Baker was the author/coauthor of many how-to and self-help books, most notably The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet which he coauthored with Dr. Herman Tarnower.
Following the success of The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet, he coauthored The Doctor's Quick Weight Loss Diet (with Dr. Irwin Maxwell Stillman), The Doctor's Quick Inches-Off Diet (also with Dr. Stillman), and The Dr. Debetz Champagne Diet (with Barbara Debetz).
He founded Stern's Nurseries, developers of Miracle-Gro, and authored several books on gardening.
Baker died in Port Chester, New York.