Body with Soul

Hip music keeps the energy going in this motivating audio by the music industry veteran and coolest "American Idol" judge, Randy Jackson. He describes how Southern-fried eating and rock-and-roll self-indulgence took him to 350 pounds before a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis made him overhaul his health habits and undergo gastric bypass surgery. Reading with the same authenticity he's known for on TV, Jackson delivers an infectious performance. The text is delivered conversationally and is dominated by anecdotes and colloquialisms from his colorful career ("You know what I'm saying?") and rollicking stories of overeating for much of his life. How he handled his health crisis will energize the most resistant health slackers and show the way to a healthier, more genuine life. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine