Amazon.com
Tim Richardson has always looked at life through candy-colored glasses (his grandfather worked for a toffee company and his father was a dentist), but in Sweets, as the world's first "international confectionery historian," he takes a look at the history of mankind. From prehistoric cave paintings of our forefathers eating honey to references of cocoa beans used as money by the ancient Mayans, Richardson has left no gobstopper unturned. Through intensive research, plenty of taste testing, and field trips around the world to places such as Hershey, Pennsylvania, and the Haribo plant in Pontefract, Yorkshire, "birthplace of all English gummy bears," Richardson leads a whirlwind tour filled with unforgettable characters, intrigue, and high stakes. Along the way, he explains our planet-wide obsession with anything sweet--it's been scientifically proven that even newborn babies and elephants love anything sweet--and offers up a lifetime of trivia for the sweet-obsessed. Although Richardson is English and American readers might be unfamiliar with his number one favorite sweet, Rhubarb and Custards, chances are any sweet-lover will relish this quirky look at civilization and the truly fascinating history of candy-making and consumption. --Leora Y. Bloom
--Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.
From Publishers Weekly
The grandson of a toffee maker and the son of a dentist, candy fanatic Richardson considers his book "the first-ever world history of sweets." Although that may be a dubious claim, his work is indeed jam-packed with quirky tidbits concerning Cadbury eggs, candy canes, Caramellos, caramel creams, Charleston Chews, chewing gum, Chewy Mentos, Chupa Chups, chocolate bars, conversation hearts and countless other confections. And while the prospect of an entire book about candy might make any sugar-loving reader feel like, well, a kid in a candy store, Richardson's lengthy account is at times tedious and suffers throughout from too much personal commentary (e.g., a list of his own "top ten sweets" and his idea for a new candy, the bizarre-sounding "ice cream chew"). The London-based journalist skews his study toward European sweets; although he does mention such American classics as M&Ms and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, he spends a considerable amount of time describing "Rock" ("a stick of peppermint-flavoured candy, coated in a lurid pink colour, with letters running through it"), Y&S and other candy that may be unfamiliar to American readers (the book was originally published in the U.K.). He also offers thought-provoking analyses of international candy preferences ("Taiwan is crazy for fruit jelly sweets") and thoroughly examines candy history, tracing its journey from East to West. Richardson hits the mark on occasion, such as when he comments on the importance of candy ("Sweets are the memorials of our innocence"), but his constant personal asides might make readers' stomachs ache. B&w photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.
