Hi all, i don think we have a thread that gathers all the knowledge and experience and comments from all members here on popular diets. I guess most of us have studied many nutrition books and popular diet books. I know, you may say there are fad diets, stick to the basis, calories in-calories out is the key.
But some diet may work for you, and it is quite fun that you follow one diet, apply on your body and see the result of changing.

Let us discuss the main feature of diet books that i have read so far:

(i) Anabolic diet/ Metabolic diet: Weekdays - High fat/ Low carb about 60%F/40%P and 30 gram carbs
Weekend - Carb loading

(ii) Ultimate Diet: 4 days low carb with low calories (about half of maintenance calories), the carb load for one day (calories can reach about 4000kcal)
: incorporating Depletion workout, high intensity workout and power workout

(iii) Paleo Diet: Eating like cavemen

(iv) Burn the fat, feed the muscle: the most fundamental diet book i read so far, proper macro ratio and calories in - calories out basis.

(v) the 4 hour body: the funniest book i read so far, train you become a superman.
Drink ice water in the early morning, take ice water bath (deemed to raise metabolisme and burn more calories to maintain body temperature, that is why Micheal Phelps can eat so many calories per day). Sleep 4 hours per day....
More to Slow Carb Diet.

(vi) Abs Diet: Follow the 12 power foods.

My conclusion: All diet books try to promote themselve by giving different ideas. But come to basis, we cannot avoid the facts that "Less calories to lose weight, more calories to gain weight". So i would suggest "Burn the fat, feed the muscle" book is a good starting book because it sticks to the basis of fundamental diet concept. But once you master the fundamental concept, you can play around the calories intake (like zig-zag method) or macro ratio (like carb-cyling)

Maybe some of you have designed a modified diet that works best to you, would appreciate that you all can share your experience.

Reading about diet books comes with limitations so I ended up reading on food quality and how to cook the food.

Tim Ferris' book is interesting but the limitation is that not every solution in that book is workable in the long-term. Plus, a young person can get away with things when young. When older, then it's different and he may have something new to share.

Metabolic Typing Diet : Macronutrients and some on micronutrients following Weston Price's learnings i.e. eat a close as possibly to your genetic makeup, you will feel and look great. Based on research of indigenous diets before commercial agriculture was widespread. Book made mention of the Blood Type Diet so I use that too.

Japanese Don't Get Old or Fat : About the eating behaviours of Japanese that lead me to looking into how the Asian diet works with macronutrients. Interesting and amusing read.

Ministry of Food / Food Revolution : Jamie Oliver's beginner's book to cooking. Best homemade burgers I've ever made and it was healthy too. The trick : Jacob's wheat biscuits (can substitute for wholegrain or organic versions) mixed with the mince beef and egg. Worth the money spent but if it's too expensive, just goto his website as he made a lot of recipes free and online. Each portion is roughly 300-500 calories per person for the main dishes (higher calorie is when pasta or rice is used). Desserts are risky but can assume it's around that range as well.

What to Eat : Not a diet book but on how the food supply chain works and decipering what is organic, fat-free, sugar-free, irradiation, industrial agriculture, etc. To see whether that stick of butter is really healthy or what is the healthier option.

The Omnivores Dilemma : Food supply chain again but from the perspective of an omnivore making choices of meat and vegetables.

Fast Food Nation : About the US Fast Food industry. When you find out what really goes in, puts you off. Also covers the social aspects of fast food outlets e.g. why they always high part-timers from high school and security issues. then when you see similarities in the Malaysian branches, you rethink hard before buying it.

Salt Sugar and Fat : Current book I'm reading. About how food manufacturers apply the rule that when they lower one of the 3 ingredients, they upped the other one or two.

No doubt Tim Ferris' 4 hour body is quite interesting, a uncommon guide to fat loss, i can say.

Some yes. Others no - he just repurposes it or provides a different conclusion with him being an experiment. Some things in there, it would explain some stuff I've seen and others maybe not so.
He presents things differently and makes it interesting because he doesn't write long-winded paragraphs and peppers his book with a lot of pictures and website links you can check for yourself the info.

There are a lot of interesting writers like him in the US. Only problem is that books sold in Malaysia are limited. Your best bet is probably Kinokuniya in KL or Singapore. MPH, Times and Popular bookstore have either new books just in print (and even then, not all interesting titles are there due to licensing or have to wait for a year before the paperback version comes) or known bestsellers.

Tim's books are launched in Singapore almost the same time as his US launching. His books in Malaysia, wait 12 months. Other option is get his ebook or audiobook.

With ebooks, I'm more careful if it's not by an established publisher or just a simple PDF book.