Customer Reviews

The Chocolate Therapist

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Julie Pech has compiled an informative, enjoyable and useful book on the history of dark chocolate and its medicinal purposes. Prescriptions for ailments from anemia to stress all have chocolate as their base. What a way to get well without side effects! Don't skip the sections on how to buy and eat chocolate. I was amazed at what I didn't know and what I've been missing out on. Recipes, resources and recommendations all make The Chocolate Therapist: Chocolate Remedies for a World of Ailments the perfect gift to include with each and every box of the dark delectable fruit (yes, chocolate is in the fruit family) you give from now on.

I'm sure that the author is genuinely enthusiastic about her subject and wants to communicate that to the public. However, I am not happy at all about the claims set out in this book. Yes, there is increasing scientific evidence to back up the suggestion that the polyphenols in chocolate may have some potential health benefits. As a result, major confectionery companies in Europe have started to make limited claims, based on this science, for some of their high cocoa solid dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids and over). These claims centre on the cell protection qualities of the polyphenols. However, solid scientific support for the wide number of claims made by the author in this book, is not, to my knowledge, there at present - you can bet that the confectionery companies would already be making any claim that they could scientifically back up. The "Supporting Evidence" section after each claim made in the book is, in my opinion, inadequate. To make such claims there should at a minimum be footnotes showing the relevant published scientific studies on which the author relies. The comments on the back of the book state that "The book is wonderful entertainment and it will certainly make you laugh". However, combining health claims with entertainment in this way is, I believe, treading on dangerous ground (particularly in Europe). A thoroughly researched and cross-referenced book on the potential health benefits of chocolate would be a fantastic addition to literary canon on the subject - but this is not that book.

I loved the information, and how easy it was to understand the science behind why good chocolate is good for us. Julie's writing style is very warm and friendly, and she has a great sense of humour and down-to-earth approach about her subject. This book plus some good quality dark chocolate makes a great, inexpensive but wickedly indulgent gift for almost anyone. Her research helped me understand why a little good chocolate every day IS good for us, and now I don't crave the sugar-filled cheap stuff.

I agree with the other 1 star reviewer. And she sells chocolate from her website, that is from a network marketing company. I don't trust this to be unbiased information. Chocolate is loaded with fat and sugar. It's hardly health food. It does have some benefits but that doesn't make it good for you. You will gain weight if you eat it on a reular basis. There is no pricing information on her website, which is odd for a commodity like chocolate. So I'm guessing it's priced higher than the market value. I asked her for pricing and she sent me a link which was bad. I'm still waiting for price information from her. She seems to be evading me on the price. But how am I supposed to order it then? All these factors combined I wouldn't trust anything in the book to be objective.

Reading this book is better than eating chocolate. All my future chocolate consumption will be guilt free. I had to apologize to my wife--she is from Mexico and has been preaching chocolate for years. I was amazed at how yet one more healthy product has been distorted by commercialism. We better buy all the dark chocolate we can. If the FDA reads this book, chocolate will be pulled off the shelves and require prescriptions.

Julie presents scientific and historical research on chocolate in a clever, funny, and entertaining way. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learned far more than I expected to about the health properties of chocolate. Antioxidents, blood sugar control, neurotransmitters, amino acids, -- all this and more. I had heard chocolate was good for me and this entertaining book explained why and how, while I laughed along the way.