"I think," says Victoria Boutenko, "the whole planet." As a vegetarian trying to go raw, I picked up this book thinking it was a twelve step plan to gradually eliminating cooked foods from my diet. It isn't. Instead, "12 Steps to Raw Food" tries the novel approach of treating cooked food as an addiction, and so the "12 Steps" refers to an AA-like code of honor for dealing with a raw food lifestyle.
Author Boutenko was sick of being sick, and she and eventually her entire family went raw after much struggle and soul-searching. But when she tried to share the raw food lifestyle with others, she noticed something strange: Even people suffering from life-threatening illness would go on the raw foods diet for a while, get much better, but then fall off the wagon, "fall off the wagon" being the operative phrase. Once she geared her classes as if her students were recovering addicts, the results were much better (there's a hilarious story about Boutenko going to the library and checking out forty books on every kind of addiction, and the librarian's reaction).
So we have chapters on gathering information and making knowledgeable choices, on living with people who do not share your passion for raw food (one of the best and most compassionate chapters in the book) and avoiding temptation (Boutenko's advice: avoid it). Her explanation of the body's reaction to cooked food is medically sound, and the passage on bacteria and its role in the earth's cycles is outstanding and of interest to anyone, raw food enthusiast or not. There are a few recipes included, but the author explains why traditional recipes do not tend to work when you're dealing with raw foods, because every batch will be different.
This is needless to say an excellent book for those considering going raw. Boutenko's approach may not be for everyone, and quitting cooked foods cold turkey will have drawbacks she is upfront about (you are going to feel really, really crummy for the first two months). The book is well worth buying even if you're not ready for raw; the explanations regarding body chemistry are fascinating. I highly recommend "12 Steps to Raw Food" to anyone.