Sweets or Potluck

Sweets: A History of Candy

Author: Tim Richardson

A journey into the heart of sweetness.

Humans are all, secretly or openly, obsessed with sweet things-and we always have been. The Aztecs mixed chocolate with blood in sweet libations to their gods; Saladin entertained Richard the Lionheart with exotic sherbets and sugared jellies; Victorian sweets magnates built the towns of Bournville and Hersheyville from fortunes made through successful candies; and today the manufacture of sweets is shrouded in a level of secrecy that would make Willy Wonka proud.

In Sweets, Tim Richardson takes us on a magical confectionery tour through time and space, letting his personal passion fuel the narrative of candy's rich and unusual history. Beginning with a description of the biology of sweetness itself, Richardson navigates the ancient history of sweets, the incredible range and diversity of candies around the world, the bizarre figures and practices of the confectionery industry, and the connection between sweets and sex. He goes on to explore the role of sweets in myth and folklore, and finally, a personal philosophical justification for continual sweet-eating based on the writings of Epicurus.

A delicious blend of anecdote, history, and investigative reporting, Sweets is the perfect gift for everyone with a sweet tooth.

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. (Nov.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Richardson, a British editor and journalist, chronicles the history of candy and confectionery in this delightfully passionate and wonderfully witty survey. From the scientific explanation for a sweet tooth to the business side of the candy trade, Richardson leaves no detail unexplored. Drawing from science, geography, history, and literature, he looks at confectionery commodities, such as sugar and chocolate, and the origins of individual sweets, including chewing gum and marzipan. He also covers the colorful individuals of the sweets trade and companies like Hershey and Lindt. Richardson's text, with numerous references to English candies and sweets, has a definitely British flavor, but he also discusses American candies and the preferences and traditions of other countries around the world. This tempting treat is highly recommended for the culinary history collections of academic and public libraries.-John Charles, Scottsdale P.L., AZ Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Table of Contents:

	Acknowledgements
	Prologue	1
1	Chocolate Money	3
	Lucky Dip: Turkish Delight	37
2	Heart of Sweetness	41
	Lucky Dip: Liquorice	59
3	The First Sweets in the World	65
	Lucky Dip: Rock	89
4	Juicy Fruits and Spicy Centres	95
	Lucky Dip: Marzipan	133
5	From Araby to Subtlety	135
	Lucky Dip: Baklava	156
6	Purely for Medicinal Reasons	159
	Lucky Dip: Rhubarb and Custards	178
7	Enslaved by Sweetness	181
	Lucky Dip: Marshmallows	213
8	What Is It about Chocolate?	215
	Lucky Dip: Manna	245
9	Real Willy Wonkas	249
	Lucky Dip: Chewing Gum	278
10	Bad Candy	283
	Lucky Dip: My Top Ten Sweets	312
11	The Himalayan Gobstopper	313
	Epilogue	379
	Bibliography	382
	Index	387

New interesting book: Comunicações Digitais

Potluck: Parables of Giving, Taking, and Belonging

Author: Kim Thomas

It all begins at the table. A long table dressed in an oversized tablecloth and covered with various pyrex dishes, fiesta bowls, covered casseroles, dutch ovens, and cake plates. The tradition is familiar, the recipes are old and new, the people are known and unknown. But by the end of the evening, everyone is full, all having given something, taken something, and found something.

This compelling and transparent collection of meditations is based on the Potluck dinner heritage. Kim Thomas explores the beauty and diversity of food at the community table as a metaphor for the community of faith. The table offers a place of discovery and delivery, becoming and belonging.

Potluck: Parables of Giving, Taking, and Belonging is an insightful assembly of thoughts, a narrative moving readers to find that they have a place at the table- a place to give, to take, and to belong.