Mary Roach is sort of a science writer for the everyday person. Gulp is another book on a somewhat taboo subject, from the author that brought us Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (another great book that I'd recommend to any curious person).
In Gulp, Roach explores the psychology of what we eat and why we like (or don't like) those things, as well as the biology of what happens once we put food in our mouths.
This book will answer questions like: "Why is crunchy food so appealing? Why is it so hard to find words for flavors and smells? Why doesn't the stomach digest itself? How much can you eat before your stomach bursts? Can constipation kill you? Did it kill Elvis?"
Recommendation: An interesting and funny book for anyone who has ever eaten or plans to eat in the future.
*Spoilers after the break*
While there is a lot of interest in watching people make food that looks good and tastes good, no one really talks about the food once someone eats it.
That's what I like about this book, Mary Roach is unafraid to visit a pet-food taste-test lab, watch a live stomach digest a meal, and visit an expert on saliva, to name a few. She is able to explain scientific findings, historical studies, and interviews, in an easy to understand and amusing way.
It's hard for me to pick a part to write about, as I found every chapter in this book to be super interesting. In chapter 4, Horace Fletcher is written about. Fletcher promoted "extremely thorough chewing".
When I was a kid, my mom tried to get us to chew each bite 27 times. We thought she was crazy. Fletcher gave guidelines like this: "One-fifth of an ounce of the midway section of the young garden onion, sometimes called 'challot,' has required seven hundred and twenty-two mastications before disappearing through involuntary swallowing."
Fletcher decided that by chewing food until it devolved, the body would absorb more nutrients. "Fletcherizing" caught on thanks to Fletcher's connections; among it's proponents were politicians and authors (including Henry James, Franz Kafka, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle). Among the benefits, were the need for less food and the production of less waste.
Fortunately this is no longer a thing, as it doesn't work (see the book for science and facts about why.)
Sister, I think you would really enjoy this book, so check it out. I love the asides and footnotes from the author. Also, in addition to information about food and the human body, this book has a few poop jokes. What more could you ask for?
Cheers and Happy Reading,
Brandy
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