Just Finished Reading: Ultra-Processed People – Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn't Food... and Why Can't We Stop? By Chris van Tulleken (FP: 2023) 

Growing up my mother cooked most of our meals from scratch (wonderful substance and SO versatile). She'd be in the kitchen chopping, mixing, heating and produce decent filling meals. She was never a great cook – except maybe for her scones which I miss to this day – but we never went hungry no matter the circumstance. Of course, some of the food was more processed, coming in tins (how could we possibly live without Heinz baked beans?) and sometimes packets (when ready meals started coming out in the later 70's and mother & I started experimenting with curries (which my older brother called 'foreign muck'!) and chillies. But it was only later, when I went to university in the early 80's that I started having what would probably be called ULTRA processed food - essentially 'food' that had more contact with a factory than it did with a farm. After we moved off campus in our 2nd year we ate some very questionable food essentially because it was dirt cheap. After reading this book I now understand more just why it was so cheap and exactly why we kept going back for more. 

In essence I am a lazy eater. Some of my friends are (or have been) very food focused and enjoy both preparing and eating food of a wide variety. Food, apart from the basic need of consuming it or dying, has never really interested me. Naturally there are foods I like to eat and some that I still miss after becoming a vegetarian 25+ years ago, but I don't obsess over it. My brother often said that if he could take a pill each day and didn't need to eat anything else he would do so. I'm not QUITE that bad but I appreciate where he's coming from. Although I do get some pleasure from food that pleasure is not my primary motivation for eating it. In essence, at least to me, food is mostly about fuelling the body. Anything else is, all joking aside, garnish. 

With that out of the way [grin] what has that got to do with this interesting and alarming book? I think that's there's two ways of looking at it – personal and global. From a global point of view, we've seen a significant increase in obesity just about everywhere as well as an increase in the number and severity of numerous other diet related health issues. At the same time (surely not coincidental) is the creation and explosive growth of 'food' that wouldn't be recognised as such by previous generations. Although it might be difficult to PROVE that one actually CAUSES the other – not unlike smoking despite the fact that the link between it and cancer has been clear for some time now – it's not too difficult to show the likelihood of a link. So, there's that... 

On a more personal level I don't think that my eating habits are producing any obvious health related issues. I've had eczema (for example) all of my life – it runs in the family – and these days any flare up is a rare occurrence and (normally) quickly relents. Nothing else comes to mind. I did gain weight from my 40's onwards – after being the same weight for decades no matter what I ate – but that's likely to be metabolism/age related rather than diet. I've gained some more weight since retiring but, again, I think that's mostly activity rather than diet related. Like most people I do eat 'junk' from time to time knowing that it's not 'real' food. I used to be a great fan of Pringles – which, interestingly, gets its own CHAPTER in this book – but haven't indulged in a while (and probably never will again after reading this!). I still eat crisps (or 'chips' to my American readers) probably more than I should but I think I need to odd 'vice' to tide me over. It's not like I'm living off them. So, although I do periodically indulge in UPF (Ultra-Processed Food) I think I do so in moderation. [Side note: despite knowing the chemical concoction that is the MacDonalds 'strawberry' milkshake I still low-level crave it every time I pass a MaccyD's....] 

One of the things I will be doing going forward is spending more time READING ingredients lists on the things I buy (or am thinking of buying). The author gives some rule-of-thumb ways (some I'm sure are a little tongue in cheek) for spotting UPF: It comes in a plastic bag; it has more than 5 ingredients [Side note: My local supermarket sells its own brand Tortilla chips that has 3 – Maize flour, Rapeseed oil & Salt... and they're SUPER cheap too!], it has a LONG shelf life, it contains flavours, colours or both. It's not hard and fast that its UPF if it has one or two of these but if it has more than two... it's probably not real food. 

I'm only really scratching the surface of what this book covers and I'm missing out evidence of environmental damage, transportation costs, pollution, unknown or long-term health risks, damage to existing local or indigenous food supplies, control of what we eat by a handful of GIANT corporations... and so it goes. I think that the fact we call it a food INDUSTRY kind of gives the game away. Although I don't think that this is as life changing or impactful as some of the blurb comments make out, I think it'll encourage people (including me) to ask many more questions about what we eat and what it's doing to us and our world. More on Food and Health to come (as they're two subjects I know FAR too little about). Recommended unless it might tip you into paranoia!  

Just Finished Reading: For All the Tea in China – Espionage, Empire and the Secret Formula for the World’s Favourite Drink by Sarah Rose (FP: 2009) [275pp] 

In all my years of drinking the stuff (as I am right now) I’ve never really thought about where tea comes from or how it became THE drink of the English and much of the rest of the world. I knew of its association with China and, especially, India but had assumed that it simply grew in different areas – like other plants – and that was it. I had no idea that it was actively STOLEN from China in order to break China’s monopoly on the trade and, not incidentally, make the East India Company a great deal of money. At the centre of things was botanist Robert Fortune who was tasked to gain access to China’s interior (at that time out of bounds to Europeans), accumulate tea plants and seeds, discover the secrets of making tea – from plant to pot – and make it out alive to tell the tale. Needless to say, the attempt was not without considerable risk as China was largely terra incognita before its borders were forcibly opened, but the potential profit was likewise considerable. Nothing like it had been attempted before. It was going to be quite the adventure! 

Tea is so ubiquitous that its almost invisible here. A ‘cup of tea’ is, as often parodied (with a lot of truth) as the ‘answer to everything’. That’s not far wrong. I’m not exactly sure at what age I started drinking it (5 maybe?) but growing up it was a regular ritual throughout the day. I think we drank it at least 3 or 4 times (maybe more) each day at home. But, until very recently, I never even thought to ask what TYPE of tea it was – mostly ‘blended’ standard tea (AKA the cheap stuff) - or where it came from. On going to university in the early 80’s I ‘fell in with’ a group of HEAVY tea drinkers – probably 6-10 cups a day or more! – which was cool. Tea kept us up, focused and fun to be with. I’m sure that it helped with our studies too. 

After Uni and my move to London, I kept up the tea habit for a while, but it slowly seemed more of a drag making it for myself and I slowly lost the habit. Only after a break of years – if not decades – I started drinking it again (presently green tea with lemon & honey) and found that I really missed it. My daily cuppa – just the one – is something I look forward to with some anticipation. After reading this book I’ve decided to expand my range into other teas (I picked up a box of Assam today) and intend to try out as many as I can find. I think it’ll be fun experimenting with ‘real’ tea rather than the standard blends I’ve been used to my whole life. It might take me a while to move away from teabags though – but I DO have an unused pot that could be dusted off... and I’ve seen some really nice/cute diffusers...  

If you have any interest or curiosity about the world's favourite drink this will definitely fill in the gaps in your knowledge. A fascinating read of global industrial espionage that got me wondering about other food and drink we’ve stolen and transplanted around the world. More to come. Recommended. 

Just Finished Reading: This is Your Mind on Plants – Opium – Caffeine – Mescaline by Michael Pollan (FP: 2021) [247pp] 

This was another of those books that turned out to be not what I expected. Much like my previous book, I was expecting a somewhat scientific discussion about what various drugs/substances did to the human brain and contrasting the effects of two heavily regulated/illegal substances with the all too common one (caffeine!). 

That wasn’t what I got, though I was far from disappointed with the result. Logically the book was split into three sections – one on each ‘drug’. The first was more than a little odd. Essentially it was an upgraded version of an article the author had produced some years previously for Harper's Magazine about the so-called ‘War on Drugs’ and how, as part of that ‘conflict’ the US Government was trying to quietly eliminate the Poppy from American gardens. Fuelled by a misinformation campaign – asserting that opium poppies could not be grown in the US (they can) or that ‘normal’ poppies don’t produce opium (they do in varying quantities) and even prosecuting people who grow colourful flowers in their gardens not realising that they ‘could’ be used for opium production. The author also contrasted this failing war (and all of the ridiculous side effects of controlling seed catalogue contents) with the opioid crisis in no small part caused by ‘legitimate’ drug companies feeding doctors and patients false information about their products. Interesting stuff. The last chapter was broadly similar where the author looked at the strange history of mescaline use in the US and the fight by Native Americans to have access to it for their religious ceremonies. Again, very interesting stuff especially when the author and his wife tried mescaline during such a ceremony. 

As I haven’t taken (nor plan on taking) either substance, the section on caffeine was the most relatable. Rather than taking in the substance, something most of us do on a daily basis, the author tried to wean himself off coffee or tea for a whole three months – something I certainly couldn’t contemplate. The results were VERY interesting to say the least and even more so when he got back on the wagon with some expresso...! His speculation on the effects of coffee (and later tea) on 17th century Western civilisation certainly need more investigation, so I’ll be following up on that. One thing that did make me laugh was about the physical health benefits of the growing popularity of coffee houses. As they necessarily had to boil water to produce the brew, it meant that any bugs contained therein were effectively killed. So, largely risk-free mental stimulation. A win-win I think.  

I enjoyed this quite a lot and am looking forward to reading more from the author. He has a very cozy style and you feel that you’re learning things with almost no effort (I approve!). A fun quick read that will probably make you look at your morning coffee, as well as poppies and cacti, in a slightly different way. Recommended for an off-the-wall read.

Just Finished Reading: The Little Book of Hygge – The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking (FP: 2016) [285pp] 

To be honest, as I usually am, I picked this up because it looked just so damned cute! The actual contents, text and photographs, came second. Thankfully they were both very good indeed. 

I’ve long been interested in different ideas of well-being from around the world and across time, so this looked like an idea light read. The Danes regularly score highly as the happiest people on Earth. Indeed, they get a little miffed (though not for long I imagine) when they periodically and very temporarily get knocked off the top slot. This being the case there’s little surprise that the Happiness Research Institute (who published this book) is based in Copenhagen. The question of WHY the Danes are just so damned happy is what the author attempts to answer. 

A huge part of that answer is, apparently, the concept of Hygge – pronounced hoo-ga which can be VERY roughly translated as ‘cosiness’. Imagine standing in your home (or the home of a dear friend) looking out the window as a snow storm is passing, dressed in a warm, cozy thick jumper, cup of hot chocolate, tea or coffee in hand, with a log fire burning and the sound of friends laughing behind you as they prepare food together, calling over to you to finish the pie everyone wants to taste – oh, and the room has numerous candles burning and there’s soft music playing, something classical or light jazz... That’s Hygge. 

Heavily illustrated throughout, with some quite excellent photographs scattered through the book, the book contains ideas for hygge events, food (complete with recipes), drinks (ditto), home decor ideas, places to visit (mostly in Copenhagen), places to eat (ditto) and a special chapter on a hygge Christmas. Well written (I found myself smiling throughout the entire read) and lavishly illustrated (I was most impressed as you might be able to tell!) this was a delightful read from cover to cover. Cute in itself as an object and full of good ideas. Highly recommended.      

Just Finished Reading: Wonderland – How Play Made the Modern World by Steven Johnson (FP: 2016) [262pp] 

This was, yet again, not what I was expecting – I'm getting REALLY good at that sort of thing! I was expecting a history of games with talk of why we actually play as adults, how important play is in learning and the cultural impact of how and why we play. Although there was some of that salted throughout this often-fascinating book that wasn’t what it was about. No, it went MUCH further than that. 

The main thing I discovered very early on was that the authors definition of ‘play’ was very broad indeed. Sure, it covered games like chess, but it also covered things like shopping, fashion, food spices, music and much more. Each chapter looked at a different aspect of play and each, to be honest, could have easily been expanded into a book of its own. The author had some very interesting ideas about the position of play (as he defined it) and the impact it had on larger society and, in so many words, put it forwards as at least one of the major drivers of human history and culture. Just a few examples will suffice, I think. 

Take food. We have evolved an interesting pallet that likes spice, which is kind of odd as some sought after ingredients like hot peppers have evolved as a way for plants to poison creatures that try to eat them. We, contra-wise, seek out such things and enjoy the ‘kick’ of hot sauces. Apparently, the Roman Empire spent a significant amount of its treasure procuring pepper from India and this alone may have contributed to its downfall! Later, during the Crusades and following, the Spice Routes became increasingly problematical and expensive. Looking for easier (and more profitable) ways of importing pepper and other flavoursome spices encouraged the Age of Exploration and the modern connected world we know today. 

Take Fashion. As shopping became a more popular pastime it encouraged businesses to both demand more product from their suppliers but also more variety. As standards increased and demand for quality consistent products did likewise the suppliers struggled to maintain output because of a lack of skilled (therefore expensive) workers. To produce a consistent high quality – and fashionable – stock manufacturers resorted to using looms that they could ‘program’ using punch cards which, as we know eventually led to the computer revolution we’re still living through. 

Take Music. Humans have played and listened to music from our very earliest days. Some of the oldest human artifacts ever found – in amongst the stone tools – have been musical instruments. But playing music requires talent and such talent is regrettably in limited supply. Today we take access to music – available in an instant – as a given, but this wasn’t always so. Before the phonograph (that’s a record player) and before radio there was something called a ‘player-piano’ which allowed its owner to load a pre-programmed piece on a paper roll and the piano would ‘play’ itself for the entertainment of anyone assembled. This was another route to the computer age. 

This comparatively slim volume was chocked full of these interesting links between play and the modern world, and I really liked ‘discovering’ the many pathways and interconnections between apparently pointless or wasteful activities and the much larger and definitely consequential results often decades or centuries later. So, when you’re accused of wasting time at the Mall (and that’s a WHOLE other thread to pull on!), or learning to play a musical instrument, or that you like your food too spicy give them this book to leaf through and explain to them that you’re building the future – just one pair of shoes, one guitar lesson or one jalapeno at a time. A recommended fun, eye-opening read.

I think the only one of those I don't like is the Double Decker.... 

Just Finished Reading: Tamed – Ten Species that Changed Our World by Alice Roberts (FP: 2017) [332pp] 

It has long been thought that the great break, the great leap forward, in human existence was the move from hunter/gathering to farming. We moved, so it was assumed, from basically being nomads to being sedentary, and everything that followed made us what we are today. But was it that clear cut? Apparently not – not by a long way. Of course, we should know by now that not much in human history fits into neat little boxes. Things happen and are then lost or abandoned and then picked up again later, somewhere else. Sometimes a really good idea (in hindsight) just doesn’t take off and another, technically worse, idea lives on way beyond its ‘sell-by date’. Such is the convoluted and meandering story of domestication. Before the advent of detailed genetic analysis, it was assumed (admittedly for some good reasons) that farming began in the Fertile Crescent and was so successful it swept across the rest of Eurasia in an unstoppable wave of progress. A more detailed picture shows a patchwork of casual pastoralism where animals are sometimes hunted and sometimes ‘managed’ and where naturally occurring grasses are ‘harvested’ periodically during variable term semi-nomadic ‘lay-overs’. Farming, as we think of it today, took a long time to ‘bed in’ across Eurasia with some people’s never adopting the idea and others dipping in and out of the idea as circumstances allowed or dictated. It certainly wasn’t either a smooth or an inevitable process. Domestication of both plant and animal species across the world depended on the availability of suitable species – horses rather than zebras for example – opportunities for the process to begin (beneficial to both sides of the equation as shown by the numbers of chickens in the world following their domestication), population pressures, and even climate change. Looking at dogs, wheat, cattle, maize, potatoes, chickens, rice, horses and apples – plus our self-domestication – the author delves into the origins of the domestication process (as much as possible considering those origins sometimes greatly predate historical or archeological evidence – as with the transition from wolves to dogs), when and where it occurred and the consequent impact on both humanity and the domesticated creature or plant. 

I’ve been looking forward to reading this for a while now and was not disappointed. The author has a wonderful ‘voice’ and explains the genetic, archeological and anthropological aspects of domestication very well indeed. Needless to say, I learnt a LOT from this book. Some of it, she freely admits, is still speculative at this point but the speculation, where it does occur, is both highlighted as such and supported by what data we do have. It is interesting to know, as I’d read before, that horses (for example) evolved in North America but went extinct there – probably by human hand/spear - long before the Spanish reintroduced them after Columbus. It’s interest (as always) to speculate how the Spanish would have done if faced by something like the Apache on horseback in the 15th century. Equally it's interesting to speculate how history would’ve played out if horses had been pushed to total extinction in Eurasia too! If you’ve ever wondered where the staples of the planet’s diet come from (plus DOGS!) this is definitely the book for you. Highly recommended. 

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Just Finished Reading: Fast Food Nation – What the All-American Meal is Doing to the World by Eric Schlosser (FP: 2001) [289pp] 

I think I bought this when it came out in paperback here in 2002, which means it's been sitting in various book piles, unread, for 20 years. This fact is not particularly uncommon for me. Interestingly 2002 was the early stage of being a full-on vegetarian for me. I’d tried it before, maybe a year or two previously, but had gone back to eating meat. I’d never been a HUGE meat eater even before I took the veg pledge so actually giving it up entirely wasn’t exactly a huge burden. Often, when eating out, I’d choose the veggie option because it, to me anyway, simply tasted better. Sometimes the veggie meal took longer to come out simply because they had to make it from scratch. I liked that. 

Fast food, likewise, had never been a huge part of my life. Growing up in the 60’s (even in a large city) American style fast food joints simply did not exist. Plus, being urban working class, we didn’t exactly have a lot of disposable cash so eating out at all just wasn’t going to happen. It was only when I went to University in the early 80’s that I started eating out – including in fast food places – with any kind of regularity. Still, we didn’t often frequent McDonalds or Burger King. Mostly back then it was local (and looking back on it ‘questionable’) local places for late night burgers or pizza on the way back from the pub. One of our favourite places, I still fondly remember, was Ali Barber Burgers – and my mouth is now watering! I remember his chili sauce was to DIE for, just don’t get it on your clothes! 

Even when we did, occasionally, frequent places like MaccyD’s we knew exactly what we were purchasing – it wasn’t food, it was fuel. Something quick, edible and reasonably cheap to grab on the way to somewhere or the way back from somewhere when you needed something *now*. In other words – convenience. Before the recent apocalypse I probably hit BK maybe once a month prior to a cinema trip. If the only option was McD I’d probably end up with a large strawberry milkshake (NEVER ask what’s in it!) and a large fries. Those two items I’ve always considered the best McD had to offer. At work, if I was visiting our off-site outstation, I’d walk back via McD just to pick up a milkshake... 

But, at long last, to the book. Interestingly, this is not the usual polemic about fast food making you fat. Although there is some of that in here, how could there not be, it’s much, much more than that. Looking at all aspects of the industry – and it is VERY much an industry complete with an industrial product and industrial waste (and not just in the product) - from the cattle, to the slaughterhouse, to the underpaid staff, to the health impacts (fat to food poisoning) to the impact on urban development. Much is made of (US) government inability to control or regulate the industry and the negative impact that lack of regulation has had on all involved except those making lots and lots of money at the top. Unsurprisingly, given the nature of the beast, the vast majority of the book looks at the US experience (despite the sub-title) but near the end of the book the author does look at the impact of fast food in other regions (the rise in obesity in Japan after fast food arrived there) and had a particularly intriguing aside at the very end concerning a libel case in the UK that was, at the time of publication, the longest court case in UK history. More on THAT later!  

Despite the fact that this book is now 20 years old I suspect that little has actually changed in the practice or raising cattle, slaughtering them or how the fast-food workers are paid or treated. As the author recognises, laws and regulations in these areas are generally deemed either unnecessary or harmful (to the bottom line, naturally). I’m sure we’ve all lost count of the times that mega-rich corporations have cried on camera about the fact that they’d sure like to pay people more but if they did that they’d just have to lay people off or go out of business. Funnily enough though, fast food employees in countries outside the US are paid better and do get benefits (that the company said they can’t afford) without going bust or cutting back. Weird that! Likewise, animal husbandry and slaughterhouse practices are regulated heavily in Europe and other places without McD or others taking much of a hit to their profits. Although they might not like laws, regulations and unionisation they don’t have the clout in other countries to restrict or stop them to the extent that they do in the US.  

Finally, the author mentioned the BSE (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy) crisis that had just hit the UK and Europe about the time of publication. Governments across the UK and EU were in panic mode regarding the possibility that BSE had managed to cross the species barrier from sheep to cattle and then on to humans causing vCJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) that was both incurable and fatal. There was a real fear that, years down the line, thousands of people could die. It never came to pass but, again across the UK and EU, new regulations came into force regarding the composition of cattle feed – no longer could you feed recycled dead sheep to herbivores! - and slaughterhouse practices – no more removing spinal columns with chainsaws! The industries involved had little choice and were essentially informed that they applied the new rules or ceased to do business. They chose to continue making money, although the publics consumption of meat dropped rather dramatically, and very publicly showed how the new regulations were being applied and that they themselves had been disturbed at the practices of their suppliers... 

I think if I hadn’t already been a veggie (and had read this book soon after publication!) it would’ve put me on that road anyway. So, if you like your burger down at the local franchise and really don’t want to know what goes on before you lift it to your mouth, this may not be the book for you – no matter how out of date it no doubt is by now. Definitely recommended if you have a reasonably strong stomach and don’t mind the occasional nightmare!      

Just Finished Reading: Gut – The Inside Story of our Body’s Most Under-Rated Organ By Giulia Enders (FP: 2014)

As I get older I’m becoming more and more interested in the workings (and the failings) of my body. Part of that is insurance – knowing what to do when things go wrong. A big part of it is to know what to do to keep things ticking along nicely for as long as humanly possible. Books like this really help in that regard.

Like, no doubt, many of us I essentially ignore my gut until it does something odd or embarrassingly distasteful. I’m sure that most of us do. As long as it’s doing its mundane job or food processing and elimination we leave it alone to get on with things. When it’s humming along nicely, as it does most days, I just ignore it. How wrong I was. The author, who is a doctor of microbiology, makes the whole thing not only interesting (and frankly funny) but shows just how important our digestive system is – not just in extracting food and nutrients but in its role in our mental health too (go figure). One of the things that immediately jumped out at me was the fact that some skin diseases/issues had been greatly assisted if not actually cured by the partial removal of tonsils! How counterintuitive is that!

The gut turns out to be more complex, more diverse and has much more of an influence on our physical and mental wellbeing than we ever though. Biologists are only now getting a handle on what goes on in our stomach and intestines. Long held assumptions of where our gut flora come from, how they operate, how they’re different in different populations or even between individuals are being proven to be inadequate at best. It’s all, as the author gets across in style, very exciting.

I did get a few funny looks reading this – both on the bus and at work – more so when people noticed my chuckling away as I read and the best pooping positions and much else besides in almost (but never quite) crude language. Never one to beat around the bush the author brings the gut out of the shadows to present it in polite society without the sniggers. Bathroom activities are one of the last taboos and because of that lack of public discourse can lead to unnecessary suffering and great problems down the road. Knowing what problems look like, feel like and smell like could, in these cases, be a literal life saver. Not being embarrassed to discuss such things with family, friends and your doctor is a healthy indication that you’re looking after your gut. Highly recommended for anyone who ever wondered what happens in your body between mouth and toilet bowl.     

Just Finished Reading: French Women Don’t Get Fat – The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano (FP: 2005)

It’s OK to be surprised at this book showing up in my reviews. Everyone who saw me reading it at work expressed surprise and not a little astonishment. But I do so much like messing with people’s heads and challenging their expectations. Sure the people I work with expect to see me with my face buried in a book, they often see me reading things (and expressing interest and pleasure) that either leave them cold or simply perplexed but I must admit this one raised even more eyebrows than normal.

This was a mixture of personal story starting with the tale of coming back from a foreign exchange visit to the USA rather chubbier than she went out and how she coped with such a life and wardrobe changing experience. Learning lessons from family friends and someone she referred to as ‘Dr Miracle’ she slowly outlines why French women in particular don’t get fat whilst still enjoying food and wine and all of the other ‘no no’s’ consistently associated with the West’s obesity epidemic. Most of her advice is very straight forward and very down to Earth starting with the blatantly obvious – if more calories go into your body than go out you will gain weight. That is essentially all you need to know. The ‘trick’ is to control those calories going both in and out of your body whilst still having fun with your food. Quite rightly the author says that if you force your body into what is essentially a starvation diet it will rebel and you’ll lose weight only to gain it back and then some! What you should do is give the body (and the pallet) a little of what it wants, drink LOTS of water, walk everywhere (or cycle) and always climb the stairs. Never eat on the move or in front of the TV, always eat quality food (and your body won’t crave quantity to compensate for poor quality) and never feel guilty over the occasional indulgence. Above all else find what works for you but expect it to change throughout your life with age, season, and life’s great events. Know your body and recognise what it’s telling you. Make food a part of your life – and an important part – without being obsessed by it. The author maintains that you can eat out, be a foodie and still stay slim.

OK, I skipped the recipes. I’m not generally a person who cooks which would horrify the author who is a great advocate for real food preferably prepared by your own hands. Processed food – no way! I also learnt to ignore her rather patronising and superior tone throughout the book – French women know the secret and I am going to let you into a small part of it! Sure she was amusing in places and often gave what I thought was reasonable advice but I doubt if I could have managed much more than the 272 pages of this slim volume. Definitely a different read for me and one that I am now going to pass on to my female work colleagues – at their request I hasten to add!