Pierre Jean Cousin's book is the latest in a new spate of "change your diet, change your life" books being published in the wake of Britain's recent catalogue of food scares, but as a practising acupuncturist and herbalist, and a lecturer with 20 years' experience in complementary medicine, he is eminently qualified to pass on his knowledge for our benefit. Divided into useful sections, and with a table of nutrients and their sources, it is easy to use for reference, leading the reader from a listing under the specific ailment to the best source of food nutrients to combat it, and on to a recipe to make taking your medicine as pleasurable as an evening in a restaurant. Sometimes books of this type blind you with science, followed by recipes for brown rice and steamed vegetables, but this book does not. It allows for the inlcusion of cream and other dairy products, the occasional use of white rice instead of brown, and suggests the use of herbs and aromatics to make plain grain dishes more enticing. One of the last sections in the book lists recipes for liqueurs, decoctions and infusions, which sound delicious whether you're suffering from tonsilitis or not. The four-week detox described in the last section is more than I can commit to, and I'm sure I'm not alone, although it makes you feel virtuous just contemplating it. The book is beautifully put together, illustrated throughout, and very easy to use, and the recipes and information contained in the first section can be used to create your own meals along the same guidelines, so that the book continues to be useful, even after you have tried all the recipes. Recommended.