I smoked for around 15 years then quit a few years ago. I was just pissed off they raised taxes. "The government ain't gonna get no more money from me", I said.

Also, around that time, there was a lot in the media about outdoor air pollution, so I was reading a lot of articles. I already knew how bad smoking was for my respiratory so I figured the combined effect was worse (why I didn't notice this during a trip to Beijing nearly a decade earlier still frustrates me).

My friend had quit about 6 months before me and used that very same book you are discussing above. He gave me a copy, but I never opened it. I said I would read it if I failed to quit. Fortunately, or not, the taxes didn't go away and the outdoor air quality didn't get better, but I didn't start smoking again (okay I had a few in the last 4 years or so when I was really drunk).

The first thing I noticed is how awful cigarettes smell before during and after smoking. Then I noticed I can just smell everything better in general. Also, when I catch a cold or whatever, it's never as bad with the sinuses and coughing is down by a lot.