Bad Foods: Changing Attitudes About What We Eat

Rating:
Summary: Finished in 2 readings -- Assigned to my class
Review: Seldom do I write a review for a book, but seldom do I order a book that I start reading and finish in 1 or 2 sittings. "Bad Foods" is a clever, eye-opening psychological history of why we think about foods the way we do. That is, why do we think fruits and vegetables are better for us than their nutritional info would suggest, and why have we developed unmerited biases agains fat, salt, and sugar.

Knowing of the Oakes reputation and research (it's often reported in newspapers and magazines), I assigned this book to an interdisciplinary course I teach at the University of Illinois. The students have really enjoyed the book so far. It's well-written, interesting, and relevant.