As this is a food and diet issue, all our books, but one, stay within this theme.

Food Politics : Marion Nestle This book is a remarkable document. It is not as easy to read as 'Fast Food Nation' which deals with some of the same themes, but it contains the insights and research of someone who has been intimately involved with the politics of food at a high level. Marion Nestle is a highly respected academic who edited the 'Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health' in 1988. I'll let Julia Childs have the last words on 'Food Politics', "In this fascinating book we learn how powerful, intrusive, influential, and invasive big industry is and how alert we must constantly be to prevent it from influencing not only our personal choices but those of our government agencies. Marion Nestle has presented us with a courageous and masterful exposé."

The Surreal Gourmet (Real Food for Pretend Chefs) and The Surreal Gourmet Entertains : Bob Blumer Bob Blumer's goal in life is to keep reminding people that eating is not only a sensory delight, but can also be fun. In a recent interview he said, "People's senses have been dulled by all the crap they eat, and the way they eat. Meal time is no longer a time of gathering and celebration, it is a task you cram in between work and your favorite TV show." If you want to make some great healthy meals and have fun doing it, these are highly recommended. His toll free number is 1-800-faux-pas! surrealgourmet.com

Rebar ~ Modern Food Cookbook : Audrey Alsterberg and Wanda Urbanowicz I really like this restaurant and the cookbook is a great addition. I was disappointed that they didn't include the recipe for their signature dish, the Almond Burger, but the book is filled with great vegetarian and vegan recipes. I highly recommend it. www.rebarmodernfood.com Note: see Rebar in My Favorite Things section

Fast Food Nation : Eric Schlosser I first recommended this in the Summer 2001 issue of 'Well' and will go on recommending it.

Losing It : by Laura Fraser I first mentioned this book in the 'Optimal Nutrition' article in the spring 2001 issue of 'Well' and have included it in the 'Great Diet Debate' article in this issue.

Near a Thousand Tables - A History of Food : Felipe Fernandez-Armesto Among many dazzling observations in this book is the insight that the loneliness of the fast food eater matters as much as the calories they inhale. Review from Publishers Weekly: For sheer volume of fascinating facts, this survey of gastronomic lore can't be beat. Fernùndez-Armesto (Millennium), a Professional Fellow at the University of London and member of the modern history faculty at Oxford, debunks popular myths, such as the idea that spices were needed in medieval times to disguise tainted meat and fish (in fact, fresh foods in the middle ages were fresher than today and healthier as well). He shows why the cultivation of rye, barley and wheat is one of the most spectacular achievements of humankind and informs readers that the whole grain cracker invented by Sylvester Graham was intended to impede sexual desire and promote abstinence. But the book is more then a litany of quirky tidbits; Fernùndez-Armesto charts how the evolution of human culture is directly connected to the way food is obtained. The logistics of agriculture and hunting have shaped notions of gender and community; food is often integral to concepts of the sacred in a society; and the loneliness of the fast food eater aided by such inventions as the microwave has become emblematic of contemporary society's fragmentation. Fernùndez-Armesto writes lucidly and conveys his enormous enthusiasm for his subject. While he draws upon the work of many historians and theorists including Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, Claude LEvi-Strauss and Ferdinand Braudel his erudite analysis always engaging and accessible. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

The Power of Optimism : Andy Dzurinko A food for thought book rather than a food book and one I want to recommend to our readers. Andy is a reader of 'Well' and a wonderful advertisement for the 'Power of Optimism'. I've met Andy in his position as Executive Director of the Arizona Governor's Council on Health, Physical Fitness and Sports, but he's one of those people who has done a lot and keeps on doing. He is a successful businessman and football coach and a Vietnam veteran who celebrated the new Millennium by running his first marathon. The format he's chosen for the book is 9 chapters, each of which has a series of one-page lessons, challenges or motivational stories. There is nothing pretentious about the book. Its messages are straightforward, brief and practical. At first read, this seems like an ideal book for a business person or someone in sales, but as you get more familiar with the content, you find it carries a universal message. www.thepowerofoptimism.com