Ratings2
Average rating3.5
"Based on his popular Wired magazine column What's Inside, Patrick Di Justo takes a cold, hard ... look at the shocking, disgusting, and often dumbfounding ingredients found in everyday products, from Cool Whip and Tide Pods to Spam and Play-Doh. He also shares the madcap stories of his extensive research, including tracking down a reclusive condiment heir, partnering with a cop to get his hands on heroin, and getting tight-lipped snack-food execs to talk"--Page 4 of cover.
What do a cup of coffee and cockroach pheromone have in common? Di Justo takes a cold, hard, and incredibly funny look at the shocking, disgusting, and often dumbfounding ingredients found in everyday products, from Cool Whip and Tide Pods to Spam and Play-Doh. He schools us on product histories, label decoding, and the highfalutin chemistry concepts behind everything from Midol to Hostess fruit pies.
Reviews with the most likes.
Depending on how you look at it, [b:This Is What You Just Put in Your Mouth?: From Eggnog to Beef Jerky, the Surprising Secrets 22238370 This Is What You Just Put in Your Mouth? From Eggnog to Beef Jerky, the Surprising Secrets Patrick Di Justo https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417411741s/22238370.jpg 41612295] is either a handy tool for consumers who want to understand where their food and assorted household goods come from...or a nightmare for people who see danger with every six-syllable word.Di Justo, who wrote the “What's Inside?” article series for Wired magazine that inspired this book, delves into the ingredient lists of your favorite foods - hot pockets, coffee, A1 Steak Sauce...even dog food - and explains what each ingredient is, where it comes from, and what it does. Each item is also accompanied by a “backstory” that details what inspired him to examine that particular food, who he contacted for information, and the sometimes questionable experiments he participated in, all in the name of science.The book had the potential to become tedious (as it did for the last half-dozen or so chapters that covered items like golf balls and diaper cream), but Di Justo's humor kept the book lighthearted and amusing. The occasional horrified reaction from his wife over his research made me chuckle, as did the rebuffs he received from the PR departments he contacted for information.I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, bathroom reader-type book who enjoys science and food. If you have a weak stomach, however, steer clear.
Interesting....
Very well written, clever dialogue.
A fun read for a serious subject.