentioned above, AGE is a precursor to neural death in the VMN (ventromedial nucleus).

The Aerobic cycle, fundamental to life, converts glucose and oxygen into ATP (energy), carbon dioxide and free radicals. Free radicals cause early cell death,

Calorie consumption produces:
1. incrase cell turnover
2. inhibits production of eicosinoids (eicosinoids maintain cell-cell communication cells. Following eicosinoids around is the main focus of the book).
3. inhibits glucagon which would increase glucose levels -> increased cortisol production -> higher cortisol levels (faster aging)
4. increases insulin resistance -> incrased insulin level -> more stored fat -> increased plugging of cardiovascular system and reduced sex drive.

ATP + adenylate cyclase -> cAMP (secondary messenger for insulin) (insulin decreases levels of cAMP)

Environmental dangers -> CRH in hypothalums -> stimulates production of ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) in the pituitary gland -> which produces chloresterol ester which reacts with cAMP to produce cholesterol -> prognenolene -> cortisol which decrease eicosanoids and CRH. Increase in cortisol is bad. Exercise and meditation reduce cortisol. Inhibition of glycagon increases cortisol levels.

Best of the "Zone" books.......2006-02-06

Forget about low carb or no carb. So difficult to maintain, and really not a realistic way to live. Barry Sears incorporates his balanced diet with information on herbs, exercise and hormonal considerations.

The book is worthwhile for two sections; the appendix has a seven day diet for women and for men, including menus and recipes. And there is a prescription for staying in the "Zone" in exercise including how much cardio and how intense, and how much strength-training exercise to do. (20 minutes brks walking every day, 5-10 minutes of pushups, squats or weights every day.) As you progress you can add 45 mintues weights, 20 minutes flexibility (yoga, for example.)

The section on diabetes and aging of the brain is great, and there is a section on "Cheap Insurance" or what vitamin supplements are valuable for anyone.

Great book that seems to weather the fads of diet and health advice.

Good information, terribly badly presented.......2002-03-12

I don't quite agree with the January 30 1999 review that this is the book Dr Sears should have written in the first place - I'd consider it a rough draft for that book; Dr Sears needs a competent editor!

This is the hardcover edition of the book that has been republished in paperback under the title of "The Age-free Zone". I think it is better to read "Enter the Zone" instead of or before reading this one. I have reservations about recommending this book because there are some obvious mis-statements that should have been caught by an editor, a great deal of boring repetition, and some very stretched analogies (e.g. pages 32 and 50). The persistent reader might reach a point where they are rewarded by more details of biochemical mechanisms than are given in the earlier book. The tables of food amounts are different from those in the other books and appear to be intermediate between the earlier version of "Enter the Zone" and the later amounts of "The top 100 zone foods".

The best Zone book to read.......2001-06-29

This is Barry Sears' most technical book so far about the biological principles behind his Zone diet.

He describes biological markers of aging and mechanisms of aging. He also gives a short course in hormones, which are strongly involved in aging.

Sears explains his anti-aging pyramid, which consists of meditation, moderate exercise and his Zone diet. Unlike the US Department of Agriculture food pyramid, which put bread, grains and starches at the bottom, to be eaten in big amounts, Sears' pyramid puts these at the top, to be eaten very sparingly, to reduce insulin secretion.

Insulin is so important to his Zone diet that he devotes an entire chapter to its effects on the body. He also devotes a chapter to cortisol, a hormone important in stress reactions. Plus, he has a chapter about eicosanoids, which are hormones that are very important in coordinating important body functions.

Insulin strongly affects the output and mix of eicosanoids. Since maintaining the correct amount of insulin in one's body is fundamental to his Zone diet, Sears gives a list of 14 different signs that one has the right amount and kind of eicosanoids active in one's body.

These signs consist of such varied things as hair strength and texture, appetite for carbohydrates, length of time of appetite suppression between meals, sleeping time and grogginess on awakening.

If all of these 14 different signs have the right status, it's an indication that one has had the right amount of insulin in one's body recently.

Sears ranges widely enough to get into trouble. For example, he recommends Coleus forskohli as an anti-cancer agent. Actually, it's catnip for some kinds of cancer.

The Anti-Aging Zone
Average customer rating:
The Anti-Aging Zone
Barry Sears
Manufacturer: Regan Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KEYSJ0

Average customer rating:

It's not as complicated as Sears wants you to believe

THE ANTI-AGING ZONE

Manufacturer: Harper Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H1AJH6

Customer Reviews:

It's not as complicated as Sears wants you to believe.......2006-08-15

Average customer rating:

The Anti-Aging Zone
Barry Sears
Manufacturer: HarperLargePrint
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF6B7W

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