Stop Smoking Start Vaping: The Healthy Truth About Vaping by Dr. Colin Mendelsohn is a non-fiction self-help book for smokers who are looking for a way to quit, and even those smokers out in the world who are not. Mendelsohn uses his expertise as a medical doctor and the in-depth research he has carried out for years to make a case for vaping as the best transition possible for the mind and body, and the highest potential to break the nicotine habit for good. Broken down into three distinct but interconnected parts plus multiple case studies, Mendelsohn provides a comprehensive analysis in Part One on The Evidence on Vaping and Nicotine, Part Two's Start Vaping, and Part Three's Controversies and Solutions.

I admit that I went into Stop Smoking Start Vaping a bit skeptical. I am not a smoker but am, like most others, aware of its dangers. I am also acutely aware of the vast vaping world out there, from Dave Chappell vaping continually through televised comedy routines to the e-cigs on the show Euphoria. I was ambivalent to it and not sold on the chance one might be healthier than the other. Dr. Colin Mendelsohn has done an exceptional job in alleviating misperceptions and backing all he presents with verifiable research and reputable scientific evidence. As an outsider looking in, I found the third part of the book most interesting, particularly on the mistaken belief that vaping is like a gateway to real smoking to young people. As a parent to young people, I shared this belief but the concise and straightforward delivery of facts by Mendelsohn has changed that. I think this is a clean and tightly written book for all who are interested in quitting, cutting down, or learning more about traditional vs e-cigarettes.

A manifesto for vapers, Stop Smoking Start Vaping: The Healthy Truth About Vaping by Dr. Colin Mendelsohn is an intriguing and controversial argument that espouses vaping as a healthier alternative to smoking. For starters, the Australian-based author and medical practitioner stresses that vaping is the most popular and most effective aid for quitting smoking in Australia and western countries. In the same breath, he adds that the medical wonder of vaping is tragically misunderstood, and this is where he outlines his research-based evidence without any intimidating scientific jargon. He does make it clear that everything has risks, but compared to traditional smoking, electronic cigarettes expose you to fewer toxic chemicals. Another interesting feature of this book is that it boldly explores the controversies of vaping and the reason why medical health authorities, in general, are opposed to it.

With well-paced writing complemented by layman explanations, Dr. Colin Mendelson has created a practical guide to vaping along with scientific evidence that underpins it. In the spirit of transparency, he doesn’t fall short in reminding his audience that although vaping has growing evidence in helping smokers to quit, it is not a silver bullet as randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and trends in national smoking rates have their own strengths and weaknesses. As Mendelson writes about the ten underlying reasons why vaping is opposed, he puts into the forefront the disapproval that is largely based on unstated biases coming from third parties who are mostly never directly involved. Stop Smoking Start Vaping is a concise yet comprehensive look at a controversial industry, and it hopes to shed light on a very misunderstood practice.