It is hard to imagine that this gourmet cookbook, packed with glossy crisp photographs of culinary treats, is designed to assist people in flattening their bellies and losing those extra pounds. And yet, the introductory materials provide a fundamental overview of the elements of the Flat Belly Diet, and all of the recipes support its central themes and purport to assist readers to achieve dramatic results.

The cookbook starts with the plain language of the flat belly diet, focusing on the health benefits of incorporating MUFAs (monosaturated fatty acids) into every meal and providing extensive guidance on the foods that contain them. From there the book provides the seven strategies for dieting successfully, common threads on most diet plans ranging from taking it one day at a time to creating a grocery list, to getting back on track as soon as possible after a misstep.

The chapters that follow tracks the categories covered in most cookbooks, focusing on such things as breakfast, soups and sandwiches, seafood, meats and snacks. Some diet cookbooks are based on a premise that certain foods (such as bread or pasta) should be eliminated, and thus the absence of these ingredients is readily apparent. However, this cookbook provides such a diverse group of recipes that it is unlikely readers will note the absence of any particularly ingredient, which may be attributable to the diet itself - which promotes an overall sense of healthy eating.

Each recipe includes clear and concise instructions and incorporates the use of MUFAs in each creation. In addition, although most cookbooks accompany some recipes with illustrations or photographs of the final creations, the extra attention paid to ensuring that the photographs are appealing, many resembling works of art, is certainly noticeable.

Flat Belly Diet! Cookbook has a lot to offer readers in the form of healthy recipes that can be prepared by novice cooks and chefs alike. Also, when the book is not in use it would actually make a great coffee table book---as well as a visible reminder that it is possible to eat delicious food and still lose weight.