Customer Reviews

This Is Why You're Fat: Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased this item based on the web site [...] , expecting the book to be a reference guide for many of the items on the site. As it turns out, the book is a bit outdated, as many, many of the items on the site are not in the book. In addition, at the very least, I would have expected to see recipes for all the items detailed in the book, but to my surprise it appears that it only has about 1/2 of them detailed and most of these are the extreme meat dishes. Granted, many of the food concoctions can be taken apart based on a picture, but to have a book just showing the same picture with a couple more sentences thrown in for good measure is not what I would have purchased. Finally, the book making quality was a bit off. Within a few minutes of looking through the book, a couple of pages came loose from the binding. I would rather have paid more for a book that offered more detail, than purchase this one.

"Jessica (Amason) and Richard (Blakely) live in New York City ... and make trouble wherever possible." - About the Authors, from THIS IS WHY YOU'RE FAT

THIS IS WHY YOUR FAT is a small photo album of what may be some of the most unhealthy, obesity-inducing, and atherosclerosis-assuring food creations ever to haunt the feverish nightmares of the Food Police. By my count, the book lovingly reveals 105 (though I may be off by a couple).

The volume is divided into five general categories of outrage: Introduction (a compendium of the miscellaneous), Breakfasts of Champions, Bacon Gone Wild, Souped-up Sandwiches, and Big-time Burgers.

More useful, perhaps, is the division among entries between those food items - yes, it's still food despite what any nutritionist will tell you - created by individual contributors and those offered by eating establishments. While all are photographed in loving color and grease, only the former may include actual recipes. For the latter, the name and location of the eatery is identified (and perhaps even recognizable from the cable TV's "Man vs. Food", a show that proves to any viewer that no culinary fantasy is too large or conceptually extreme and there's always someone willing to eat it).

The authors make no attempt to finesse the subject matter or even produce a publication that will stand the test of time - the pages of my copy are already coming loose from the binding. However, the "OMG!" quotient is satisfyingly high. The photos are almost pornographic in their social acceptability (or lack thereof), which means that they'll probably be leered at secretly or otherwise by most people who have access to them.

True, some of the eatable fabrications are rather ordinary and can be seen at any county fair: deep-fried moon pies, deep-fried Mars bars, deep-fried Oreos, etc. Some you probably won't see anywhere outside the home of the disturbed individual that conceptualized it: The Slim Jim Shooters, The Cornhole, Bacon Apple Pie, Deep-Fried Coke (as in Coca-Cola), The Twinkie Weiner Sandwich, and The Corn Dog Pizza. Some are rather inventive and probably worth a try: The Grilled Cheesecake Sandwich, Fried Guac Bites, The Bacon-Weave Cheese Roll-up, Cheesy French Toast, and the White Castle Casserole.

The main problem, from my perspective as a potential consumer, is that some are just too big to be eaten as finger foods: The Quadruple Bypass Burger, The Mega Burger 2.0, The Beer Barrel Belly Buster (burger), The Sandwich of Knowledge, The American Dream (sandwich), The G.B.M.F., The All-Day-Long-Sandwich-of-Dreams, or The 29,559 Calorie Sandwich. I mean, why start in on something so big that you have to take it apart and eat it with a fork; that defeats the whole concept of eating something meant for hand handling.

My nutrition and health-conscious wife, who was a vegetarian before she came under my evil influence, would likely divorce me in absolute disgust if I ate anything contained in THIS IS WHY YOU'RE FAT. But, just between you and me, here are the Top Five that I'd really like to try:

Poutine - French fries topped with cheese curds and covered with brown gravy

The Deep-Fried Brownie Ball - A deep-fried peanut butter-covered brownie wrapped in cookie dough

The Deep-Fried Grilled Cheese Sandwich

The Squeeze with Cheese - One-third pound of beef smothered in fried cheddar cheese, on a bun

Gravy Pizza

I'm knocking off a star for the durability of the book's construction. But, otherwise, it grandly accomplishes what its title implies, i.e. pointedly show you why you're overweight, or just a fatso wannabe at (failing) heart.

Gee, what are these pains I feel coming on? It's odd how they seem to be radiating down my arm.

I purchased this book as a gift but couldn't help reading it before I wrapped it... this has to be the most disgusting book I have flipped through and I couldn't believe that some of the pages contained recipes to actually make these horrid concoctions.

I would say that it's worth looking through... fun to give as a gift... but a heart-attack waiting to happen if you actually ate any of it!

This is such a fun book for holiday gift giving. I showed it to some friends and they are planning a whole party using some of the recipes. It should be an interesting time for all attending. Tums will be served for dessert.

This book is a MUST for any weight-watchers on your shopping list. It's guaranteed to make them lose their appetites. They'll thank you for it! Fascinating recipes, it's a tribute to the human imagination. Once you start looking, you can't put it down.

Clocking in at 6.4 ounces this is a light weight book about a heavy weight topic. Wrapped in a punchy palette and 70's style font, the glazed - I mean glossed donut - on the cover hearkens a happymeal glow. Great book, delicious. My favorite recipe was the Elvis - a bacon, peanut-butter glazed, banana covered, donut. Props to Ike & Jane in Athens, GA for that tasty combo. Both mind blowing in it's recipes, and disgusting in its breadth of combination this book is a great quick pick.

It goes well with any of these too:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=bacon&x=0&y=0

This book is a must for every table! It's hard to believe real people eat this stuff, but the author makes it hilarious. How about a vegetarian version? Love this as a gift for all epicureans!

This is the perfect gift for the holiday! It is disgusting but fabulous at the same time. Love all the different disgusting food. Who knew you could eat stuff like this. It was hard to put down cover to cover. Genius!

This is Why You're Fat: Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks is the most disgustingly refreshing novel that I have ever read. The short novel is packed with pages of mouth watering recipes and pictures of items such as Grilled Cheesecake Sandwich and my personal favorite, Deep-Fried Moonpie Burger. While there is not much commentary on the items featured, the tongue-in-cheek novel kept me entertained for hours. This is a book I would definitely recommend if you are in need of a good laugh, even if it is at our own society's expense.

This Is Why You're Fat: Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks

This Is Why You're Fat: Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks by Jessica Amason and Richard Blakeley is a funny and frightening compilation of some of the most decadent, fattening, artery blocking dishes in the United States today and the restaurants and towns that created them.

Here are a few of featured dishes:

the McNugettini - which combines vodka, a chocolate shake, bbq sauce and McDonald's McNuggets;
Twinkie Weiner Sandwich - inspired by a Weird Al Yankovic film, combines a hotdog with a Twinkee with Cheez Whiz;
Turducken - a chicken stuffed into a duck, stuffed into a turkey;
Deep-Fried Coke - do you really need a description?!;
The Elvis Donut - peanut butter-glazed donut topped with bananas and bacon; and
The 29,559 Calorie Sandwich

Many of these dishes are accompanied by their recipes. There are a great deal more mind-boggling dishes and recipes.

Needless to say, none of the dishes have their calories listed, but we can safely assume that any one of them likely surpasses the daily recommended calories for most adult males.

This Is Why You're Fat: Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks is a crazy compilation and a sure conversation starter. It's sure to take away your appetite!

ISBN-10: 0061936634
Publisher: HarperStudio; 1 Original edition (October 27, 2009), 144 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.