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Search - Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America
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Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America Author: |
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Book Information
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Other Versions of this Book: Audio Cassette (Unabridged), Audio CD (Unabridged), Hardcover
Book Description:
A self-professed candyfreak, Steve Almond set out in search of a much-loved candy from his childhood and found himself on a tour of the small candy companies that are persevering in a marketplace where big corporations dominate.
From the Twin Bing to the Idaho Spud, the Valomilk to the Abba-Zaba, and discontinued bars such as the Caravelle, Marathon, and Choco-Lite, Almond uncovers a trove of singular candy bars made by unsung heroes working in old-fashioned factories to produce something they love. And in true candyfreak fashion, Almond lusciously describes the rich tastes that he has loved since childhood and continues to crave today. Steve Almond has written a comic but ultimately bittersweet story of how he grew up on candy-and how, for better and worse, the candy industry has grown up, too.
Candyfreak is the delicious story of one man's lifelong obsession with candy and his quest to discover its origins in America.
From the Twin Bing to the Idaho Spud, the Valomilk to the Abba-Zaba, and discontinued bars such as the Caravelle, Marathon, and Choco-Lite, Almond uncovers a trove of singular candy bars made by unsung heroes working in old-fashioned factories to produce something they love. And in true candyfreak fashion, Almond lusciously describes the rich tastes that he has loved since childhood and continues to crave today. Steve Almond has written a comic but ultimately bittersweet story of how he grew up on candy-and how, for better and worse, the candy industry has grown up, too.
Candyfreak is the delicious story of one man's lifelong obsession with candy and his quest to discover its origins in America.
Members who requested this book also requested:
Genres:
- Business & Investing >> General
- Business & Investing >> Industries & Professions >> General
- Cooking, Food & Wine >> Baking >> Chocolate
- Science >> Agricultural Sciences >> Food Science
- Entertainment >> Humor >> Business
- Entertainment >> Humor >> Cooking
- Entertainment >> Humor >> Essays
- Professional & Technical >> Professional Science >> Agricultural Sciences >> Food Sciences
Top Member Book Reviews
Ronda wrote on 7/3/2007...
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
I laughed through this entire book. The author really is a candyfreak and and unabashedly so. Almond makes some poignant statements about how we comfort ourselves with candy. Highly recommended.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book! It's a combination of the history of candy bars, the background for the author's addiction to candy, and the author touring candy factories. Sometimes witty, sometimes poignant, always interesting. I've made several people read it, and they've all loved it.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
It never occurred to me that a book about candy could be darkly written, but this one was a bit dark for my taste. It seems these days that anyone who has a book inside them wanting to be written also has some neuroses and personal hangups that are going to come out, no matter what the topic is. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading about the candy and Steve Almond's visits to the factories and commentary on the people he meets. However, I could have done without some of his navel gazing. Ah well, I guess it's his book after all...
CM C. (
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
A personal journey, filled with humor and the love of candy. Almond finds out why his favorite childhood candies are no longer made in mass quantities. If you grew up in the golden age of confectionary, where Hershey, Nestle, and Mars weren't considered the "Big Three", this book will be very entertaining and comforting to you.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Full of facts, the author is a great tour guide through his love of candy. I learned alot from this book and it reminded me of candy that I had forgotten I loved.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
You'll gain weight just reading about all the great candy, but then laugh off all the calories in the process.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
A light fun quick read; Steve Almond makes a most wonderful candy sleuth! If you love chocolate (no, wait, make that LOVE chocolate) then you'll most likely enjoy this book. Almonds breezy, good-natured, kind-hearted look at our disappearing regional candies makes for fun reading. I'd write more but I'm off to see if I can acquire at least a few of the candy bars he wrote about ... specifically, Valomilk! Happy reading!
Gessika R. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
A very fun read, informative and interesting. Unless candy bores you, I highly recommend it.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Great book, really loved the story. If you like chocolate or candy at all, you will enjoy this read thoroughly!
Monica (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Fascinating and funny throughout - loaded with historic trivia - a nostalgic look at the candy industry in America since its infancy... coupled with a hilarious self-deprecating quasi-memoir of the author's obsession with sweets. I enjoyed this book - I think I gained weight just reading it. Yum!
Please Rate these Book Reviews
A treat, as its name implies. One man searches for America's remaining independent candy makers as the big three (Hershey, Mars, Nestle) take over check-out shelves everywhere. Steve Almond's love of candy guides the book through interesting visits to the makers of candy bars like the Twin Bing, the Idaho Spud, GooGoos and Valomilk. The writing is infused with a definite political flavor -- the overtaking of the small and entirely likable little guys by the corporate giants, who, Almond contends, put out an inferior product. Mr. Almond does a lot of reflecting about candy in general, including his likes (many) and dislikes (few.) Fun non-fiction, and timeless.
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