LESSER, Michael 1939-

PERSONAL: Born March 8, 1939, in Mitchell, SD; son of Samuel A. and Edith (Shapiro) Lesser; married Deborah Langman, April 6, 1969; children: Elijah Ben, Rebecca. Education: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, B.A.; Cornell University, M.D.

ADDRESSES: Office—2340 Parker St., Berkeley, CA 94704.

CAREER: In private practice of psychiatry and nutrition in Berkeley, CA, 1971—. Founder of Othomolecular Medical Society and Nutritional Medicine. Military service: U.S. Public Health Service, 1968-70; became lieutenant commander.

MEMBER: Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Society.

WRITINGS:

Nutrition and Vitamin Therapy, Grove (New York, NY), 1980.

The Brain Chemistry Diet: The Personalized Prescription for Balancing Mood, Relieving Stress, and Conquering Depression, Based on Your Personality Profile, Putnam (New York, NY), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: Dr. Michael Lesser is one of the founders of the orthomolecular movement in psychiatry, a movement that advocates treating psychiatric and mood disorders with therapies based on nutrition and vitamin supplements. Lesser's 2002 title, The Brain Chemistry Diet: The Personalized Prescription for Balancing Mood, Relieving Stress, and Conquering Depression, Based on Your Personality Profile, presents six personality types—including the Stoic, the Warrior, and the Star—and tailors diets to meet the specific needs of those personality types. Lesser also includes general recommendations on better psychiatric health through nutrition. A Publishers Weekly reviewer praised Lesser for offering case studies from his own practice and hailed the book for its "sensible recommendations."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, January, 2002, Anne C. Tomlin, review of The Brain Chemistry Diet: The Personalized Prescription for Balancing Mood, Relieving Stress, and Conquering Depression, Based on Your Personality Profile, p. 144.

Publishers Weekly, January 21, 2002, review of The Brain Chemistry Diet, p. 84.*