The best researched, most-up-to-date and unique compilation of food facts and figures. Book preferred by health professionals. Food listings you won't find all in in one place anywhere else-200 fast food and restuarant listings, carnival and fair foods, international foods. Plus a diet guide, calcium,fiber, caffeine, diabetes, sodium and protein guides, all in one handy and colorful pocket sized book.

The perfect reference book for every home, includes:  over 1200 mixed drink recipes, glossary, table of measurements, index, chart on food-wine-affinities, advice on what food to serve with cocktails, and a new chapter on wines--domestic and imported.  Revised and enlarged for this 1970 edition by James A. Beard.

The provocative historical work on social economy, demography, and population control.

Malthus' life's work on human population and its dependency on food production and the environment was highly controversial on publication in 1798. He predicted what is known as the Malthusian catastrophe, in which humans would disregard the limits of natural resources and the world would be plagued by famine and disease. He significantly influenced the thinking of Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace and his theories continue to raise important questions today in the fields of social theory, economics and the environment. 

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Acne? Addictions? Computer radiation? Latex? Anxiety? arthritis? Asthma? ADD? Backache? Bedwetting? Carpal tunnel? Depression? Colitis? Dizziness? Eczema? Hay-fever? Headaches? Hyperactivity? Indigestion? Insomnia? Fatigue? Migraines? Shoulder pain? Bronchitis? Sinusitis? Vertigo? Whatever you suffer from...there's an allergy behind it. For millions of people all over the world, these health problems may, in fact, be caused by food and environmental allergies. Allergies they never knew they had.

In the new and revised,"SAY GOODBYE TO ILLNESS", Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad, developer of Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET) and the world renowned holistic allergy specialist based in Buena Park, California exposes the truth behind so many health problems plaguing people today. In her book , Dr. Devi gives a new definition for allergies and a deeper understanding of how our bodies relate to or retreat from the millions of natural and artificial substances around us. And she discloses her fascinating NAET technique, which is curing thousands of people every year of their multiple health problems. How? By tracking down their allergies. Then, through a blend of western and eastern techniques, Dr. Devi treats and beats the allergy.

Her book is thoroughly researched and supported by hundreds of client success stories, people just like you who have suffered and now live allergy-free. This book will revolutionize the practice of medicine!

When television viewing audiences first met Ruby Gettinger, a mild-mannered, sweet-natured, Southern-food addicted Sunday school teacher, her weight was hovering near 500 pounds. As the ad campaign for the show says, Ruby doesn′t know how she got to this weight, but she knows its killing her. Having been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and told by doctors that she would die if she continued to carry all that weight, Ruby is changing her life to save it. Her honesty, optimism and genuine commitment to uncover all the underlying causes of her addiction--mental, physical and emotional--are inspiring millions of others in the process. So too is her progress. (She′s now down to 360 pounds!)

While Style′s cameras have been following Ruby′s personal journey as she sheds the weight, gets healthier, battles discrimination daily, and struggles to recover lost childhood memories, these excerpts, taken from the journal Ruby carries with her everywhere on the show, include her most intimate reflections, insights and discoveries regarding her life "before" and "during" this incredibly transformative experience. It also includes her fears, hopes and dreams for life after her goal is realized. In addition, the book will feature thoughts from the doctors, dieticians, trainers, therapists, friends and family supporting Ruby′s mission. Everyone following and touched by Ruby′s story will want to read this book.

A Must-Read for all Pet Lovers

For decades, dog and cat owners have depended on popular commercial foods to keep their beloved animals well-fed. Until 2007, when the national pet food catastrophe left pet owners scrambling for an alternative to mass-quantity, factory-produced food.

How can you break away from your reliance on the commercial pet food industry? Pet Food Nation offers the solution: Stop feeding your pet from a bag or a can—gradually, and then permanently. Instead, let's return to the way our ancestors fed their cherished pets since the dawn of time, with a variety of fresh and cooked foods from our own homes, the smart, simple, and healthy way.

Pet Food Nation features :

• How to transition your pet from commercial food to a healthier diet
• Six signs of dietary problems with your pet
• Why homemade food is better for your pet
• The best diet for an older pet
• What to feed your breed
• Basic easy recipes for dogs and cats

Buy this book and learn how to feed your pets properly and safely now!

“Every good love story has another love hiding within it.”

Brokenhearted and still mourning the loss of her husband, Heidi travels with Abbott, her obsessive-compulsive seven-year-old son, and Charlotte, her jaded sixteen-year-old niece, to the small village of Puyloubier in the south of France, where a crumbling stone house may be responsible for mending hearts since before World War II.

There, Charlotte confesses a shocking secret, and Heidi learns the truth about her mother’s “lost summer” when Heidi was a child. As three generations collide with one another, with the neighbor who seems to know all of their family skeletons, and with an enigmatic Frenchman, Heidi, Charlotte, and Abbot journey through love, loss, and healing amid the vineyards, warm winds and delicious food of Provence. Can the magic of the house heal Heidi’s heart, too?

The hosts of Food Network's The Best Of journey around the country to find the best in American cuisine, with a behind-the-scenes glimpse of life on the road, profiling local regional restaurants and chefs, offering entertaining trivia and food lore, and presenting more than eighty-five delicious recipes. 

A supermarket guide, arranged by type of product, emphasizes low-fat foods, explaining how to understand labels, compare food types, and reap the benefits of fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains.

The Glucose Revolution Pocket Guide to Losing Weight by Kaye Foster-Powell B.SC. M. Nutri. & Diet,‎ Jennie Brand-Miller Ph.D.,‎ and Stephen Colagiuri M.D. - Convenient pocket-sized Paperback

>>> Eating to lose weight is easy with low glycemic index foods.

Are you struggling to lose weight--and keep off those extra pounds for good?  When it comes to losing weight, not all foods are created equal.  The glycemic index--an easy-to-understand ranking of foods (most notably carbohydrates) based on the rate at which the body metabolizes them--can help you to choose the right foods to lose weight.  Foods that digest slowly and cause a gradual rise and fall in blood sugar levels have the lowest glycemic index (G.I.) values.  The latest medical research shows that low G.I. carbohydrates have special advantages for everyone trying to lose weight.

18 chapters cover topics such as:

• Change Your Habits
• The Best Way to Get Fit
• Eat Smarter (and Enjoy Food More)
• Keep it Going

Includes workout tracker.

Philip Caputo’s tragic and epically ambitious new novel is set in Sudan, where war is a permanent condition. Into this desolate theater come aid workers, missionaries, and mercenaries of conscience whose courage and idealism sometimes coexist with treacherous moral blindness. There’s the entrepreneurial American pilot who goes from flying food and medicine to smuggling arms, the Kenyan aid worker who can’t help seeing the tawdry underside of his enterprise, and the evangelical Christian who comes to Sudan to redeem slaves and falls in love with a charismatic rebel commander. 

As their fates intersect and our understanding of their characters deepens, it becomes apparent that Acts of Faith is one of those rare novels that combine high moral seriousness with irresistible narrative wizardry.   

A woman, a transplant... and the soul of a young man who in death gave her life.

After a heart and lung transplant operation, dancer Claire Sylvia discovered that new organs were not the only thing she inherited. Never having liked such foods as beer and chicken nuggets, she suddenly started craving them. After an extraordinary dream, she seeks out the family of her donor -- a teenaged boy who died in a motorcycle accident -- and learns that it is indeed possible for two souls to merge in one body.

"This is a story that must be told and heard...a fascinating example of how cellular memory can outlive physical death". -- Deepak Chopra, M.D.

From New York Times bestselling author Sandra Lee comes her debut novel, a heartwarming story about food, family, and forgiveness.

Grace Holm-D'Angelo is at her wit's end, trying to create a new life from broken pieces. Newly divorced, she is navigating suddenly becoming a single mother to her fourteen-year-old daughter. Emma, resentful about being uprooted from Chicago to LA and still reeling from the divorce, is generally giving her mother a hard time.

Then Grace's best friend, Leeza, succumbs to breast cancer after a long battle, and Grace realizes that you don't get a second chance at life. She returns to her hometown of New London, Wisconsin, to try to reconcile with her own mother, Lorraine, with whom she's been estranged for longer than she cares to remember.

Over the course of the summer, Grace rediscovers the healing powers of cooking, coming to terms with your past, and friendship, and learns you can go home again, and sometimes that's exactly where you belong.

The Recipe Box celebrates mothers, daughters, and friendships, and also features Sandra's delicious original recipes.

The writer with a claim to being the world’s foremost literary escape artist is back, with an intoxicating novel about the business and pleasure of wine, set in his beloved Provence. Max Skinner has recently lost his job at a London financial firm and just as recently learned that he has inherited his late uncle’s vineyard in Provence. On arrival he finds the climate delicious, the food even better, and two of the locals ravishing. Unfortunately, the wine produced on his new property is swill. Why then are so many people interested in it? Enter a beguiling Californian who knows more about wine than Max does–and may have a better claim to the estate. Fizzy with intrigue, bursting with local color and savor, A Good Year is Mayle at his most entertaining.

From Publishers Weekly

Mayle's breezy, uncomplicated fifth novel (Chasing Cezanne, etc.) and ninth book follows 30-something Max Skinner from a sabotaged financial career in London to his adoption of the Provençal lifestyle on an inherited vineyard in France. Max spent holidays at his Uncle Henry's vineyard as a child, so when he inherits the place, the prospect of returning is tempting; a generous "bridging loan" from ex-brother-in-law Charlie seals the deal. The estate, Le Griffon, is in a dire state of disrepair and the wine cellar is filled with bottles of a dreadful-tasting swill, but it's nothing that vineyard caretaker Claude Roussel and prim housekeeper Madame Passepartout can't resolve. Max settles into his new life easily thanks to the attentions of local notary Nathalie Auzet and busty cafe owner Fanny. The arrival of young Californian "wine brat" Christie Roberts, Uncle Henry's long-lost daughter, complicates matters for Max, but her surprise offer and Charlie's arrival lessen the impact of a vicious vineyard scandal involving a delicious, high-priced, discreetly produced wine called Le Coin Perdu. Mayle's simple story provides lighthearted...reading and a fond endorsement of the pleasures of viniculture.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 

"I share the country's admiration for the bravery of Captain Phillips and his selfless concern for his crew. His courage is a model for all Americans."
--President Barack Obama

It was just another day on the job for fifty-three-year-old Richard Phillips, captain of the Maersk Alabama, the United States-flagged cargo ship which was carrying, among other things, food and agricultural materials for the World Food Program. That all changed when armed Somali pirates boarded the ship. The pirates didn't expect the crew to fight back, nor did they expect Captain Phillips to offer himself as hostage in exchange for the safety of his crew. Thus began the tense five-day stand-off, which ended in a daring high-seas rescue when U.S. Navy SEALs opened fire and picked off three of the captors.

"It never ends like this," Captain Phillips said.

And he's right.

A Captain's Duty tells the life-and-death drama of the Vermont native who was held captive on a tiny lifeboat off Somalia's anarchic, gun-plagued shores. A story of adventure and courage, it provides the intimate details of this high-seas hostage-taking--the unbearable heat, the death threats, the mock executions, and the escape attempt. When the pirates boarded his ship, Captain Phillips put his experience into action, doing everything he could to safeguard his crew. And when he was held captive by the pirates, he marshaled all his resources to ensure his own survival, withstanding intense physical hardship and an escalating battle of wills with the pirates. This was it: the moment where training meets instinct and where character is everything. Richard Phillips was ready.

Discover the many ways probiotics can transform your health, beauty, and overall wellness in this informative new guide.

Probiotics--good bacteria and yeasts found in fermented foods and supplements--are the newest health craze, and for good reason. Recent medical studies continue to reveal how probiotics improve gut health and contribute to overall wellness. Their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties can help combat chronic disease, including heart disease, certain types of cancers, and irritable bowl syndrome. They also assist the body in all-natural relief for common ailments like allergies, flu, colds, urinary tract infections, and yeast infections. Probiotics are also effective beauty aids, and can be used for many things from fighting acne to taming dandruff.

With Probiotics for Health, you will discover all the benefits that these good bacteria and yeasts can bring from weight loss to better skin to a better immune system--without dangerous chemicals or costly procedures.

According to The Waiter, eighty percent of customers are nice people just looking for something to eat. The remaining twenty percent, however, are socially maladjusted psychopaths. Waiter Rant offers the server's unique point of view, replete with tales of customer stupidity, arrogant misbehavior, and unseen bits of human grace transpiring in the most unlikely places. Through outrageous stories, The Waiter reveals the secrets to getting good service, proper tipping etiquette, and how to keep him from spitting in your food. The Waiter also shares his ongoing struggle, at age thirty-eight, to figure out if he can finally leave the first job at which he's truly thrived.

A month from now, you'll wish you had started today.

Yes, a month is all it takes to see long-term results.

And seriously-even YOU can lose that weight!

Food and exercise fads come and go, mainly because they just aren't sustainable. After a few days, you're hungry, bored, or hungry AND bored. That's why the Today show's very first lifestyle and fitness correspondent, Jenna Wolfe, created her famous 30-Day Fitness Challenge for her viewers. The challenge was wildly successful because of its unprecedented and simple approach to everyday health and fitness-one small tip a day for 30 days.

Now, in Thinner in 30, Jenna takes her foolproof program to the next level, giving you the tools and motivation you'll need to achieve your wellness goals with thirty small changes that add up to big results-in as few as 30 days. It's all possible without joining a gym, counting calories, or signing up for a trendy class you can't even pronounce. The perfect plan for busy men and women of all ages and fitness levels, Thinner in 30 puts the focus on small, bite-size tips which lead to long-term weight loss.

Jenna blends athletic wisdom, laugh-out-loud humor, and easy-to-follow advice, like how many times to chew your food per bite, what the heck carbs are all about, and how to sneak in workouts without any time, money, equipment, or energy (pretty much covering any excuse you may have). Thinner in 30 will help you discover just how easy it is to get healthy without having to deprive yourself or work out 12 hours a day.

• Nutritious and convenient protein option
• Wild caught pink salmon
• 97% Fat Free and only 70 calories per serving, rich in Omega-3
• Skinless and boneless; fresh taste and no drain; ready to eat
• Fast, easy, convenient, healthy meal for anytime and on the go

"Most gulls don't bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight--how to get from shore to food and back again," writes author Richard Bach in this allegory about a unique bird named Jonathan Livingston Seagull. "For most gulls it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight." Flight is indeed the metaphor that makes the story soar. Ultimately this is a fable about the importance of seeking a higher purpose in life, even if your flock, tribe, or neighborhood finds your ambition threatening. (At one point our beloved gull is even banished from his flock.) By not compromising his higher vision, Jonathan gets the ultimate payoff: transcendence. Ultimately, he learns the meaning of love and kindness. The dreamy seagull photographs by Russell Munson provide just the right illustrations--although the overall packaging does seem a bit dated (keep in mind that it was first published in 1970). Nonetheless, this is a spirituality classic, and an especially engaging parable for adolescents. --Gail Hudson

Richard Bach with this book
does two things.
He gives me Flight.
He makes me Young.
For both I am deeply grateful.        --Ray Bradbury

This is Why You're Sick & Tired (And How to Look and Feel Amazing) A 3 Week Detox Plan by Jackie Warner

• Reset Your Metabolism
• Boost Your Energy
• Drop the Pounds

"Fantastic book written in the straightforward, honest, motivating style that can only come from Jackie Warner. I have been following the diet and exercise plan in this book for 2 months and I have lost almost 20lb. (but more importantly, I FEEL healthier!) She explains many aspects about WHY you should eat certain foods and why you should stay away from meats for a little while, and she encourages you to get balanced nutrition through trying many of her great recipes in the book. I loved MOST of the recipes in this book. Jackie Warner continues to be one of the only diet and exercise experts I trust 100%. She has done so much research and really cares about helping people become the best they can become."—Melanie E. Andreasen, Verified Purchaser

"We can't recommend The Paleo Diet highly enough!"- Michael and Mary Dan Eades, M.D., authors of Protein Power

"The Paleo Diet is at once revolutionary and intuitive. . . . Its prescription provides without a doubt the most nutritious diet on the planet."-Jennie Brand-Miller, Ph.D., coauthor of the bestselling The Glucose Revolution and The Glucose Revolution Life Plan

"Filled with delicious recipes and meal plans, The Paleo Diet will open your eyes, trim your waistline, and improve your overall health."-Michael R. Eades, M.D., and Mary Dan Eades, M.D., authors of The 30-Day Low-Carb Diet Solution and coauthors of The Low-Carb Comfort Food Cookbook

"Finally, someone has figured out the best diet for people-a modern version of the diet the human race grew up eating. Dr. Loren Cordain's easy-to-follow diet plan cuts right to the chase."-Jack Challem, coauthor of Syndrome X: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Insulin Resistance

Healthy, delicious, and simple, the Paleo Diet is the diet you were designed to eat. If you want to lose weight-up to 75 pounds in six months-or if you want to attain optimal health, The Paleo Diet will do wonders for you. The world's leading expert on Paleolithic (Stone Age) nutrition, Dr. Loren Cordain demonstrates how, by eating all the lean meats and fish, fresh fruits, and nonstarchy vegetables you want, you can lose weight and prevent and treat heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, Syndrome X, and many other illnesses. Over 100 delicious Paleo recipes provide enough flavor and variety to satisfy anyone, and the six weeks of Paleo meal plans get you started on a healthy and enjoyable new way of eating. Start reading and following The Paleo Diet today and eat your way to weight loss, weight control, increased energy, and lifelong health-while enjoying every delicious bite.

A #1 New York Times Bestseller

Virgil Flowers investigates a miracle--and a murder--in the wickedly entertaining new thriller from the master of "pure reading pleasure" (Booklist).

Wheatfield, Minnesota: a metropolis of six hundred souls and change, for which the word "moribund" might have been invented. Nothing ever happened there and nothing ever would--until the mayor of sorts (campaign slogan: "I'll Do What I Can") and his precocious teenage buddy come up with a scheme to put Wheatfield on the map. Should something dramatic occur--say, that the apparition of the Virgin Mary miraculously appeared at the local Catholic Church--the whole town would be turned into a shrine, attracting thousands of pilgrims. And all those pilgrims needed food, shelter, all kinds of crazy things. The town would get rich! What could go wrong?

Then the shootings begin. And as they--and Virgil Flowers--are about to discover, that's only the beginning of their troubles. . . .

The Low-GI Cookbook provides over 80 delicious, healthy low-GI recipes, allowing you to enjoy the many health rewards a low-GI diet can bring without having to compromise on the taste or variety of your meals.

Eating a low-GI diet is the ultimate way to high energy levels, permanent weight loss and great health. This practical book offers 80 mouthwatering recipes for every occasion, from quick-fix lunches such as Poached Eggs with Lentils & Rocket to delectable dinners including Baked Sweet Potato with Griddled Herb Chicken. There's no need to miss out on pudding either, with low-GI recipes for sweet treats such as Blackberry & Apple Tartlets and Fruity Bread & Butter Pudding.

Together with expert information on how the glycaemic index works and why low-GI foods are so good for you, with The Low-GI Cookbook you'll find living the low-GI life is easy.

Louise Blair is a home economist and food stylist, specializing in healthy recipes. She was a consultant for Diabetes UK and is the author of a number of books including Quick Cooking for Diabetes and Great Gluten-Free Baking, both published by Hamlyn.

A kind of detective story, relating a cranky amateur scholar's search for the truth about Gustave Flaubert, and the obsession of this detective whose life seems to oddly mirror those of Flaubert's characters.

"Barnes manages to be erudite but extremely funny too... You never know what Barnes is going to do next and I admire that.'" -- Caroline Rees, Daily Express

"Delightful and enriching... A book to revel in" -- Joseph Heller 

"A gem: an unashamed literary novel that is also unashamed to be readable, and broadly entertaining. Bravo!" -- John Irving 

"Endless food for thought, beautifully written... A tour de force" -- Germaine Greer 

"Unputdownable... A mesmeric original" -- Philip Larkin

Phrasebook in hand, bus ticket secured, you discover the bus driver shares your passion for Monet and fromage. He invited you to meet his family over a long lunch – another language-inspired success.

• extensive two-way dictionary & user-friendly sentence builder
• pronunciation for every word
• how to have fun with the French: food, wine and romance
• traveling basics: transport, health and shopping
• useful culinary dictionary for exploring gourmet options

Who We Are
At Lonely Planet, we see our job as inspiring and enabling travellers to connect with the world for their own benefit and for the benefit of the world at large.

What We Do
* We offer travellers the world's richest travel advice, informed by the collective wisdom of over 350 Lonely Planet authors living in 37 countries and fluent in 70 languages.
* We are relentless in finding the special, the unique and the different for travellers wherever they are.
* When we update our guidebooks, we check every listing, in person, every time.
* We always offer the trusted filter for those who are curious, open minded and independent.
* We challenge our growing community of travellers; leading debate and discussion about travel and the world.
* We tell it like it is without fear or favor in service of the travellers; not clouded by any other motive.

What We Believe
We believe that travel leads to a deeper cultural understanding and compassion and therefore a better world.

A no-frills, fail-safe, easy-to-follow “calorie-cycling” eating plan designed to jumpstart your metabolism, stimulate weight loss, define your body, and keep you fit for life—from the bestselling author of You Are Your Own Gym

FUEL UP, BURN FAT

International fitness phenomenon and U.S. Special Operations Forces trainer Mark Lauren has worked with everyone from soldiers to civilians who want to get into top shape fast—without pricey equipment or gym memberships. Now he turns that same disciplined focus and straightforward advice to using the right foods to fuel your body.

In Body Fuel, Lauren reveals for the first time his cutting-edge concept of “calorie cycling,” the secret weight-loss weapon that employs a simple week-by-week schedule of calorie and carbohydrate increases and decreases to trick the metabolism and keep the body in fat-burning mode.

Lauren provides a helpful meal guide and more than fifty delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack recipes, formulated around the “Magnificent 7”—meats, fish, vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts, and seeds. Complementing this new eating plan is a series of ten-minute workouts that use your own body for resistance. Drawing on the latest nutritional research and including photos of exercise routines, Body Fuel will change the way you think about food, transforming your life and your body.

The authors are members of the Bear Tribe Medicine Society located near Spokane, Wash. Sandwiched between mawkish poetry and tedious lessons on the philosophy of the tribe is practical advice for readers interested in exploring the back-to-nature movement. The book, originally published privately in 1977, discusses methods and resources for purchasing or otherwise obtaining the use of land, growing and preserving food, utilizing herbal medicines, skinning small animals and other skills necessary for success in a primitive, communal setting. Also required are hard work and a willingness to sacrifice many material comforts. The tribe stresses living in harmony with the environment and using nature's gifts with reverence. Except for one section, the authors emphasize the positive aspects of the tribe's way of life rather than dwelling on the ills of some members' previous lifestyles. The ways of the Bear Tribe may not be for everyone, but the volume is a sincere attempt to demonstrate the feasibility of a nurturant relationship with the earth. Illustrations not seen by PW. --From Publishers Weekly

Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the bestselling author of Falling Leaves, a remarkable book of wisdom and spirit.

Somewhere it is written that every Chinese wears a Confucian thinking cap, a Taoist robe, and Buddhist sandals. In Watching the Tree, Adeline Yen Mah brings together the many influences on her life as a child of the East and as a student and adult in the West. Conveying a wealth of insight and experience, Adeline illuminates major aspects of Chinese customs and culture while weaving in stories of personal struggle triumph throughout her life.

Taking a step beyond her previous book, Falling Leaves, a powerful memoir set against the backdrop of political and cultural upheaval in China, Adeline explores the centuries-old Chinese traditions and their legacy in modern-day China and the West. With Adeline’s provocative essays on Buddhism, the I Ching, Tao, Confucius, and their role in shaping Chinese thought, Watching the Tree inspires as it uplifts the soul, giving readers an unusual glimpse inside a culture that remains mysterious and often misunderstood.

In her sharp observations on Chinese food and medicine, yin and yang, Zen, and feng shui, Adeline enlightens readers with the mundane—an approach to healing an illness you might find at a Chinese grocery store—to the larger questions in life surrounding true happiness, health, and spirituality. Bridging the cultural divide between the East and West, these stories reveal the strength and peace of mind that comes from opening one’s heart and mind to the wisdom and experience of our combined histories.

For anyone looking for a clearer understanding of Chinese culture and for inspiring personal stories that embody a life lived in the wake of Chinese tradition, Watching the Tree opens the door into a world of calm reflection, knowledge, and spirituality.

A Picky Eater's Quest to Understand Why We Hate the Foods We Hate

“Using humor, gusto, and her sensitive if skeptical palate to great effect, Stephanie Lucianovic explains the mechanics of picky eating. She shows us why we like some foods and not others, and illuminates the mysteries of our sense of taste. It takes a picky eater to understand picky eaters, and we should all be grateful for Lucianovic’s inspired work.”—Amanda Hesser, co-founder of FOOD52.com and author of The Essential New York Times Cookbook

As a child Stephanie Lucianovic lived for years on grilled cheese and created an elaborate system for disposing of revolting food involving bookshelves, holiday centerpieces, and, later, boyfriends. She agonized not over meeting her future in-laws, but over the peaches they served her. As an adult, this picky eater found herself in the most unlikely of circumstances: a graduate of culinary school who became a cheesemonger and then a food writer. Along the way, she realized just how common her plight was. It wasn’t surprising to discover that picky eating is an issue for millions of kids, but who knew there are even support groups for adults who can’t overcome it? Yet remarkably little is known about the science of picky eating, and cultural and historical questions abound. Are picky eaters destined to ascend to a higher plane of existence, and what happens when picky eaters fall in love or go to restaurants? How can you tell if you’re a “supertaster”? How does the gag reflex affect pickiness (and what secrets do sword swallowers impart to help overcome it)?

“Hilarious and honest, Suffering Succotash is a fascinating read if you’ve ever gagged on your greens (or know someone who has).”—Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, authors of Spoiled and founders of GoFugYourself.com

Suffering Succotash is a wide-angle look into the world of picky eating, told by a writer who’s been in the culinary trenches. With wit and charm, through visits to laboratories specializing in genetic analysis, attempts to infiltrate the inner workings of a “feeding” clinic, and interviews with fellow picky eaters and adventurous foodies young and old, Stephanie explores her own food phobias and gets to the bottom of what repulses us about certain foods, what it really means to be a picky eater, and what we can do about it.

“As a diner who will gladly eat the eyeballs off a shrimp, but who recoils in horror at the site of a raisin in an oatmeal cookie, I adored Suffering Succotash. Stephanie Lucianovic's charming and hilarious exploration of why we hate the foods we hate is packed to the gills with research on everything from sword-swallowers to supertasters and yet reads like a guilty pleasure. I couldn't put it down."—Suzanne Morrison, author of Yoga Bitch 

"Lucianovic proves that hanging out with a picky eater doesn't have to be torture--do not judge the picky eater, just laugh as she learns to enjoy cruciferous vegetables."—Beth Lisick, author of Helping Me Help Myself and co-creator of Porchlight Storytelling Series

From Susan Rebecca White, award-winning author of A Soft Place to Land and Bound South, comes a breathtaking story of three richly nuanced outcasts whose paths converge in a chic Manhattan café as they realize they must give up everything they thought they knew to find a home at last.

Alice Stone is famous for the homemade southern cuisine she serves at Café Andres and her groundbreaking cookbook, but her past is a mystery to all who know her. Upon Alice’s retirement, Bobby Banks, a young gay man ostracized by his family in Georgia, sets out to revive the aging café with his new brand of southern cooking while he struggles with heartbreak like he’s never known. Seeking respite from the breakup of her marriage, wealthy divorcée Amelia Brighton finds solace in the company and food at Café Andres, until a family secret comes to light in the pages of Alice’s cookbook and threatens to upend her life. 

In her most accomplished novel yet, Susan Rebecca White braids together the stories of these three unforgettable characters who must learn that when you embrace the thing that makes you different, you become whole.