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172 of 189 found the following review helpful:
 Caffeine or Snake Oil? Feb 12, 2003
By C Olson
"Philosophical bean counter"
This book will scare the coffee right out of you -- at first. Maybe growing up around Mormons made me always a bit suspicious of coffee, and drinking the strong brew served in Tokyo certainly confirmed that you can overdose on it.
But Caffeine Blues laid more crimes to the body at the door of the Bean than there are Kennedy conspirosy theories. Except for regular strident comments about the medical profession ignoring caffeine (I have certainly seen plenty of warnings), he makes a logical case that caffeine induces stress-like reactions in the body, which long term, are bad for the body. Enough said for me to give it a go.
The disappointment sets in with his Off the Bean program which includes good advice about easing off coffee and adding exercise and sleep, but also suggests taking half a dozen supplements that I would need to read a dozen books to feel safe with. Precious little is said about them.
It turns out he is president of a company that makes stuff to make you better. And the FDA did make him sign a consent agreement to stop over-promising about his fountain of youth consummables and tests. (Search Findlaw under his name). So I worry he has overstated some of the research referred to related to caffeine.
But he has raised enough points about caffeine, and done it in a reasonable enough tone, that I will go without for a while.
Interesting read, but maybe to be taken with a grain of salt.
46 of 48 found the following review helpful:
 To thine own self be true Jun 28, 2004
By johnnyqb
I have loved coffee for much of my life. I have even been heard to utter, in mock appreciation of Socrates, that "the uncaffeinated life is not worth living." One time I quit coffee, felt really good, but during a flat stage, I got back on, more than ever, with the comment that without caffeine, I had lost the "joy of living." I have read this book by Cherniske. I have read all the reviews here. I have laughed hardest at the ones that recommend "The Caffeine Advantage," which supposedly about how great caffeine can make your life. Perhaps this book is over the top in its indictment of coffee and caffeine. But the fact is, that I will not quit the stuff without a little shouting at me to do it. Those reasonable persons who would suggest to have only a cup a day or so, or who only have coffee in the morning, or who can go weeks without it, with no headaches; well, more power to you. But I am not one of you. I am an ADDICT. I cannot drink coffee in moderation. I can only drink it to excess, and it invariably messes up my life. It messes with my sleep patterns, leading me to get less sleep and to then be tired often during the day. It screws up my diet, causing me to binge on sweets to try to counter the feeling of being too hyped up and hungry from caffeine. It messes with my breathing, as I occasionally experience a shortness of breath sensation that I notice when I am drinking lots of caffeine. And most of all, I know all of this in my heart. I know that caffeine is bad for me, that using it is using a powerful drug, and that the only answer for me is to get of it completely. There is no possibility of moderation. I have tried that most earnestly and failed. This book has provided the only successful incentive I have ever had to make a serious effort to get myself off caffeine. And I have not done it yet. It is a battle. But I know it must be done. As I write this, I am in day 3 of weaning off in accordance with the guidance of the book. To sum up, referring to the title of my review, look at your own heart. You know, many of you, that caffeine is bad for you. So don't kid yourself, get off of it, and be the person you were created to be.
76 of 83 found the following review helpful:
Informative Dec 16, 2001
By Deborah A. Woehr
Caffeine Blues has a wealth of information about the side affects, most of which I was experiencing. At the beginning is a checklist to see how addicted you are. In the next chapter, Cherniske explains the origins of caffeine, which was interesting. The majority of the book explains what caffeine does to the major organs of your body, including your brain and your cognitive thinking skills. It took Cherniske 301 pages to say that caffeine is legalized speed. Yeah, no kidding. I tried to go turkey and fell flat on my face. Caffeine is a highly addictive drug, one which can produce severe withdrawals. He lists several alternatives to wean yourself off, such as weakening your coffee with milk. For the soda addicts, he suggests alternating every other can with caffeine-free soda, herbal drinks, or water. Plus he suggests Ginseng, Vitamin B-6, and St. John's Wort, among others to keep you alert. Exercise was another suggestion. With that, he warns the reader not to get out of breath because that will lower your blood sugar, thus making you more tired. I have to say that this book was helpful, although I have to agreee with some of the other reviewers in that he seemed overzealous in his campaign against caffeine and its products. One cup of coffee or one can of soda per day isn't going to hurt you. But if you drink eight cups a day for 10+ years, yes, you will feel the effects. I give this book three stars because it is well written and informative; however, I feel that the author spent way too much time brow-beating us to the point where I wondered if this wasn't some sort of political, Thought Police kind of ploy to incite a mass panic within the general public. While I would recommend this book, I would also read others in order to make an intelligent, educated choice about caffeine and its long-term effects.
44 of 48 found the following review helpful:
 A VERY Intriguing Book Feb 08, 2004
By Daniel Dean
This was a very intriguing book. For a long time now, I've had a feeling that caffeine was not so good for you. I've been reading Men's Health magazine, regularly, and every issue seems to have two or three blurbs about why coffee is either bad or good for you. It seems like every study comes up with new evidence for one case or the another. Contradiction after contradiction.
So, I was dying for a good book to give me some facts. I saw this one in the library, and scooped it up. I tried to be open-minded and skeptical at the same time, as I usually do when I read one-sided books like this, but I really became alarmed as I turned more pages. What Cherniske has to say really rings true, so I followed his advice and gave up the bean, and as he promised, I felt MUCH better once my withdrawal pains eased off. The biggest improvements were in my energy level, and the quality of sleep. I felt fully alert and ready to go as soon as I woke up every morning- without a single cup! The most compelling statement he makes is that it will take about eight weeks of no caffeine to truly feel the benefits of its absence. Then he asks, "What do you have to lose?" If after two months of no coffee you don't feel a lot better, go back to drinking it for all we care. However, you'll be amazed at how hard it is to quit caffeine for two months. After two or three days, you will get some really hairy headaches unless you wean yourself off it slowly. And just try to walk by a coffee shop or the flavored coffee display in the grocery store without getting the shakes as soon as that old familiar aroma hits you. Anyway, if you try to quit, you'll have no doubt that this is one powerful drug, and when you get those headaches, you can feel how bad it must be for your body. -The only problem I have with this book, is that it was published in 1998, and there is no updated version, or newer books on the subject, and even Cherniske's website hasn't been updated in ages. Meanwhile, I still see plenty of new pro-coffee research articles in health magazines and such, and I *still* get the cravings every now and then, and I have to wonder how bad could one cup be now and then, or every two days or so? My will power is beginning to buckle here, and I could use some positive reinforcement despite the benefits I've felt. The pressure is pretty strong! How about it Steve? We need you to refute these new claims!
28 of 30 found the following review helpful:
Can't argue with results Oct 12, 2006
By Danny R. Warren
"Dr. Dan"
You can argue all you want about qualifications of Mr. Cherniske. But I will say that my daily caffiene intake was from 600-1100mg a day for years, I quit cold turkey about a month before I started reading the book...and the withdrawal was incredible....headaches, shakes, irritable beyond belief. You can't say this isn't an additive drug while you're slugging down four or more startbucks coffees a day.
For months and months I've had hard a time sleeping, waking up in the morning feeling like I have no energy at all. Within two weeks of quitting caffien, I feel great. I still go to bed at 11:30-midnight and get up the same time at 5:45am, yet in the morning I can now get up without any problems and I'm awake the whole day without fatigue, feeling more energized. I CHANGED NOTHING ELSE IN MY DIET OR ROUTINE. I still eat the same stuff as before and have not started exorcizing, or most of all...have taken NONE of the suggested suppliments in the book. The only thing I did was stop drinking coffee/coke and started drinking more water.
So save yourself a few bucks if you don't want to buy the book, but do yourself a favor and cut out caffiene. The withdrawal sucks, but it doesn't last for ever. If anything once you get through it, it will give you reason to stay away from caffeine.
Dan
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