I'd Rather Eat Chocolate: Learning to Love My Low Libido

Book Description

“If I had a choice between having sex and reading a good book, the book wins. I notice I put in the adjective ‘good’—and that leaves me wondering if I’m not trying to put a better face on things. I still want people to read this and think, ‘Well, of course. If it’s a good book.’ But my boyfriend—the man I would eventually marry—would take even bad sex over a good book.”

--From I’d Rather Eat Chocolate

Joan is hardly ever in the mood. Kip is always in the mood. Does that sound like any couple you know?

Joan Sewell is a funny, brave new writer who dares to reveal that sex in her house does not look anything like the sex you see in movies. When she learns that her husband, Kip, would have sex five or six times a week if he could have as much sex as he wanted (compared to her once or twice a month), Joan decides she’d better pluck up her sex drive before she ends up on the fast track to divorce court. I’d Rather Eat Chocolate is the witty, provocative chronicle of her search for a lift to her libido and what happens when none of the expert advice works.

First she tries sexy underwear—until her husband realizes she is cheating on her thongs by wearing cotton panties. Then she reads that for stressed-out wives, a husband who does housework is the ultimate aphrodisiac—until she realizes that she is actually the slob in the relationship and the mess hasn’t decreased Kip’s sex drive any. When she reads John Gray’s advice to women to offer “quickies” if their husbands want sex and they are not in the mood, Joan realizes that this is the ultimate male trump card so she can never again say no to sex. Her fantasies begin to involve smothering John Gray with a pillow.

Joan Sewell is scrappy, fearless, and hilarious, the “I Love Lucy” of low libido. Her memoir is laugh-out-loud funny. But it has a serious vein, too. How Joan and Kip work it out, and what they do when they “do it,” will give every woman hope that she can be true to herself and have a happy marriage.

Customer Reviews:

I'd Rather Have Good Sex, Than Good Chocolate........2007-09-24

I feel sex can be exciting, satisfying, happy and pleasurable, if a person has a healthy attitude about sex. Joan Sewell describes sex as dirty, dreadful and an invasion, sounds a lot like scrubbing a toilet to me. If this is her description of sex, I have to wonder how healthy a mental attitude she has about sex. If this book has helped ladies to deal with sex honestly, then good. But for me it caused me to question why a guy would ever want to have a long-term relationship without a mistress. One lady who was a roommate or sister-type of relationship with no sex and one lady to have a sexual relationship with. If you are looking to solve you're low libido, then this is not the book for you. If you are looking to justify your low libido, then this is the book for you and you have reached the promised land. This book is not about love or low libido. This book is about emotional dependency, not wanting to be alone and the lack of desire to deal with sexual issues.

It's not about boredom.......2007-09-23

I disagree with "Nancy." This book is not about stuffing your face with chocolate--sounds like she's getting a little hysterical about it. Jesus, no one said you had to buy the book. If not desiring a lot of sex is always about boredom for women, then how come their husbands aren't getting bored? They're the one's who want the sex, that's the problem.

Let me tell you, if woman is bored in bed, there are not too many men who wouldn't be eager to act out any fantasies a woman has. Men have lots of fantasies of their own they'd be willing to try, and they sure as hell wouldn't mind trying out their wive's. Personally, my husband has lots of suggestions for fantasies, for me, it's too many actually. Maybe I'm the freak. But what's your problem? Couldn't tell your guy you wanted to experiment? So now you're bored?

"Chocolate" is an excellent, laugh-out-loud funny book. Not a quick fix like the usual "for a lifetime" crap. Maybe it's not for you, but it speaks for many of us. I ordered two for me and my sister.

Enjoyed the book, with caveats.......2007-06-22

I suppose that I am not suprised by the vitriolic responses from men. I don't understand why men find sex so important over everything else. So many men are willing to abandon their marriages over frequency of sex and I just don't understand why. But in any case..

I read the book and enjoyed it. I do, however, have sympathy for Kip. I am not a psychologist by any stretch of the imagination, but the impression that I came away with was that Joan has control issues. Every point that she became uncomfortable involved her loss of control: she wanted to control when the sex occurred, what occurred during the episode, and what Kip could do. I found this to be very odd and unrelated to sex itself. I also personally disagree with Joan's opinion about pornography. I just don't understand what is so offensive about mainstream tasteful pornography. I enjoyed reading about the ideas that Joan had and how they worked out. I also could not agree more with Joan's assessment that it is entirely ridiculous that women are demonized when they have lower sex drives. It is unfair to assume that the woman has to change and increase her sex drive. Men should be required to change just as much as women. To me, a man wanting to have sex every day is insane, don't these men have anything better to do?

I hope that Kip and Joan can continue to work out their problems and maintain their marriage.

Author's Husband Speaks Up.......2007-06-16

My wife, Joan Sewell, is the author of I'D RATHER EAT CHOCOLATE. And since the book is dedicated to me, it should be no surprise that I'd give it good marks. But I'm not alone: the book has received many positive reviews from intelligent sources such as USA TODAY, THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY, and THE LIBRARY JOURNAL just to name a few. Joan has also received a small mountain of e-mails from women thanking her for writing the book (and some thank me for allowing her to write about our past marital troubles). And to those who wrote supportive reviews of the book, Joan and I both thank you for your kind words of support!

Unfortunately, not everyone appreciates Joan's book as we do. Her book has drawn a lot of fire in the media, both on the Web and in the Press. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course, but I can state with confidence that the negative remarks to date have been either factually erroneous and/or logically fallacious, or just plain rhetorically juvenile (often sullied by ad hominem abusive slurs or adolescent insults). More than a few of the critics, both at this site and in the blogosphere, have given misinformation about the book, overreacted with alarmism, read too much into it, or just spouted off about it without even having read it first (and it shows). But whether they've read it or not, since it is dubious that the book's detractors would change their opinion through reasoned debate, I'll leave them to their ranting.

Instead of wasting more time on the critics, I'd like to direct everyone else contemplating a purchase of the book to the author's web site. There you will find an excerpt of the book, a thoughtful Question & Answer page that gives further background information, and a link on site's "Book" page back to this Amazon page.

There are also a few things to keep in mind: First, although this book contains a lot of humor, it does get explicit about sex (I was reluctant to have my personal life in print, but agreed to it in the hopes that others might benefit).

Second, I'D RATHER EAT CHOCOLATE, as others have pointed out, is not primarily a how-to sort of self-help book. It is first and foremost a memoir; the book doesn't instruct women on how to raise their libido or teach men how to raise their wife's desire for sex. Rather, I'D RATHER EAT CHOCOLATE chronicles Joan's attempts to raise her libido through the most common sex guru techniques and shows why they are so much snake oil. Then, after examining the natural basis for libido, she concludes that there is an inherent difference between men and women's libidos; most women will not want sex as often as most men do, most of the time. Consequently, couples experiencing a libido gap will have to find some sort of compromise. Joan then recounts the compromise we arrived at to end our celibate impasse and heal our sex life. While the book does contain advice any couple could use (such as setting up a regular date night and being honest about desires), the particular solution we arrived at is idiosyncratic to our own marriage. Nowhere does the book claim that our solution is for everyone; each couple will have to work out the details in their own manner.

Finally, Joan lands on a sobering note--there is no fairy tale ending. However, it is a note most women will sympathize with. Even so, I'm happy to report that our sex life is now going great and our marriage is happier than ever. So, it is possible to work things out.

Joan's book is very straightforward and easy to read. I think most people will enjoy her narrative style and sense of humor. If nothing else, I hope my wife's book continues to provoke thoughtful discussion about the libido differences between men and women, and honesty between couples about their marital expectations in light of these differences.

Cheers,
Kip

Boring.......2007-05-09

I found this book to be very boring, with nothing new on the subject of female low libido. I thought it would contain suggestions and help in living with this condition. I don't know where the author found her husband, but he is certainly one of a kind to put up with her and her attitude.

Chocolatherapy: Satisfying the Deepest Cravings of Your Inner Chick

Average customer rating:

A Great Book for a Book Club or Girl's Get-together
Religious book!
CRAVING CHOCOLATE ; )
Chocolate Lover

Chocolatherapy: Satisfying the Deepest Cravings of Your Inner Chick
Karen Scalf Linamen
Manufacturer: Revell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Motivational | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0800731891
Release Date: 2007-04-01

Book Description

When life makes you crazy, reach for the chocolate: it's cheaper than therapy and you don't need an appointment. Beloved humor author Karen Scalf Linamen is back with her first new women's book in five years, and she's got a stash of sweet treats in her purse to share. Why do women choose comfort food when they are really craving something else? What if they could stop settling for second best and give their souls what they are really seeking? Would they be content? Perhaps they would glean a deeper understanding of their emotions. Most importantly, they might be able to get into their skinny jeans and stay there. With her trademark wit and insight, Karen Linamen helps women everywhere discover what they are really hungering for--and laugh out loud in the process.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Book for a Book Club or Girl's Get-together.......2007-06-10

Make some brownies and chocolate pie, and dig in to the food and the discussion questions.

Chocolatherapy is not about emotional binge eating or the excess weight that often comes along with it. The author, Karen Linamen, has battled both of these problems, but early on she reminds the reader that other women's cravings in response to stress include shopping, working out, surfing the net, or cleaning-anything that we do to excess to avoid our real problems.

Throughout the book, Ms. Linamen sprinkles nuggets of truth and encouragement regarding her own experiences with parenting, divorce, friendship, adult ADD, body piercing, and worry. Yes, I said body piercing. This book is written from a Christian perspective, but it is definitely not one of those "perfect-Christian woman" type of books that do not address the reality that many of the women (Christian or not) who read them are facing.

One reviewer thought she was "tricked" into buying it and didn't know it was a Christian book. I am a Christian, and there are some books that I would not recommend to someone who does not have a Christian faith or outlook. This is not one of those. I would recommend this one to anyone, because I don't think that she's preachy. When she mentions her faith, she is simply mentioning it as one of the ways that she found to satisfy that real deep craving.

Religious book!.......2007-05-29

I did not realize that this was a religious book. I bought it for my mom because she loves chocolate. This book came recommended by Amazon when I bought another book, but I'm not sure why. The other book was non-religous and the description on this one does not say anything about it, so I feel I was tricked into buying it!

CRAVING CHOCOLATE ; ).......2007-05-29

I really enjoyed Chocolatherapy! Linamen makes the book comically-witty and relatable. This is a good book for women who need guidance or self-assurance in their hectic day to day lives. Linamen also tells some easy ways to avoid the chocolate and junkfood and find a deeper meaning in stressful situations. If searching for an answer, this book will surely help you find out what your craving!

Chocolate Lover.......2007-05-20

This book is defintly for the chocolate lover. What a witty book, such a joy to read.

Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health: And Don't Forget the Chocolate!

Average customer rating:

The best nutritional advice

Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health: And Don't Forget the Chocolate!
Liz Pearson , and Mairlyn Smith
Manufacturer: Whitecap Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1552858456

Book Description

Be healthy, eat well and indulge your sweet tooth.

Several years ago, registered dietitian Liz Pearson and home economist Mairlyn Smith developed The Ultimate Healthy Eating Plan.

This best-selling book provided guidance for optimal health and the prevention of diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health is a welcome follow-up book about disease-fighting powerhouse foods. The authors describe how often to eat these foods and in what quantities. Filled with great tips for eating on the run, dining out and snacking wisely, the book combines the 50 best recipes from the first book with 90 new ones all nutrition-packed and fabulous. Here are some examples:

Orange avocado black bean salsa salad
Jamaican spiced marinade for pork tenderloin
Wild blueberry muffins with lemon-zest topping
The ultimate healthy chocolate treat.

This is an eating plan that's smart and healthy -- and filled with delicious choices, including chocolate.

Customer Reviews:

The best nutritional advice.......2007-02-17

Double chocolate muffins are actually good for you! This recipe was worth the price of the book - I would recommend this book for everyone that cares about their health. There are wonderful healthy recipes that even the kids like.

Chocolate Unwrapped: The Surprising Health Benefits of America's Favorite Passion

Average customer rating:

GREAT BOOK!
Best chocolate book ever
Most readable comprehensive book about Chocolate
Changed my Life

Chocolate Unwrapped: The Surprising Health Benefits of America's Favorite Passion
Rowan Jacobsen
Manufacturer: Invisible Cities Press Llc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chocolate | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 1931229317

Book Description

A host of recent studies has revealed news about chocolate that at first seems too good to be true. Chocolate protects you from heart disease. Chocolate improves cholesterol levels. Chocolate may even help prevent some cancers. Can this be? Can America's most demonized dessert actually be good for you?

In a word, yes. Evidence is piling up that chocolate has a list of health benefits few foods can match. We're all familiar with antioxidants, the compounds found in fruits, vegetables, red wine, and tea that prevent heart disease, cancer, and premature aging. What we don't hear is that chocolate has the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food on the planet—ten times that of spinach, five times that of blueberries, and four times that of green tea. Chocolate Unwrapped explains the science behind chocolate's health benefits, then goes on to dispel the myths swirling around chocolate. Chocolate does not cause acne, allergies, migraines, or hyperactivity. Chocolate has much less caffeine than most people think. And tannins in chocolate actually help prevent cavities, making chocolate better for teeth than other sweets.

Though there is no proof for chocolate's reputation as an aphrodisiac (both Casanova and the Aztec emperor Montezuma drank it for that purpose), chocolate has clear effects on the brain and mood. Chocolate contains anandamide, a substance that activates the same receptors in the brain as marijuana, as well as other chemicals that causes feelings of excitement and well-being, explaining the natural craving many people feel for it.

Chocolate Unwrapped not only explains the positive physical and psychological effects of chocolate, but goes on to explore the colorful history, botany, and chemistry of chocolate, so you'll understand what to look for and what to avoid. A recipe section provides a multitude of healthy ways to eat chocolate, from flourless chocolate cake to Mexican mole, and a comprehensive list of resources tells you where to find the best-quality chocolates in the world. All this and more makes Chocolate Unwrapped a book that will change the lives of chocoholics everywhere.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT BOOK!.......2007-05-25

Loved the book, a great gift for the chocolate lover in your life! It's very well written and very informative in addition to having some really good recipes included in it.

Best chocolate book ever.......2003-11-17

Wow. This book really opened my eyes. I've been telling everyone about it. You'll never look at chocolate the same again! Now I try to eat some dark chocolate every day.

Most readable comprehensive book about Chocolate.......2003-10-28

Congratulations to the author on an excellently researched, very readable book about Chocolate. The title alone is clever and the subtitle reassuring.
Not only is it wonderfully organized on the Contents page, it is a very enjoyable read. While I could not be described as a "chocoholic" I know many and I totally enjoy ingesting good chocolate from the bar variety to the many delicious ways of including it in our diet.
The recipes included in the text are different from the usual variety and add to the pleasure of the text. It will make an excellent gift as well as owning one personally.

Changed my Life.......2003-10-24

This book really opened my eyes. I've always loved chocolate. Now I enjoy eating it even more, knowing that it's actually good for me. If you are a chocoholic like me, you need this book!

Average customer rating:

The Story of Chocolate
Everything young readers need to know about the story of chocolate
gift book for chocolate fanatic

The Story of Chocolate (DK READERS)
DK Publishing
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0756609925

Book Description

Stunning photographs and engaging, age-appropriate stories are guaranteed to capture a child's interest while developing reading skills and general knowledge. DK Readers allow progression from stories for beginning readers with simple sentences and word repetition through to stories with rich vocabulary and more challenging sentence structure for proficient readers.

Customer Reviews:

The Story of Chocolate.......2007-01-06

I bought the book for my 11 year old granddaughter who is interested in Chocolate to decorate and eat. The book was easy for her to read. She loved it.

Everything young readers need to know about the story of chocolate.......2006-02-07

The first thing C.J. Polin informs us in telling "The Story of Chocolate" is that the average person eats 11 pounds of chocolate a year. That would be the equivalent of 100 chocolate bars a year, or one every 3.65 days (impressive how I worked the math for that out in my head, huh?). I think I am behind at this point in the year, so I decided to make a yellow cake with chocolate frosting last night for the Super Bowl, but that meant I had to share with others and I did not make up as much ground as I was hoping. I just hope white chocolate counts towards the total.

The amazing thing is that chocolate is made from seeds called cocoa beans that are inside pods that grow on cacao trees in the rain forest. Not even Jack from the fairy tale had magic beans like these. No wonder the Swedish scientist Linnaeus gave the cocao tree the scientific name "Theobroma cacao," which means "food of the god." Obviously the man liked his chocolate. "The Story of Chocolate" begins with the history of the cocoa bean, which goes back to the ancient Olmec people of Mesoamerica and the Mayans and Aztecs that followed them. When these "almonds" were discovered by Christopher Columbus' son Ferdinand no one knew this was the start of a beautiful friendship and while Hernando Cortes was getting ready to conquer the Aztec nation his men also added sugar to the bitter tasting chocolate drink they were served to sweeten it up (not that this balances the cosmic scales of justice). It is not surprising that for a century the Spanish kept the secret of the cocoa bean to themselves, but eventually drinking chocolate at fashionable cafes became the rage in Europe.

Once the first American chocolate factory opened in Massachusetts in 1765, Polin turns to how chocolate became a treat for the masses. Sure, James Watt made a steam engine that could power a locomotive, but it was powering Coenraad van Houten's chocolate press that really made the world a better place to live. Solid chocolate was not invented until 1840 in England and then in 1875 the Swiss came up with milk chocolate. Polin details each of the improvements that have resulted in the aspects of chocolate that we take for granted today. The book ends by looking at what it means to make chocolate today and all the kinds of chocolate that exist today, and if you did not know that you should not be reading this book without chocolate on hand, it will be painfully clear to you at this point (I planned ahead and you should too).

The book is filled with contemporary and historical illustrations of chocolate and the back has a Glossary of key terms. Young readers will certainly learn the basics of the history of chocolate and if they are doing this for class then eating chocolate would constitute homework, right? This is a level 3 Reading alone DK Reader (the level between beginning to read alone and being a proficient reader), which means more complex sentence structure, information boxes and alphabetical glossary, and comprehensive index. Other Level 3 DK Readers include "Spacebuster: The Race to the Moon," "Movie Magic," "Abraham Lincoln: Lawyer, Leader, Legend," and "LEGO: Mission to the Arctic." So you can see there is a wide range of titles available that should include a topic appealing to your young reader.

gift book for chocolate fanatic.......2005-10-04

A lot of great background in the history of chocolate. It was a gift and the only disappointment was that the pages were not lickable.

Chocolate Is My Kryptonite: Feeding Your Feelings How to Survive the Forces of Food

Average customer rating:

Great help for carb junkies!
authoritative though too cute in tone
What a demeaning book
Food is a Drug
Chocolate is only chocolate!

Chocolate Is My Kryptonite: Feeding Your Feelings How to Survive the Forces of Food
Matthew S. Keene
Manufacturer: Saguaro Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Eating Disorders | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Eating Disorders | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Each year American consumers spend thirty-three billion hard earned dollars to control their appetites and lose weight. Thousands of promises, gimmicks, and miracle cures try to offer Americans what they want most __ a quick fix. Unfortunately a quick fix is never the answer to a lifelong problem. Compulsive overeaters know this because they have tried every diet and potion on the planet. After all is said and done, they are often faced with a single oversimplified solution, "Eat less and exercise more." Just one problem though - it doesn't work! Why? Because food addiction isn't some fleeting personality quirk that's easily reversed with motivational catch-phrases. It's a distinct medical illness and it can be treated. In his book, Chocolate Is My Kryptonite, Matthew S. Keene, MD, a nationally known psychiatrist, eating disorder specialist, consultant, and speaker, tells you how to successfully treat this biologically-based disease. He focuses specifically on the plight of compulsive overeaters and proves that their struggles with food are real; not the result of a lack of willpower. With the recent recall of fen/phen and the dangerous side effects this combination created, compulsive overeaters are now, more than ever, looking for answers to this debilitating disease.

Why you should read this book:

For the 18 million Americans who suffer from food addiction, relief is finally available. Chocolate Is My Kryptonite could not be more timely. It answers questions you need to know. How can I tell if I am a compulsive overeater? Is food a drug? Why do I binge? Are there any medications that can help me? How can I successfully change my eating habits and feel alive again? This book is unique because it provides the latest information on managing both the biology and psychology of compulsive overeating (binge eating disorder/bulimia). Best of all, it does so without a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo. Dr. Keene provides easy self-tests, understandable explanations, and sound medical evidence and theory. He shares personal case histories and solutions that will change your life forever.

Chocolate Is My Kryptonite provides the information you need. It explains why compulsive overeaters feed their feelings and shows you how to break this learned behavior. It addresses the biological cause of why you are compelled to binge, and explains why your disease causes you to be more susceptible to depression and irritability. Dr. Keene helps you understand why diets fail and gives you a scientific formula to overcome your compulsive overeating once and for all.

Through research and clinical experience, Dr. Keene has successfully treated hundreds of patients with his unprecedented treatment program: a combination of feelings management, a revolutionary food plan, and a "no pain, all gain" exercise plan. This unique combination stabilizes body chemistry, eliminates cravings, and promotes permanent weight loss. No tricks, miracle cures, or special food to purchase; only sound medical advice is provided.

Some people, no matter how hard they try, still can not lose weight. Why? Dr. Keene has the answer. In these particular cases underlying causes, such as depression or relentless bingeing, continue to reek havoc on their systems. That's why Dr. Keene addresses a safe fen/phen alternative __ Prozac. Keene provides an extensive Q&A section on this controversial medication and also discusses the dangers of various prescription and nonprescription medications.

Customer Reviews:

Great help for carb junkies!.......2001-06-23

This book was informative. I learned alot about depression and eating habits and hormones! He wrote the book as if he was sitting across from you and actually talking to you. He covers alot of scientific material in a way that doesn't bog you down. Great job!

authoritative though too cute in tone.......2001-05-05

First, I bought the book because I believe that some foods are addictive. Dr. Keene explains the biology better than other authors. The Menu for Life is realistic given the biology. There are several books on food addiction, but I found this one to be authoritative since it was written by a physician and based on his work with an eating disorders specialist who has a "problem" with food. The tone of the book is flawed; Dr. Keene tries to speak plainly and personally to the reader but comes off a bit too "cute." Nevertheless, his eagerness to help the reader shines through. His editor deserves some of the criticism.

What a demeaning book.......2001-03-12

I liked the title of this book, and so started it predisposed to liking it. I thought perhaps it would have some humorous insight into the serious subject of obsessive eating. Instead, what I found was that I was talked down to and insulted on almost every page. Rather than explaining the chemistry he refers to, this author uses analogies he must think are cute but which struck me as insultingly simplified, for the most part. As the book goes on, the author gets increasingly obsessive about the plan of abstinence he proposes. At the end of the book, he includes a height/bone structure chart that purports to tell readers their "ideal" weight. Both this chart and the suggested lists of foods he provides strike me as sexist. He hasn't updated his chart to show what nutritionists now recommend as a range of healthy weights, and he thinks that men can weigh 20 pounds more at the same height. His food lists specify things like "half a cup of cereal for women, one cup for men." Anyone obsessed with food will be setting themselves up for disaster if they take this book seriously. It will promote dieting and then regaining in most cases. Try Anne Katherine's much more respectful book on obsessive eating instead.

Food is a Drug.......2000-03-26

My parents were alcoholics. Fortunately, they found and sustained recovery. Friends recognized that alcoholism was a genuine disease, and supported both them and their recovery.

I never even tried alcohol (my parents taught me well in that regard). But I drowned my sorrows with food, day after day. There was no support and no understanding. My parents had a disease...but I was weak-willed.

Chocolate is My Kryptonite helped me realize that Food Addiction is a disease. In fact, it is quite similar to alcoholism. For as Dr. Keene points out, "what's alcohol, but the ultimate processed carbohydrate."

I'm using this book, and the Menu For Life to find recovery for the first time in my life. It's only been 4 months so far, but it is the best I have felt in ages.

I know that a prior poster had concerns with the concept of "abstinance," but having lived the life of a food addict, and the daughter of alcoholic parents...I find abstinence not to be a problem...but rather, to be the solution!

Chocolate is My Kryptonite is Freedom From Food Addiction.

Chocolate is only chocolate!.......2000-02-18

Well, I read Dr Keene's book within a day and must say I was very disappointed with the overall message. Firstly he claims that overeating is a genetic dysfunction caused by a lack of serotonin for which the overeater tries to compensate by eating various types of junk food. Then he goes on to say that prozac is often a good treatment in more severe cases. Admittedly he does clearly identify some of the emotions felt by overeaters and explains in not too technical terms why food is used as a comfort. However his solution is for those afflicted to "abstain" from "trigger foods" for life. He sets out a "menu for a lifetime" which should be followed and stresses that the overeater has to stick to this and always measure out their portions of food. For me, this meant that the obession with food would reign! There is no teaching of how to deal with the problem, instead it is treated as a handicap with which all those affected must live. My goal is to be able to eat normally, to be able to have an ice-cream now and again or a bar of chocolate and not feel guilty and not feel like I have to go on and finish the tub or eat 6 more bars. I do not want to have to spend my life thinking about food and measuring out each meal whilst following a "menu for a lifetime"! Certainly there is an issue of healthy eating which is what the menu is aiming to promote, yet to brand some foods as "forbidden" is ridiculous. How on earth can people with jobs, relationships and leading real lives possibly be expected to abide by this menu day in and day out! Obviously certain sorts of food are bad for us and should not be eaten on a regular basis, but coffee is also not the healthiest of drinks, yet 2 cups a day are allowed on the "menu"! For me this book sees the problem of overeating as a permanent disability with which we are born and thus makes it a central point of the victim's life. Every day has to be tailored to deal with this "defect" and it is made into something which distinguishes the sufferer from the rest of society, as opposed to helping the sufferer be reintegrated into society and live a normal life. It is a well-known fact that eating disorders are anti-social and this book, by introducing the "menu" does nothing to help the sufferer deal with this prevalent aspect of the problem. This book is an interesting perspective for those doing a comparative study on different approaches to the problem but absolutely useless for those looking for genuine support and guidance in dealing with with something which we want to change, not be burdened with for a lifetime.

Smart About Chocolate: A Sweet History (Smart About History) (Smart About History)

Average customer rating:

Informationally sweet
Something Truly Bitter-Sweet.

Smart About Chocolate: A Sweet History (Smart About History) (Smart About History)
Sandra Markle
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0448434806

Book Description

Our unique, kid-friendly Smart About series continues with something for your sweet tooth! Smart About Chocolate is "chock-full" of fun facts about the history of chocolate, from the Mayans to Milton Hershey! Kids will learn how chocolate comes from beans of the rain forest's cacao trees and how candymakers in England and Switzerland first produced the chocolate we know and love today. Includes recipes and recommendations of classic books about chocolate.

Customer Reviews:

Informationally sweet.......2006-04-06

Written in a nonlinear, post-modern style, the book, CHOCOLATE; A SWEET HISTORY, is both interesting and fun. The author's choice to impart a wealth of information in the style of a young boy's school report makes the book entertaining. The amount of information contained within the pages is impressive. It includes a chronological history of chocolate, present-day manufacturing of a Hershey's bar, the benefits of eating chocolate and recipes for chocolate treats. Although the book is written in a simplistic style, the information in the book is comprehensive and advanced (including the name of the chemical, phenylethylamine, which causes the happy feeling people experience when eating chocolate). The pictures are interesting, colorful and fun with most being drawn in a cartoon style with balloons to provide the text. Other pictures seem as though they were taken during a family trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania. Children from elementary school through high school will find this book informative and entertaining, however it is truly geared toward elementary students.

Something Truly Bitter-Sweet........2005-03-31

SMART ABOUT CHOCOLATE: A SWEET HISTORY is one of the SMART ABOUT series of children's books. These books are written and designed to inform students about a wide variety of topics that they probably have some interest in, but don't know much about. The books are written in the form of an essay that a "student" writes for a school report. CHOCOLATE: A SWEET HISTORY is filled with all kinds of photographs and illustrations that complement the information it contains. The book gives a history of chocolate and how it was first used, how it has changed moving from one continent to the next, and how it is produced. The book is only 30 pages long but is very informative. For instance, I learned from reading this book that the scientific name fro the cacao tree is theobroma cacao which literally means "food of the goods". I also learned that most of the worlds cacao beans are imported from Africa and that the Aztecs found cacao beans so valuable that they eventually started using them as money. The book is very colorful and has plenty of illustrations to catch even the most disengaged of young readers attention. Towards the end of the book a recipe for making chocolate yum-yums appears. The final page of the book is a sort of bibliography that lists a few other titles that student might be interesting in reading if they like chocolate. Overal, a tasty bit of reading.

Petits Fours, Chocolate, Frozen Desserts, and Sugar Work (French Professional Pastry Series)

Average customer rating:

A GREAT FINISH TO A GREAT SERIES
Specialist book
Specialist book

Petits Fours, Chocolate, Frozen Desserts, and Sugar Work (French Professional Pastry Series)
Roland Bilheux , and Alain Escoffier
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Desserts | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Pastry | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Cooking, Food & Wine | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0470244100

Book Description

This book provides a complete overview of basic techniques and applications for making petits fours, chocolate, and an assortment of frozen desserts, and also provides a thorough description of sugar work.

Customer Reviews:

A GREAT FINISH TO A GREAT SERIES.......2007-10-10

This is the fourth book in a series of four and it a competent companion to the other three books.
It deals mainly with the decoration of finished desserts, lettering and writing with a variety of ingredients (chocolate, fondant etc), marzipan decorations, edible color painting, decoration and exhibition pieces and finished desserts among others.
As it is part of a series you need to get the recipes for the preparations and bases from the other books, especially the first two (bases and fillings). The second part of the book deals with modern desserts (tortes, gateaux) that one can find in patisseries around France. If you live in Europe you might find some of the dessert decorations somewhat dated, as this book has quite a few years on its back. If you live in the USA though, the desserts and decorations here are rarely if ever seen in american bakeries.
The last part of the book deals with exhbition pieces and alone is worth the price of the book. Excellent craftmanship and endles inspiration for the pastry chef.
The book has gloss pages, it is full of colored photographs, depicting both the procedures and the finished products and it has Metric weights as sould be expected from a professional book.
The price has decreased recently so it is a great buy for the professional.

Specialist book.......2000-05-30

This is a very nice book, that teaches you to make French pastry-chef quality letters and borders to decorate your cakes. It has extensive examples and instructions for modelling animals and flowers in marzipan. It also has a gallery of special delicious looking cakes, unfortunately though, if you want to try those, you are referred to the author's other volumes for the recipes.

Specialist book.......2000-05-30

Beans to Chocolate (Welcome Books: How Things Are Made)

Average customer rating:

Short and small but good

Beans to Chocolate (Welcome Books: How Things Are Made)
Inez Snyder
Manufacturer: Children's Press (CT)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

How Things Work | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Cooking | Sports & Activities | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0516243616

Customer Reviews:

Short and small but good.......2005-04-19

This book has some very good info and pictures, but suffers from the fact that it is very short and very small. It measures a mere 6"X6". I bought it to read to a class, but I doubt they could even see it! Also, it is very short. There are nine photos with 1-2 sentences each. So basically nine page turns and you're done. It's extremely basic and appropriate for very young kids (2-5)only. Here is the entire text:
Page 1: Chocolate is made from cacao beans (photo of beans)
Page 2: First the cacao beans are cooked in ovens. The beans become very hot. (photo of oven)
Page 3: Then a machine grinds the beans (photo of machine)
Page 4: The beans become a thick paste. The paste is mixed with powdered milk and sugar. (photo of glass soup bowls of sugar, powdered milk and choc. paste)
Page 5: Machines mix everything together to make chocolate. The chocolate is very soft (photo of machine)
Page 6: The chocolate cools in pipes. When the chocolate is cooled it becomes thicker. (photo of pipes with choc. coming down)
Page 7: Now the choc. can be used to make candy. The choc. is put into molds to make candy bars. (photo of molds with choc.)
Page 8: The chocolate is cooled in the molds. As the chocolate cools, it hardens (photo of candy bars in molds)
Page 9: Chocolate can be used to make many different kinds of candy (photo of Kisss and bar)

That's it. So if you're looking for more in depth, check out a different book.

Average customer rating:

The Lady and the Chocolate
Edward Monkton
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Entertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0007198280

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